Bay of Quinte facts for kids
The Bay of Quinte is a long, narrow bay in Ontario, Canada. It looks like the letter "Z"! You can find it on the northern shore of Lake Ontario. It's near where the Saint Lawrence River starts, which connects the Great Lakes to the ocean. The bay is about 200 km east of Toronto and 350 km west of Montreal.
The name "Quinte" comes from "Kenté". This was the name of an early French mission located on the north shore of what is now Prince Edward County. In the Mohawk language, the community is called "Kenhtè:ke". This means "the place of the bay". The Cayuga name is Tayęda:ne:gęˀ or Detgayę:da:negęˀ, meaning "land of two logs."
Locally, people just call it "The Bay." It's famous for walleye fishing, which is a popular sport fish. Many other sport fish found in the Great Lakes also live here. Sometimes, in late summer, you might see algal blooms. Zebra mussels and other tiny creatures that are not native to the area are also present.
The Quinte area was important during the time of Prohibition in the United States. During this time, it was illegal to sell alcohol there. A lot of drinks were made in the Quinte area. They were then shipped by boat across the bay to Lake Ontario and then to New York State. Many people in and around Belleville became wealthy from this trade.
Today, tourism is very important, especially in the summer. People come to the Bay of Quinte for fishing, golf, visiting provincial parks, and exploring local wineries.
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Geography of the Bay
The northern side of the Bay of Quinte is part of Ontario's mainland. The southern side follows the shore of Prince Edward County. The bay starts in the east, where it connects to Lake Ontario. It then goes west for about 25 km to Picton. This part is also called Adolphus Reach.
From Picton, the bay turns north for about 20 km to Deseronto. Then it turns southwest again for another 40 km. Along this stretch, you'll find Big Island on the south and Belleville on the north. The bay is usually less than 2 km wide.
The bay ends at Trenton and the Trent River. The Murray Canal was built through a narrow strip of land called the "Carrying Place." This canal connects the western end of the bay to Lake Ontario. The Trent River is part of the Trent-Severn Waterway. This waterway is a canal system that links Lake Ontario to Lake Simcoe and then to Georgian Bay on Lake Huron.
There are also smaller bays connected to the Bay of Quinte. These include Hay Bay, Big Bay, and Muscote Bay.
The Quinte Region
The Quinte Region is an area that includes several communities along the Bay of Quinte. Belleville is the largest city in this region. It's located about halfway between Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto.
The larger Bay of Quinte area includes several municipalities. These are Brighton, Quinte West, Belleville, Prince Edward County, and Greater Napanee. It also includes the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. More than 200,000 people live in this whole area.
Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte
The Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte (Kenhtè:ke Kanyen'kehá:ka) live on their traditional reserve. This reserve is called Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. It covers about 73 square kilometers on the Bay of Quinte. You can find it in southeastern Ontario, east of Belleville and west of Deseronto.
The community's name comes from a different spelling of Mohawk leader Joseph Brant's traditional name, Thayendanegea. This name means 'two pieces of firewood beside each other'. In the Mohawk language, the community is called "Kenhtè:ke" (Tyendinaga). This means "on the bay." It was also the birthplace of Tekanawí:ta.
Communities in the Region
Here are some of the main communities in the Quinte Region:
- Belleville
- Quinte West
- Brighton
- Shannonville
- Napanee
- Deseronto
- Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory
- Rossmore
- Ameliasburgh
- Picton
- Consecon
- Carrying Place
Education in Quinte
The Quinte Region has several schools and colleges. Loyalist College of Applied Arts and Technology is located in Belleville. Other schools include Maxwell College of Advanced Technology and CDI College. For high school students, there's Albert College (a private school). There's also Sir James Whitney, which is a school for students who are deaf or have severe hearing problems.
Industry and Jobs
The Quinte Region has many companies that make food products. It also has industries in plastics, packaging, transportation, and advanced manufacturing. Over 350 different businesses are located in the Bay of Quinte Region. Some examples include:
- Essroc Canada (makes cement)
- Autosystems (makes car parts like lights)
- Procter and Gamble Inc. (makes hygiene products)
- Kellogg (makes breakfast cereal)
- Nestle Canada Inc. (makes frozen and dry food products)
- Trenton Cold Storage Group Inc. (stores and distributes refrigerated goods)
- Parmalat Canada (makes Black Diamond Cheese)
- Avaya (works on communication and networking systems)
- Research Casting International (creates museum exhibits)
- ClearWater Design Canoe and Kayak (builds boats)
Images for kids
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Picnic on the Bay in August 1909
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The Bay of Quinte at night, with a view of CFB Trenton.
