Little Pike Bay facts for kids
Little Pike Bay is a small bay located in the Northern Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, Canada. It's part of Lake Huron, one of the Great Lakes. You can find it about 50 kilometers south of Tobermory and 60 kilometers north of Owen Sound. Today, many people visit or live here in cottages and homes, especially for tourism during different seasons.
A Look Back at Little Pike Bay
For a long time, the area around Little Pike Bay was used for logging (cutting down trees) and hunting. This was especially true in the late 1800s. The logging companies used big barges to carry timber. These barges often had trouble getting into the bay because it was quite small. This caused ships to get stuck or run ashore often. The most famous event, which still brings visitors today, was the loss of two ships: the barge Etta and the steamer Eclipse.
The 1883 Shipwreck Story
On November 21, 1883, a big storm hit Lake Huron. The barge Etta was being pulled by the steamer Eclipse. They were traveling from Tobermory to Southampton. The ship's records show that the storm had very strong, gale-force winds.
During the night, the two ships got separated in the storm. The Etta was left floating alone and eventually crashed onto the beach at Little Pike Bay. The only crew member on the Etta was safe. He then walked 16 miles (about 26 kilometers) to Wiarton to tell the port authorities what happened. Sadly, all seven crew members of the Eclipse were lost. Their steamer sank in Lake Huron near Pine Tree Harbour.
Little Pike Bay Today
Around the early 1900s, much of the land around Little Pike Bay had been cleared. This allowed people to build permanent hunting lodges. Over time, private owners bought the land. They turned it into places for seasonal cottages.
Today, many people who love shipwrecks come to Little Pike Bay. They are interested in the story of the Etta and Eclipse disaster. This has helped turn the small camping area into a popular spot for tourists.
