Long Point, Ontario facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Long Point, Ontario
Unincorporated hamlet in Norfolk County
Long Point Peninsula with bright sediment plumes. (The top of the image points southwest, rather than north.) Source: NASA
Long Point, Ontario Location in Ontario
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Amalgamated into Norfolk County	2001 (Single-tier municipality)
Elevation	210 m (690 ft)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Forward sortation area	N0E 1M0
Area code(s)	519 and 226
Ramsar Wetland
Official name: Long Point
Designated:	24 May 1982
Reference #:	237

Long Point is a long, narrow piece of land called a sand spit. It is also a small community, or hamlet, located on the north shore of Lake Erie in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada.

This sand spit is about 40 kilometres (25 mi) long. At its widest, it is about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) across. Lake Erie is to the south of Long Point. On its north side is Long Point Bay. This bay is divided into the Inner Bay and Outer Bay. Towns along the bay's north shore include Port Rowan, Turkey Point, and Port Dover. Long Point is located across Lake Erie from Presque Isle in Erie, Pennsylvania.

History of Long Point

People from Europe started settling in the Long Point area around 1790. After the American Revolution, many Loyalists (people loyal to Britain) moved here. After 1796, land was given to anyone who could develop it. The first lighthouse on Long Point was built in 1830.

The recently renovated Old Cut Lighthouse.

In the 1800s, a strong storm created an opening through the middle of Long Point. This opening became known as "The Old Cut." A lighthouse was built next to this new channel. The cut has since closed along the lake, but boats still use the northern part to reach the bay, homes, and cottages.

During the mid-1800s, some local people tried to make money in a dishonest way. They would build fake lighthouses when it was foggy or hard to see. Ships trying to enter the old cut would then crash. When the ship's crew left, these people would steal the cargo and other valuable items. Since law enforcement was far away in London, Ontario, they would hide their stolen goods in many secret spots on Long Point.

Abigail Becker was a brave woman who, in the 1800s, saved sailors from shipwrecks many times. She would wade into stormy waters to rescue crew members from boats that had crashed. Long Point has caused many shipwrecks. More than 400 ships have sunk in an area called "The Lake Erie Quadrangle" near the tip of the point.

Hunting for sport became popular after the Long Point Company bought the area in 1866. Long Point Provincial Park was created in May 1921. By 1929, a new road called a causeway connected the park to the mainland.

Life and Fun at Long Point

About 450 people live in Long Point all year round. However, the population grows a lot in the summer. This is when people who own cottages and campers come to visit. Long Point is a popular place for many activities. These include boating, swimming, fishing, hunting waterfowl (like ducks), and canoeing. Between 100,000 and 300,000 visitors come each year.

A large part of Long Point is owned by the Long Point Company. This is a private group that does not allow the public onto its land. Because of this, most homes, cottages, and businesses are found within the first few kilometers of the causeway. This causeway is the road that connects Long Point to the mainland. Long Point Provincial Park is also on the peninsula. It is a popular spot for day trips and camping.

Nature and Wildlife

Long Point is a great example of how sand dunes and sand spits form in the Great Lakes region. It is the largest landform of its kind in the Great Lakes. It was created by sand and dirt carried by water. This material was swept eastward and deposited along an underwater glacial moraine (a ridge formed by glaciers).

The natural areas on and around Long Point include woodlands, sand dunes, bluffs, marshes, ponds, meadows, beaches, and the lakeshore. This whole area is the biggest natural formation of its kind in the Great Lakes of North America. North of the peninsula are several islands, such as Ryerson's, Second, and Snow.

Important Natural Areas

In 1982, the Long Point National Wildlife Area was recognized as a very important wetland. It was listed under the Ramsar Convention, an international agreement for wetlands. In 1986, the Long Point Biosphere Reserve was named a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. It was also called a globally important bird area by Bird Life International. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources calls Long Point a Macrosite. This means it's a large area with many important ecological or geological zones. These include Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest.

Inner Long Point Bay covers about 78 km² (30 sq mi). It is located between the sand spit and Lake Erie's north shore. This Inner Bay is a good place for fishing. It is also a very important stopping point for migrating waterfowl (water birds) across North America. Right next to this natural area is a special land area. It has temperate 'Carolinian' broadleaf forests, conifer tree farms, oak savannas (grasslands with scattered oak trees), and many different farming areas.

Wildlife of Long Point

The Long Point region is a key spot for bird migration in spring and autumn. Many different waterfowl stop here during their journeys. A report by the Long Point World Biosphere Reserve states that it is "one of the most important wetland complexes for migrating waterfowl in southern Canada." It sees the highest number of waterfowl visits on the Great Lakes. About 4 million waterfowl days (number of birds multiplied by days they stay) happen here each year. Up to 30,000 Tundra Swans fly through in spring. Also, up to 8% of the world's Canvasbacks (a type of duck) gather here on any given day during spring and fall.

In 1960, the Long Point Bird Observatory was started to watch migrating birds. It is the oldest bird observatory in North America. As more people focused on saving birds, the organization changed its name to Bird Studies Canada in 1998. Its main office is near Long Point Inner Bay, at the base of the peninsula.

The Long Point Biosphere Reserve and the area around it are home to many different living things. There are 1384 types of plants, 370 kinds of birds, 102 types of fish, 46 kinds of mammals, 34 types of amphibians and reptiles, and 91 kinds of butterflies. Some of these are Species at Risk, meaning they are endangered or threatened. Examples include American ginseng (a plant), American badger (an animal), Acadian flycatcher (a bird), and channel darter (a fish).

Climate at Long Point

Long Point has a cool summer humid continental climate. This means it has four distinct seasons with no dry period. The climate is affected by Lake Erie. This makes spring and summer temperatures cooler than the nearby mainland. It also makes autumn and winter temperatures warmer. Winters are fairly cool, with an average temperature of −2.8 °C (27.0 °F). Summers are warm, averaging 21.5 °C (70.7 °F). Long Point gets about 860 mm (34 in) of rain and snow each year. It is estimated that Long Point gets about 2,000 hours of bright sunshine per year.

Gallery

• Views of Long Point, Ontario
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  The marshes of Long Point, as seen from the Provincial Park.

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  A flock of gulls on the beach.

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  Lake Erie

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  View of a channel through the marsh in Long Point Bay.

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  Map of the Lake Erie Islands located near Long Point.