North Bay, located on the eastern shore of Lake Nipissing, is a small city of about fifty thousand residents and nicknamed “Gateway to the North” of Ontario. About 3 hours drive from Toronto, it is also conveniently close to our Canada Day long weekend destination at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park. This quiet city has recently undergone an economic revival with new development on the waterfront area as a tourist attraction and community hub. There are several parks and museums in the area, and a couple of beaches on the shallow waters ideal for family outings.

After a rainy start to our trip, we arrived in the evening just in time to see the weather clear and enjoy a beautiful sunset over the lake. We spent some time at the marina and waterfront promenade, looking for a good vantage point for the upcoming fireworks at dusk. Most people were visiting from out of town, so nobody seemed to know where the best location was – we picked a spot on the boardwalk pier. It turned out that anywhere near the marina had a great view, and despite it being a smaller spectacle compared to Ottawa or Toronto, the relaxed location (and lack of crowds) made the show very enjoyable. It’s definitely worth the visit if you’re in this part of the province.

One of the beaches near the Waterfront Marina.

Boardwalk pier with ice cream parlour.

Breakwater at the end of the pier.

The local cruise boat with tours of Lake Nipissing and area.

Relaxing on the rocks, Lake Nipissing.

Canada Day celebrations at the marina park.

Sunset over the shallow waters.

The North Bay Marina.

Even the ducks are waiting for the big show…

It’s begun!

We had a great view from the boardwalk.

The weather cleared up just in time, with perfect conditions for fireworks.

The grand finale. Happy Canada Day!

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