(about North Bay, ON Canada, last edited on Nov 22, 2007)
Situated between Lake Nippissing and Trout Lake, North Bay is a great all year round destination for that provides numerous activities for all those who love action and not only.
People are lured here especially by the great choices they have in outdoor activities and fun and the fact that they are all in or around the city makes them even more appealing. They can choose between: biking, fishing, boating, canoeing, camping, hiking, horseback riding, swimming, sunbathing on great beaches, walking in the parks, playing tennis at North Bay Tennis Club and Tweedsmuir Park, playing baseball, soccer, golf on one of the 7 golf courses in the area or Mini-golf at the King Cone Mini-Golf on Lakeshore Drive, or the Mini Putt. Canoe rentals and lessons are available as well as boat launches.
North Bay is also an excellent destination for children as they are offered many opportunities to play on one of the many playgrounds. Among the most loved activity is go-karts.
After so many activities around you couldn’t expect more but North Bay is full of surprises all of them pleasant. There’s an area in the central part of the city known as Laurier Woods excellent for walking the scenic trails and watching the natural habitat. The favorite pastime is birdwatching, a quite relaxing activity that involves finding birds you've never seen before.
With two lakes in the area no wonder that a favorite activity for both locals and tourists is fishing which is great. In fact it is so great that there are tournaments held every year. You can fish for muskie, perch, small and largemouth bass, trout, pike, and whitefish. If you come unprepared for the northern wilderness but you still want some action, you can always contact an outfitter to organize an outing or rent some equipment yourself and head for the adventure.
North Bay's sandy beach is another great attraction and thousands come here every year to enjoy swimming, relaxing on the beach, taking a cruise on Lake Nippissing or just strolling along the shore of Lake Nipissing. There is also great live music on the waterfront played by local musicians and you can listen to it for free. The new Kate Pace Way is the place where bikers and rollerblades funs come to exercise their skill.
Sporting facilities and a wide range of activities are also available at the Pete Palangio Arena, the West Ferris Community Center and the Memorial Gardens Sports Arena.
Families can use North Bay's YMCA located next to Memorial Gardens to swim, enjoy a sauna, play squash, and participate in fitness classes or weight train. Visitors can use their memberships, and non-members can purchase day passes. A babysitting service is available.
The Canadian Forces Base on Airport Hill has a 25-meter pool, gym, weight room, theatre, bowling alley, all available to civilians. Memberships or day passes can be purchased.
North Bay's Waterfront boasts with action especially during Canada Day Celebrations held on July 1 and the Heritage Festival on the Civic Holiday Weekend held in early August. The waterfront can be seen in a different more pleasant and exciting way by train! Hop on the Heritage Railway Company's Mini-Train that takes you on a 2.5km ride along the city's waterfront. You can explore the waterfront by boat too, with the Chief Commanda II twin-hull boat offering great cruises.
If you enjoy train rides you can go a bit further about 100 km to Temagami, Ontario by climbing aboard the Dream Catcher Express and explore Temagami on a day trip. It is a beautiful region worth visiting for its beautiful lake, pine forests, aboriginal tipi village and scenic landscape.
And there’s more! The history of the area can be enjoyed on many guided outdoor tours. You can visit The Discovery North Bay featuring great exhibits on local history, the North Bay and Area Museum presenting the region's heritage and the much visited Dionne Museum dedicated to the world famous Dionne Quintuplets and featuring all kinds of other fascinating historical exhibits, displays and artifacts.
If you want to visit North Bay in winter you are sure to find just as many ways to fill up your time as in summer. The favorite activities are ice-fishing, skiing and dog sled tours. The skiing facilities abound especially at The College Education Centre on College Drive and Clarion Resort Pinewood Park; at Laurentian Ski Hill downhill skiing is great while in North Bay you can go snowmobiling; there are a number of outdoor rink locations to be used freely.
As for evening entertainment you can consider the Capitol Center offering great performances and exhibits. Summer theatre is also a great place for an evening entertainment.
North Bay and area is indeed full of opportunities, attractions and an endless list of activities.
