After visiting the area in 1793, Upper Canada's lieutenant-governor John Graves Simcoe recommended the establishment of naval facilities on the isolated Penetanguishene peninsula. This proposed base was to help guard the province against threats posed by the United States, although no military action occurred in Upper Canada until the War of 1812. In 1814, this site, with its deep and defensible harbour, began to be developed to secure British communications on the upper Great Lakes. The return of peace in 1815 brought these efforts to a close until 1817 when the Royal Navy decided to concentrate its Georgian Bay resources at this location. The site was ultimately part of a larger transportation and defence network that connected Lake Ontario to the upper Great Lakes and also served as a base for maintaining the Crown's relations with First Nations. The navy maintained a presence here until 1834, while the British army provided a garrison at this location until 1856 when the post was rendered obsolete.

Location

At Discovery Harbour, 93 Jury Drive in Penetanguishene. The plaque is located in the garden area between the main administrative Welcome centre and the dock.

Themes

• First Nations
• Transportation systems and communications
• War and conflict