Top 3 Abandoned Places In Bruce County

There are so many abandoned places in Bruce County! This is a list of the top three abandoned places in Bruce County. Browse through all abandoned places in Bruce County

1. Little Egypt (ghost town)

On Highway 9 about 18 km east of Kincardine in Bruce County lies the Egypt Side Road. It leads south off the main road, running through forest and a couple of farm fields for perhaps 2 km and then makes a sharp turn to the east before coming to an end at a solitary farmhouse. It(a)s a pretty empty and forlorn sort of place, lying as it does on the edge of the great Greenock swamp. Along the road, about where it curves to the east, is this lonely little log house.

Norman Robertson, who wrote the first definitive History of the County Of Bruce, described an area in Kincardine Township that the locals had nicknamed Egypt. According to his source, a Mrs. John Reekie, the name came from a Mr. John Bell, who was the pathmaster of the 10th Concession east of the 20th Sideroad (a pathmaster is a man responsible for the maintenance of a particular road). Bell was a real slave-driver and everyone called him "the Pharaoh" and "the King of Egypt". From this, the area that he was responsible for came to be called "Egypt". I believe the Egypt Sideroad marked the east end of his territory - the beginning of "Egypt".

I haven(a)t been down here for a number of years, so I don(a)t know what kind of condition the house is in now.

2. The Sweepstakes Shipwreck

I don't think there is too many shipwrecks listed on OAP but thought I would add it as the access is pretty easy to get to and its shallow so anyone can explorer these wrecks. You can launch your own kayak or canoe for free at Big Tub Lighthouse or rent or launch at Big Tub Harbour Resort. They even have clear see through kayaks for rent here. Please don’t stand on the wrecks as they are protected and you can get a fine. Tobermory, Ontario, Canada is one of my favourite spots in Canada to visit. There is so much to do and see here. Crystal clear water makes it a great spot to scuba dive or snorkel. There is 2 large abandoned shipwrecks at this location. One is in very good condition for its age and the other not so much but still is incredible to see.

The sweepstakes was a 2 masted schooner ship and was built in Burlington, Ontario, Canada in 1867. This schooner ship was 119 ft long, 20 feet in depth and weighed approximately 218 tonnes. That’s a whopping 436,000 Pounds. On Aug 23rd 1885 the Schooner hit a rock near Cove Island and sank in shallow water close to the big tub light house. There was severe damage to the hull and was not repairable. The ship remained here until sept 3rd. The ship was then towed into Big Tub Harbor by a tugboat and it sunk to the bottom. The ship was stripped of all useful equipment before it sank in its present location. Today it’s still here and is protected just like a historic house or building. It is visited by many scuba divers, snorkelers and tour boats. For both conservation and safety, penetration of this ship wreck is not permitted. There is a cage inside the ship so divers can not enter the inside. When scuba diving ship wrecks the exhaled air bubbles can get trapped and when it contacts the wreck it can cause rapid corrosion.

Shipwreck 2 (in poor shape)
Built 1879 121 feet long The City of Grand Rapids was a double-decked steamer. The night of October 29, 1907, a fire broke out while docked in Little Tub Harbour. The Captain ordered a tug boat to tow the burning vessel out of the harbour, and released it. The City of Grand Rapids then drifted into Big Tub Harbour. It continued to burn, and eventually came to rest at the end of the harbour, where it burned and sank.

3. Corran Ruins- McNeills Mansion

On my trip up north I found these ruins. They are located just north of Wiarton off Hwy 6 in Spirit Rock Conservation Area.

Alexander McNeill was known for his extravagant parties where he entertained members of parliament as well as other leading figures of Canada. There were 500 rosebushes growing in the three acres of gardens. McNeill lived at the estate with his wife Hester, and their only child, Malcolm. In 1881, McNeill became the federal Member of Parliament for the North Bruce riding and held that position for 20 years. Alexander was a supporter of Britain and its empire and one of the "Noble 13" who opposed Sir John A. MacDonald on a number of issues. McNeill died at the age of 90 in 1932, and his son took over the estate. Unfortunately, Malcolm(a)s interests were not in the Corran. The estate quickly deteriorated and the family fortune dwindled away. When Malcolm died in 1956, he willed the estate to his housekeeper and in 1960, the housekeeper sold the property to a Toronto resident. Despite valiant efforts to maintain the estate, it was at this point in time that the mansion and other buildings became victimized by vandals. Following the sale of the property to the Conservation Authority, the house burned leaving only a stone shell.