During our month-long stay in Port Elgin, Ontario, we made a few day trips to Southampton, the next town north. If you missed our previous posts about this lovely place, take a look at The Shoreline and Fairy Lake, or you can just keep on reading.
Southampton Market
Our first stop was at the Southampton Market, 140,000 sq. ft. of everything.
Built in 1901, the building operated as a furniture company until 1987 and than used to mill specialty flour. It is now the home of Southampton Market.
While shopping for household items, art, and furniture,
you can spot remnants of the old days throughout the building.
Naturally, we did leave some money behind to support the local economy.
We also planned a visit to the local museum and art gallery. We arrived at the museum at noon, but were told that they will be closed for an hour for sanitizing. The museum is very hands-on, so this sounds like good practice!
Southampton Art
In the meantime we decided to head out to the art centre that is situated in the old Town Hall.
The art centre is an amalgamation of a long standing art school and an art gallery. Together they provide art classes (currently online), and art exhibits.
Not surprisingly, there are a lot of artists in Saugeen Shores. The landscape is very inspirational and begs for artistic expression.
The gallery is comprised of many small rooms full to the brim with beautiful paintings and other forms of art.
Below are a few examples.
A variety of mediums and techniques,
some quirky,
some current.
And many were a testament to the beautiful Saugeen Shores.
This old stove reminded us of our recent backyard buried treasure!
Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre
Back at the now sterile museum; a repurposed old school building with several additions added over the years.
The museum has strong collaborative ties with the Saugeen First Nations and the first exhibit upon entering the galleries is dedicated to creation stories and the First Nations through time.
It also includes great examples and interpretations of the ancient history, geology, and ice age in the area.
There are many artifacts,
a baby mammoth,
and dioramas such as this hunt scene.
You can walk onto a boat,
Have a bird’s eye view of a general store,
And even a full set of the signal baskets that we found out about in the local park.
We loved this interactive exhibit!
You lift the lid and smell. Yup, smells like the trenches all right. Pretty foul. I wonder if the Canadian Armed Forces endorse this exhibit…not many young people will want to join after smelling this.
We caught glimpses of Fairy Lake as we walked around the museum. It’s probably just as nice to stroll around in winter.
On the top floor we explores Marion Anderson’s incredible mixed media art.
This is just a small sample
and doesn’t do her paintings justice. You can explore more of her works on her website.
As observed on several plaques and displays across town, the town was founded by Captain Spence,
So it was a nice surprise to serendipitously come across his original residence that still stands today.
Clearly, this town cares about arts, culture, and history.
And they have a beautiful beach.
Maybe worth exploring a little bit more…
At first I assumed this would be about Southamton, England, but it turned out to be the one in Ontario. Great photos from the market, art centre and museum!
Thanks! I keep forgetting that there is the UK Southampton out there 🙂
Such an interesting place. They certainly have given different things a lot of consideration. Loved the artwork pics.
It really is very engaging for such a small place. Art is pretty big on these Huron shores, which is great!
What a wonderful place! I could happily spend several days there exploring the Art Centre and Market. Thank you o
You will love it!
Great post. Love all the art work on the walls. Looks like you had a grand trip.
Thanks! Loved the art too!
Yes – there are Southamptons in many places (or Southhamptons). It would be very helpful, given the international nature of your audience, if you could center us geographically! Your photos are great, and this will be on my list of places to visit when we can cross borders again. Love the artwork.
Thanks for pointing this out. I have become very Ontario-centric lately 🙂 I hope you get a chance to cross over soon and visit the Ontario side of Huron!
Hi Margie, The Saugeen Ojibway Nation recently turned down a proposal for the burial of low and intermediate level nuclear waste on their traditional lands, though I believe the overall issue is still in play…
https://london.ctvnews.ca/first-nation-votes-no-on-nuclear-waste-storage-in-bruce-county-ont-1.4792113
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/analysis-fight-over-ontario-nuclear-waste-disposal-reveals-hurdle-in-liberals-climate-plan/ar-BBZC1bg
https://www.facebook.com/janefairburnalongtheshore
Thanks for pointing this out, Jane, and may I add that I admire the work you do in raising awareness to Ontario’s landscapes! One of my future posts is about Teeswater and their fight against the nuclear dump.
I love your road trips – great photos and information – bravo!
Thank you! Lots more to come 🙂
We’re planning to visit a few of the provincial parks along Lake Huron and then take the ferry across to Manitoulin Island over the summer. I’ve added Southampton to my itinerary. It looks like such a charming town with a lot of character.
There are several charming towns along the shore. We were not there in season and I think that they get pretty busy in the summer, but they seem well prepared and welcoming. We have several upcoming posts about the area so keep an eye out for them 🙂