12 July 2014
Georgian Bay Pictures
7/12/14 Hope Island anchorage to Frying Pan Island – Henry’s Fish Restaurant time lapse.
Our trip to Frying Pan Island and the world famous Henry’s was pretty easy. We headed out from Hope Island and headed towards the O’Donnell Channel that would put us back on the Small Boat Channel.
There were some intial twists and turns with close quarters, but after awhile the channel opens up and we were soon in sight of Frying Pan Island. We got to the space outside of Henry’s and got put into a nice slip away from the restaurant noise.
After doing our shutdown sequence we headed up for a light lunch. Both of us were still full from our blueberry pancakes. Susan had the “smoked beef sandwich”. Not rare, but it was very tender. I went for the smoked wings since I knew I wanted fish for dinner. Wings were good, next time I’ll order them plain rather than with the BBQ sauce.
While we were eating, two planes landed with people for lunch. The flights are from Parry Sound, our next destination.
After lunch I proposed a walk to the other end of the island (about ½ mile). We got directions from the owner of Henry’s and headed down the trail.
It turned out to be rougher going than we had expected. Our stint on Beausoleil Island had us looking for well trodden paths. Evidently not a lot of foot traffic back and forth. There were a number of mushy spots that we needed to leap from rock to rock. At one point we were not sure where to go, but had been reminded that there was a cell tower behind the other marina. So we headed in that direction and popped out behind the marina.
The lead picture is from our walking trip. There is power on the island and I could see the poles. I was wondering how they dug the holes for the poles. They don’t they dig holes for anchor bolts.
They had Kawartha Lakes ice cream (our favorite!) so we both had a scoop to celebrate our successful hike. On the hike back we were able to see some things we had missed on the way out, like a tree that the woodpeckers had been working to get the insects out of for their lunch.
But we were both very glad to see the Quo Vadimusfloating in the distance. We both took showers with lots of soap to get any residual poison ivy oils from our skins.
After resting and reading, we headed up for dinner. Susan had the pan fried whitefish, I had the lightly battered and fried Pickerel. Both were very good. Not sure what they use for batter, it came out with an almost tempura like crunch. I had baked beans and slaw as my sides, both tasted home made.
After dinner I got a chance to chat with Paul, the owner of Henry’s. He’s had it for 25 years, the prior owner about 15. The place started out as a fishing camp and Henry (the first owner) was known for his cooked fish. Paul has really expanded the place with added docks, the planes flying in and he has cleared space for three helicopters. One of them is on top of the giant rock at the end of the marina pier. He said at one time there would be 50 flights in during a weekend in the summer. He hires a combination of local kids that come by boat and has a boarding house for the rest next to restaurant.
A pretty cool place. I’m glad that we made an effort to stop.
I had posted on the loopers boating forum and the Harbor Host for Maryland, Judy Gill wrote a post about some history of the island.
I recently sent an “off list” reply to Foster Schucker regarding his post about Sans Souci, Ontario which is located 16 miles down the South channel from Parry Sound in the 30,00 islands of the Georgian Bay. In my reply, I told a bit of the history of the area from a cottager’s memory as my family had a cottage on the Northern tip of Moon Island (3 miles from Sans Souci) for many years when I was a teen ager. Foster talked with Paul, the current owner, who verified my account.
It is important to note that Sans Souci marina is located on Frying Pan Island and that Sans Souci island is across the channel from Henry’s! In the 1800’s the Copperhead Lodge and Sans Souci were popular steam ship stops in the 30,000 islands of the Georgian Bay and a half way point between Midland and Parry Sound.
What is now the Sans Souci store used to be Welsh Brother’s Marina and boat yard. In addition to marine engine & boat repair and parts they also sold propane, gasoline and diesel fuel at their store and also delivered these and building supplies to local residents and Summer cottagers. They also built one two lake boats there every winter, some of which they used for their livery service (water taxi from the islands to town), mail delivery, and work boats used to haul needed items — sometimes towing a barge — out to the islands from Parry Sound.
The original Sans Souci store was located to the Left of Henry’s Fish House (where the Champlain Monument was or still is). For many years, the store at Sans Souci was the local general store for canned goods, some fresh produce, frozen meats, bread, eggs, milk, etc. and also was the local Post Office. Later after the store was moved to the old Welsh Brother’s building, the Sans Souci building was taken over by the Sans Souci & Copperhead property owners association.
The Henry’s building was originally a camp and then became the one room school house for island youngsters in 1st through 8th grade. The children went to school from Spring, through Summer and into the Fall. They were picked up by the “School Boat” at their homes, taken to school and then back home at the end of the school day. High School students were boarded in Parry Sound and went to school there during the normal school year.
Henry’s Fish Camp has been a well known cottagers favorite and tourist attraction for more than 50 years. Famous for its Pickerel aka Walleye Pike (one of the finest fresh water eating fish). So popular, that tourists even drove to Parry Sound and chartered a sea plane to fly them out to Frying Pan Island for a Lunch or Dinner!
For those who are interested in the origin of the name, Sans Souci is French and translated means “without care”, but to a French Canadian being Sans Souci means that: “I simply don’t give a s**t”.