10 Reasons to Avoid Ontario

1. If you hate the sun setting at 10 or 11 pm, stay home. 

If you don’t like daylight, Sunset Country is not for you. For most of the summer, the sun sets around 10 pm. So if you don’t like evenings where you can stay out on the lake for hours after supper, Sunset Country is not for you. 

2. If you like congestion, traffic jams, and horns blaring, this is not for you. 

The only traffic up here may be the occasional other boaters on the lake or the whitetail deer crossing the street.

3. If you hate seeing spectacular sunsets, don’t come to Ontario’s Sunset Country. 

No matter where you are, you’ll see gorgeous sunsets glistening over the clear Canadian lakes. If this offends you, close your eyes. 

4. If you like gloomy days, this might not be for you. 

If you don't like sunny days, you may want to rethink your trip. Thunder Bay has over 2,200 hours of bright sunshine each year. Compare this to London, ON with 1,793 hours or Abbotsford, BC with 1,887 hours, or St. John’s Newfoundland with 1,633 hours. Thunder Bay is the sixth large city in Canada for the number of bright sunshine hours. 

5. If you hate being serenaded by the call of the loon, don’t come to Ontario’s Sunset Country. 

Hearing the call of the loon with the waves gently washing up on the shores as you fall asleep is commonplace. If you can’t handle it, don’t come to Ontario’s Sunset Country. 

6. There are lakes everywhere!

If you don't enjoy the sparkling, clean water, don't come to Northwest Ontario. I don't want to scare you, but we've got 70,000 lakes and rivers in the area.

7. If you go for a walk, and hate seeing wildlife and an abundance of flora, you may have a problem.

Hiking through the Boreal forest gives you the opportunity to come across many wild animals including deer, bald eagles, turtles, fox, marten, grouse, beavers, snowshoe hares, or if you’re lucky, a lynx. If the thought of seeing these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat scares you, don’t come to Ontario. 

8. If you only like to fish one species, don’t come to Ontario’s Sunset Country. 

In Sunset Country, you won’t just catch one type of fish; you’ll end up reeling in walleye, northern pike, bass, lake trout, crappie, muskie, perch, and sometimes even a brook trout. So if the thought of catching many, many fish of all species, instead of just one boring species, this isn't the place for you. Read how Pro Angler Jeff Gustafson caught seven species on one day in one lake.

9. If you only enjoy driving on flat, straight highways, don’t come to Ontario’s Sunset Country. 

If the thought of driving through the Canadian Shield and around beautiful lakes makes you angry, Sunset Country is not for you. If seeing scenic rock cuts, beautiful lookouts, and highways overlooking the water make you queasy, this might not be for you.

10. If having to occasionally slow down for deer, bear or moose is not your thing, don’t come to Ontario’s Sunset Country. 

Bear in the area have been seen helping themselves to some Tim Hortons, and deer have been known to often cross the streets (but they occasionally use the sidewalks too). Moose have often been seen grazing on the sides of the highways. If you don’t like to see wildlife, Sunset Country is not for you. 

So are you ready for the "horror" of visiting Ontario's Sunset Country? We'd love to have you. That is if you can handle all the sunsets, clean lakes, wildlife, and scenery!

Order your free Sunset Country Travel Guide & Map for more vacation ideas.

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Edited Body Text

1 - If you hate the sun setting at 10 or 11 pm, stay home. 

If you don’t like daylight, Sunset Country is not for you. For most of the summer, the sun sets around 10 pm. So if you don’t like evenings where you can stay out on the lake for hours after supper, Sunset Country is not for you. 

2 - If you like congestion, traffic jams, and horns blaring, this is not for you. 

The only traffic up here may be the occasional other boaters on the lake or the whitetail deer crossing the street.

Boating in Sioux Narrows. Photo: Virgil Knapp

3 - If you hate seeing spectacular sunsets, don’t come to Ontario’s Sunset Country. 

No matter where you are, you’ll see gorgeous sunsets glistening over the clear Canadian lakes. If this offends you, close your eyes. 

4 - If you like gloomy days, this might not be for you. 

If you don't like sunny days, you may want to rethink your trip. Thunder Bay has over 2,200 hours of bright sunshine each year. Compare this to London, ON with 1,793 hours or Abbotsford, BC with 1,887 hours, or St. John’s Newfoundland with 1,633 hours. Thunder Bay is the sixth large city in Canada for the number of bright sunshine hours. 

5 - If you hate being serenaded by the call of the loon, don’t come to Ontario’s Sunset Country. 

Hearing the call of the loon with the waves gently washing up on the shores as you fall asleep is commonplace. If you can’t handle it, don’t come to Ontario’s Sunset Country. 

6 - There are lakes everywhere!

If you don't enjoy the sparkling, clean water, don't come to Northwest Ontario. I don't want to scare you, but we've got 70,000 lakes and rivers in the area.

Nestor Falls is just one of the communities found on the shores of a Canadian Lake. Photo: Northwest Flying Inc.

7 - If you go for a walk, and hate seeing wildlife and an abundance of flora, you may have a problem.

Hiking through the Boreal forest gives you the opportunity to come across many wild animals including deer, bald eagles, turtles, fox, marten, grouse, beavers, snowshoe hares, or if you’re lucky, a lynx. If the thought of seeing these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat scares you, don’t come to Ontario. 

Deer are common in many areas of Sunset Country. 

8 - If you only like to fish one species, don’t come to Ontario’s Sunset Country. 

In Sunset Country, you won’t just catch one type of fish; you’ll end up reeling in walleye, northern pike, bass, lake trout, crappie, muskie, perch, and sometimes even a brook trout. So if the thought of catching many, many fish of all species, instead of just one boring species, this isn't the place for you. Read how Pro Angler Jeff Gustafson caught seven species on one day in one lake.

Crappie and walleye were just two of the species Erin and Jeff Gustafson caught that day. 

9 - If you only enjoy driving on flat, straight highways, don’t come to Ontario’s Sunset Country. 

If the thought of driving through the Canadian Shield and around beautiful lakes makes you angry, Sunset Country is not for you. If seeing scenic rock cuts, beautiful lookouts, and highways overlooking the water make you queasy, this might not be for you.

Highway 671 heading north to Grassy Narrows.

10 - If having to occasionally slow down for deer, bear or moose is not your thing, don’t come to Ontario’s Sunset Country. 

Bear in the area have been seen helping themselves to some Tim Hortons, and deer have been known to often cross the streets (but they occasionally use the sidewalks too). Moose have often been seen grazing on the sides of the highways. If you don’t like to see wildlife, Sunset Country is not for you. 

So are you ready for the "horror" of visiting Ontario's Sunset Country? We'd love to have you. That is if you can handle all the sunsets, clean lakes, wildlife, and scenery!