There’s No Place Like Home: My Favourite Hometown Spots in Superior Country

My relationship with home, a region in Northwestern Ontario called Superior Country, is as deep as it is meaningful, as it is complicated. I have spent most of my entire life on the North Shore of Lake Superior, spending my childhood adventuring through thick and wild forests, swimming in fresh lakes, and sharing the laughter and love of my friends and family. Yes, my childhood was one forged in the magic only found within the arms of Mother Nature’s Superior Country. 

However, when I grew up and entered my teenage years, I began to pull away; here, I introduce the “complicated” parts within this deep and meaningful relationship I have with the place I call home.

Growing Up in Superior Country: How the North Shore of Lake Superior Shaped Me

When I remember my teen years growing up here, I see it all so clearly: I am in the upstairs bedroom of my childhood home in the town of Nipigon, my hometown, writing embarrassing poetry, reading novels, and writing stories of romance and adventure that I cooked up while my head was floating in those clear Nipigon skies. For a very long time, this town was pretty much the only thing I had ever known. I remember spending hours staring longingly out of my bedroom window, where I had the most perfect view of the Nor'Wester mountains. Every morning, they were the first thing I woke up to, and before I went to sleep, they were the last thing I saw. Those mountains watched me grow, and they also listened as I wished every day to see something other than them for once in my life. That sounds mean, but I promise I still loved them. They were practically family at that point, hearing my most honest thoughts of where I wanted to be, which was far, far away. Sorry to them.

I want to make it clear that this is no criticism of those mountains, the town, or this beautiful area. I was simply a young girl aching to see and experience new things, find new adventures, and start a life of my own. Perhaps it’s universal, this feeling, of being a teenager and suddenly the endless boundaries of these vast northern forests needed to be pushed a little farther, and I had two arms out, running as fast as I could past their borders. Then, in the blink of an eye, I graduated from high school and did what I had always dreamed of doing: I moved to the big city of Toronto to attend university. 

In total, I spent six years of my life there, away from my home, and every minute I was away, the North never left me. Where once I longed to get away, almost every day I was in that city, I longed to be back in the arms of my home once again, among the people I have known my whole life, and to feel the comfort of being underneath that big blanket of northern snow.

Called Home Again, From Toronto to the North Shore

So, why am I telling you this big background story of my life? I promise you it comes with a purpose. I think that because of growing up here, this region has become a part of me in a lot of different and very special ways. It was almost as if the roots that built the foundation beneath the northern soil had planted themselves within my heart. Every day, it grew more and more until it became a tether that pulled me back—back to where I feel most myself, back to where I am most loved (by both Mother Nature and the people), and where I am the most at peace. All of this is to say that when I’m away for such a long time and then come back, my homecoming becomes two specific places I gravitate to to feel the most at home, and this is what I would like to share with you today.

Returning Home to Nipigon–Finding Calm by the Water

To begin, I decided to start with the Nipigon Marina. I mean, it is in my hometown after all, and because of that, it’s the very first place I go to when I return home from being away. There is something about the Nipigon Marina that continues to take my breath away—or I should correctly say, that allows me to take a deep breath and let the fresh air that comes off of the Nipigon Bay to seep into my lungs, and fill my entire body with the type of tranquility that only comes with the soft touch of silence, and the sweet smell of pine sap and fallen leaves. Am I a little biased? No question. But in my defence, I have been coming here since I was a child. My parents would take me to skip rocks, kayak atop the cascading current of that deep blue water and tell me stories of my Anishinaabeg ancestors as we gazed upon the peak of Doghead Mountain (which you can read about here!).

As a teenager, the marina became an escape, so to speak, for my friends and me. My best friend, whose friendship began at the age of three years old, and I would spend hours talking underneath the comforting arms of tree canopies, watching the pelicans that grace the rocks in the distance, and witnessing the pink sunset paint the mountains as we joked around and laughed until the streetlights came on and we had to go home. It was also the perfect backdrop for our (very) amateur photoshoots, which will never see the light of day again. Sorry if anyone was looking forward to seeing those. However, for all of you, when you plan your trip here, make sure to bring your own camera, and I can almost guarantee you will have better photos than we did at fourteen.

Even still, those memories and embarrassing photos mean so much to me, and every time I go back, it is all I feel. Yes, the nostalgia that lingers in the air down by the Nipigon water will never cease to transport me back in time. My memories live within those water banks, within each step I have ever taken on the trails that line the water and twist between the trees. Now that I’m older and have been away, its importance to me has grown tenfold. I walk down there almost every day, breathing in my most cherished memories that are carried within that swift current of the north wind. I wish for anyone reading to come and see this place, and when you do, I recommend taking the long way round, or smelling the flowers, as they say. You can grab coffee from one of the two incredible shops we have, Love Coffee XO and A Cup of Joy Coffee Shop, walk the streets of my beautiful little hometown, and hopefully make your own beautiful memories.

Rossport Beach–Where Lake Superior Always Feels Like Home

A short distance down Highway 17, there is a small community called Rossport. In my childhood, I spent a lot of time there. Whether it was braving the cold water of Lake Superior by swimming on the beach, spending time atop the wavey surface kayaking or boating, or exploring the town itself, there were many weekends of my summer spent here. Now that I’m older, a grown-up, if you will, there are parts of my childhood that I miss so dearly: easy laughter, imagination, and being able to take a moment, close my eyes, and just breathe. While I was away, living life in the midst of a city that never stopped moving, whenever I felt overwhelmed and needed a comforting embrace, it was Rossport that I always thought of.

So, where do I go when I finally get the chance to visit Rossport again? Well, the first stop is always the beach. Somehow, I feel as though the wind carries the excited screams and laughter of my brother, my cousins, and me as we hopped and splashed within that famous Lake Superior water. As a child, I used to run into those shallow waters, feeling the soft sand beneath my feet, and then jump headfirst beneath the surface to feel that electric jolt of the chilly waters enveloping me. It used to be my favourite feeling, the sweet and beautiful sting of the cold water drops sitting on my skin, slowly becoming a part of me as I thaw through the touch of the golden sun.

These days, however, I can’t say I do that often anymore—swimming, I mean. Don’t get me wrong, I will always brave the Lake Superior water. That, my friends, is in my blood. Swimming, though? I think not, unfortunately. To make a case for myself, perhaps the water now lives within my bones, and so, for that, I get a pass on not swimming. I will always make sure to dip my toes in, let the water cascade through my fingertips, because nothing will ever feel more like home than the touch of crystal-clear blue Lake Superior water. For all of you, though, I highly recommend braving a dip. Then you’ll be able to say it, and to be honest, it’s the coolest bragging rights (coming from a local).

Serendipity Gardens Café—Family and Chocolate Cake in Rossport

Where do I go next? Well, there’s a restaurant downtown called Serendipity Gardens, and it was the location of a lot of family lunches and dinners from my childhood. When I became a teenager, although these family get-togethers had ceased to happen as often, my mom would still take me spontaneously on sunny summer afternoons when she forced me to get out of my room. Reluctant, at first, because that’s the attitude at that age, I always had the best time. Looking back, I think of those times as even better because I got to spend them with my mom. She would let me order a chocolate cake as my main order, and then listen to me as I talked about whatever book or story I was obsessed with at the time. As we sat spending time with each other, eating delicious food, we would stare out the window at the rows of boats bobbing in the marina, thanking all powers of the universe that we live in such an amazing place.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go: Why the North Shore of Superior Will Always Be Home

In conclusion, there is not one place on this earth I will ever feel more connected with than Superior Country. When I feel as though life starts to happen to me faster than I’d like, when it gets hard to catch my breath, it is these two places that immediately calm me down. Whether I am thousands of miles away or staring longingly out of my window, I will always be proud to call myself a Northerner, to call this place home.

For all of you reading, I sincerely hope you enjoyed these memories of mine. Although I had only spoken about two places, every single bit of the North Shore of Lake Superior has memories waiting for you to create. My home is waiting for you with open arms, an open heart, and limitless possibilities. I hope you love it as much as I do! 

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