Kincardine is a small, historic town built around where the Penentangore river flows into Lake Huron. It is a part of Bruce County and the communities of the southern end of the Bruce Peninsula. Lake Huron with it's magnificent blue waters and stirring sunsets dominates the physical landscape of Kincardine and the surrounding area.
Kincardine takes it's historic place in a string of communities located along the eastern shore of towns: Grand Bend, Goderich, Kincardine, Port Elgin and Southhampton. The Kincardine area was settled by European settlers of Scottish descent in the first half of the nineteenth century and shaped by agriculture as the dominant economic engine of the area. The town of Kincardine was founded in 1848. The arrival of the Bruce Nuclear Plant in the late 1970s saw the next wave of major economic change sweep the area. Today, the Bruce Power Nuclear Generating station, agriculture, and increasingly, tourism, are the economic engines of the town.
Kincardine's weather is typical of that experienced by all of the communities along the eastern shore of Lake Huron. Weather information for current and short-term conditions can be found at Kincardine weather On Yahoo! and Kincardine on the Weather Network.
Highways 9 and 21 offer easy access to the town. The intersection of the two is a convenient road reference point for the town. Kincardine Tourism offers additional information about the town and information for our visitors. dditional Information can be obtained through:
Kincardine Tourism
Highway 9 and 21 Junction
T: 519 296-2731
T/F: 866 546-2736
Email: tourism@kincardine.net
Things to see and do
For a small town, Kincardine offers a wide range of outdoor and cultural opportunities. Some of them are listed below. Please visit our Events page for more information about cultural events.
Kincardine Lighthouse
A familiar landmark to tourists and residents alike is the famous Kncardine Lighthouse. Built in 1881, the lighthouse serves as a marine museum. It continues to function as a lighthouse even today. It's the the focus of summer activities. And it's located directly across the street from the Inn!
Harbour
Kincardine's harbour has been one of the constants of Kincardine's History and the focus area of the community. The harbour currently supports about 100 slips and is the focus of $3.75 million investiments to grow it to 300 slips.
Fishing
Kincardine is considered by many anglers to offer the best fishing in the Great Lakes and you can eat the fish you catch. The waters around Kincardine are rich with the "Kincardine Kings" - big Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout and walleye. Kincardine's famous Fishing Derby, held every May around the Victoria Day weekend draws anglers from far and wide!
Walker House
History buffs should be keen to explore Walker house (located across from the Inn!). The Walker house is Kincardine's oldest building dating to the 1850s. It was build by Francis "Paddy" Walker, a Kincardine businessman. The house was badly damaged by a fire in 1995. Since then, the Paddy Walker Heritage Society, a non-profit volunteer society has worked tirelessly to restore the house and to convert it to a museum. Last summer, the society open one room on the main floor and its first exhibit - the marine gallery, depicting Bruce County's Lake Huron heritage, provided by the Bruce County museum.
Pipe Band Parade
No summer visit to Kincardine is complete without joining our community for the Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band parade held every Saturday night from July through Labour Day! The parade moves along Queen Street finishing at Victoria Park. Join in, follow the pipers and be a part of the experience! Please visit www.kspb.ca for more information
Sunday Night Sing-a-longs
The Sunday night sing-a-longs in Dunsmoor Park have been a community tradition for more than 40 years. The sing-a-long has a base of local followers and attracts many tourists. Many Sunday nights, about 800 to 900 people to hear the music by the lakeshore. The sing-a-long runs each Sundat night during July and August 7:30-8:30 pm.
Inn at the Harbour is Kincardine's best motel and hotel. It has the most scenic location and the best rates. No Kincardine motel can match it for features. Its magnificent lakefront location, right on top of Kincardine harbour, must be seen to be believed. Its a great example of a small Ontario Inn. No other Kincardine motel, or Ontario motel or hotel can match it for its scenic location.