The Georgian Bay Geopark is not a park, authority, or regulator. It is a voluntary, community-driven partnership network that helps communities celebrate geological, natural, and cultural heritage, support education and research, encourage stewardship of land and water, and promote sustainable local economies.
It does not own land, create regulations, restrict access, or change existing rights.
No. UNESCO designation can only be pursued after a geopark is operating successfully and meeting strict international requirements. Preparation can take many years, and any application process itself takes two years.
The initiative aims to create a collaborative platform to help the Georgian Bay and North Channel region manage growth, adapt to climate change, protect geological and cultural heritage, and build long-term regional resilience together.
No. The Geopark has no authority over land, development, access, bylaws, Indigenous rights, or treaties. Participation is voluntary and community defined.
Municipal participation is voluntary, flexible, and scalable. Municipalities choose their level of involvement and can modify or withdraw participation over time. Partnerships are based on transparency, clarity, and ongoing accountability.
Indigenous involvement has shaped the initiative from the beginning. The Geopark is built on consent-based partnership, respect for Indigenous governance, and Indigenous ethical frameworks including TwoEyed Seeing, the Dish with One Spoon, and the Seven Grandfather Teachings.
No Indigenous knowledge, stories, or cultural references are shared without Nation-directed review and consent, in alignment with OCAP principles and free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC).
No. UNESCO Geoparks promote geotourism, not mass tourism. This means smaller-scale, dispersed, education-focused tourism that respects communities and protects natural and cultural heritage.
No. Sensitive locations are not promoted. The focus is on wellmanaged sites, visitor education, and responsible access guided by community input and clear codes of conduct.
The Geopark complements existing conservation efforts by adding a geological and deeptime perspective, regional geospatial planning tools, advanced LiDAR mapping, education and interpretation, and shared scientific and planning resources.
It does not replace or compete with conservation organizations.
No. A geopark can help attract new funding sources, including joint research grants, climate and resilience programs, geospatial planning resources, and geotourism and destination stewardship funding.
No. The Geopark has no taxing power, no regulatory authority, and no enforcement role.
Yes. Every community decides whether to participate, at what level, in what way, and around which sites. Local choice is central.
It is not a park, a regulator, a promoter of mass tourism, or a competitor to conservation groups.
It is a collaborative, community-driven platform to help the Georgian Bay and North Channel region protect heritage, manage growth, and build a more resilient future—together.
DEEP TIME’ is the themed expression of how exploring and understanding the past helps create a better future. The unique DEEP TIME story and its eight geological chapters encourages both visitors and residents to know the past, celebrate the present and help create a more resilient future for the Bay and its many communities.
2.7 billion years
Sault Ste Marie to Serpent River
The ancient mineral-rich rocks of the North Channel record the breakup of the planet’s oldest supercontinent – and the birth of the Huronian Ocean.
1.8 billion years
Serpent River to Killarney
The Group of Seven’s white rolling quartzite hills are the stumps of mountains formed when landmasses collided to form supercontinent Nuna
1.3 billion years
Killarney to Honey Harbour
The waterscape of the 30,000 Islands exposes the deep crustal roots of the immense Grenville Mountains formed when North and South America collided.
500 million years
Manitoulin Island
Much of North America was covered by warm shallow seas, teeming with early marine life that left fossil-rich limestones on Manitoulin Island.
350 million years
Tobermory to Wiarton
Within the last 2 million years, the Bruce/Saugeen peninsula was scoured by Ice Age ice sheets that cut deep valleys into the face of the Niagara Escarpment such as at Owen Sound.
13,000 years
Collingwood to Wiarton
The raised beaches of glacial Lake Algonquin surround the coast of southern Georgian Bay like staircases and hosted the camps of caribou-hunting Paleo-Indians 11,000 years ago.
Last 10,000 years
Collingwood to Honey Harbour
The ancient hard rocks of the Canadian Shield meet the softer limestones of the ancient seas creating a stark contrast in landscapes, ecosystems, and a diverse cultural history unique in North America.
4,000 years to today
Waters of Georgian Bay
In 1615 Samuel de Champlain called Georgian Bay ‘La Mer Douce’ (the sweet water sea). An early map also portrays it as Karegnondi, derived from ‘lake’ in the language of the Petun First Nation.
