Sauble Falls

Introduction

Sauble Falls first began as a shipping facility for lumber. Ideally located on the shores of Lake Huron in the Bruce Peninsula, they could easily haul logs out by tug for transport to the mills further south. By 1864, there was a small townsite. A lumber mill followed in 1867.

Sauble Falls was a superb location for a mill site. It had an abundant source of power, excellent transportation, and nearby markets, such as the village of Wiarton, which had three busy furniture factories. The town site grew to include a general store, blacksmith shop, post office, and school. There were two churches, Methodist and Baptist.

In 1905 Sauble Falls became the site of a new dam and generator for electrical power. The plant went into operation in 1907 and provided power to Wiarton and the surrounding area.

Depletion of the lumber supply finally put an end to the mill in the late 1920s. In 1929, the power plant became part of Ontario Hydro. The townsite lasted into the 1940s. Over the next decade, authorities gradually dismantled it. By 1957, the province had taken ownership of the area and opened the Sauble Falls Provincial Park.

Today the site lies within the boundaries of the Sauble Falls Provincial Park. Remains of the dam and power plant lie near the falls. Learn more