Available Real-Estate in Tay

Surveyed in 1820 by James G. Chewett of Welland Canal fame, Tay and surrounding townships became accessible by road and then inhabited by farmers. Tay was named in 1822 after a pet dog of Lady Sarah Maitland, wife of Sir Peregrine Maitland, Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. By the middle of the century, the lumber industry became a driving force behind bringing settlers to the area. John Hogg built a small sawmill at the mouth of Hogg River, now Victoria Harbour, and the headquarters of the Georgian Bay Lumber Company was established in Waubaushene.

The mills employed hundreds of men, including blacksmiths, millwrights, filers, lumber pilers, and general labourers. By 1920, however, the rich supply of white pine had dwindled, causing companies to shut down operations. Many of the laid-off workers left the area; however, those who stayed found opportunities in boat building, home building, hydro, railways, steamship companies and the tourism industry. Tay has more than 300 century-old buildings in its larger settlement areas and over 100 century buildings in rural areas.