Resources & Bibliography
Delve into Bruce County's intriguing maritime history, where the past is vividly documented.
You will discover many publications at the Tour Base and the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Center, complete with a Research Room for deeper reading (details below).
Featured publications by our own Marine Heritage Society volunteers include…
Southampton's Watchful Beacons by MHS members, 2021
A readable story of the range lights and Chantry Island Lighthouse. These sentinels are maintained by the Marine Heritage Society.
We Were Here: The Chantry Lighthouse Restoration by Mike Sterling, 2021
A vivid and personal story of the 10-year project to restore the Light Keepers Cottage on Chantry Island. Courageous, ingenious, amusing, and some perilous anecdotes of work by the many volunteers who put in over 300,000 hours on this heroic project.
Forgotten Times: Marine History of Southampton & the Bruce Coast by John Weichel, 2001
A compilation in two volumes (449 pages), of many years of John Weichel's newsletter/booklet Fo'c's'le. This publication has intriguing stories of the marine history of Southampton and all along the Bruce Coast. The author is a former Editor of the Stratford "Beacon Herald", with a witty and informative style.
More Ways to Explore
You can reserve time in the Research Room at the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre to access professionally archived photographs, publications, letters, diaries, newspapers, microfilm, and more. Also delve into the digitized records at collections.brucemuseum.ca.
Another resource is the Southampton branch of the Bruce County Public Library system, situated at 217 High Street. Additionally, you can purchase many excellent books online at the Brucedale Press.