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'Bright's Grove', Ontario is a bedroom community on the shore of Lake Huron technically within the boundaries of Sarnia, Lambton County. It is the birthplace of Mike Weir, winner of the 2003 Masters Golf Tournament. There are two golf courses in Bright's Grove, one being Huron Oaks, and the other, Bright's Grove (Crabbie's) Golf Course.

Contents

The Owenite Project

Big Band Era

Salmon Fishery

Famous People

Lake Huron Waterfront Walking Trails

Abandoned Rail Line Trail

Best Beaches on Lake Huron

References

The Owenite Project

Bright's Grove was site of one of the first Socialist formations in Canada. In 1829, Bright's Grove was established along the model of Robert Owen's New Lanark, Scotland project by Henry Jones (1776-1852). The colony was named 'Maxwell' and was a short-lived project. However, it has been argued by Canadian socialist historian Ian McKay that "[t]he builders of the short-lived colony named Maxwell that Jones planted near Sarnia may well have been the first people in North America to call themselves 'socialists'."

Big Band Era

Brights Grove hosted many top performers at the Kenwick dance hall. The structure was destroyed by fire and is now a basketball court on the lakefront. Top performers that appeared at this venue included Alice Cooper.
In the late 1940's Kenwick-on-the-Lake was open air in the round. The venue served as a Saturday Night destination for passengers of the 'SS Naronic' that stopped at Sarnia on its trip around the Great Lakes from Toronto. The bands I remember were the likes of 'Ellington', 'Basie', and 'Lionel Hampton' who gave me a personal lesson on the xylophone in the afternoon warm-up session that locals would go into.

Salmon Fishery

Brights Grove has two creeks that attract salmon during the spring fishery. Cow Creek and Perch Creek. The Bluewater Anglers in Sarnia stock salmon, rainbow trout and brown trout into Lake Huron.

Famous People

★ PGA golfer Mike Weir.

Lake Huron Waterfront Walking Trails

There are 5 miles of lakefront walking trails, half is on rural road and other on dedicated bike/walk path.

Abandoned Rail Line Trail

Brights Grove is located halfway on a 25km nature trail from Sarnia to Camlachie. Good rail path, cross numerous creeks, well maintained. You can do a loop of rail path and lakefront around Brights Grove that would be 20km or more.

Best Beaches on Lake Huron

Miles of beautiful sandy beaches. Park and swim on east side of the grove, walking path to west brings miles and miles of clean, safe sandy beaches.

References

★ McKay, Ian. Rebels, Reds and Radicals: Rethinking Canada's Left History. Toronto: Between the Lines, 2005.