109 E Ridge Dr, Thornbury, ON N0H 2P0
Lora Bay is a gorgeous strip of land located between the Georgian Bay coastline and Highway 26, just west of Thornbury, in the area of The Town of The Blue Mountains. For many years it was not a well-known community, even many of the area population did not know it existed or that it had a name. To many motorists passing by, it looked like a strip of sparingly developed forested land. It was set up to be privately owned, therefore, the water was never used as a public beach.
Its most significant early resident was Charles Stuart, who was a soldier, magistrate and pamphleteer. He was extremely religious and interested in humanitarian causes, particularly anti-slavery. In 1850, he assisted in forming the Anti-Slavery Society of Canada in Toronto and served as its first corresponding secretary for a year, after which he moved to Lora Bay with is new wife. In Lora Bay he continued to attend some abolitionist conventions and wrote some pamphlets on anti slavery, but spent more of his time with the temperance cause in his own community and trying to persuade more people to settle there. He died in 1865 and was buried at Lora Bay, but was later moved to Thornbury-Clarksburg cemetery.
It wasn’t until 2003 that Lora Bay started to acquire some awareness, especially with those interested in golf. This was the year that Intrawest publicized that they were bringing its Raven Golf brand to Canada for the first time, and the site for their golf club would be Lora Bay near Collingwood, Ontario. PGA Tour veteran, Tom Lehman, and Toronto based golf course architect, Tom McBroom, were asked to design the course. Soon plans for a 7,200 yard championship course was laid out along the shoreline of Georgian Bay through wildlife preserves, pastures, forests, orchards and rock outcroppings. As they worked, every attempt was made to protect the rural setting by not removing articles such as a barn and a century old stone fence. There are some breathtaking views to take in as you golf.
As news of the planned course spread, the land surrounding the course became more costly. Soon after, a housing development was in progress and Lora Bay community became known as a four season recreational bliss in the heart of the Blue Mountains, where there was already a wide variety of activities and attractions obtainable.
Today the community is a 735-hectare property with an eighteen hole championship golf course and over 1,000 detached and attached homes and condo-style golf villas, tree lined streets, stone gates and rail fencing.
If you choose to be a guest at Lora Bay, you will be welcomed and shown the clubhouse and golf course. There is a full practice facility, containing a short game area and qualified professionals if you would like some training. The Georgian Bay Trail systems wander through the property for an added attraction for an active lifestyle.
For more information: http://www.lorabaygolf.com