FITNESS

FITNESS IN PORT ELGIN

Get Ready to Get Active!

Port Elgin is the perfect place to get active. Dog parks, trails for walking, hiking or biking, beach side jogging, indoor and outdoors gyms and work out equipment, beach volleyball, tennis, water sports ... the list goes on and on.

Check out all the activites below to find something that gets you up and moving.

SAUGEEN RAIL TRAIL

The Saugeen Rail Trail is a year round, multi-use trail that connects Southampton and Port Elgin, Ontario. Built on an old railway line the trail is easily accessed and used by visitors and residents alike.

A popular trip is to travel the entire trail by bike from Port Elgin to Southampton and loop back along the scenic North Shore Road where beautiful views of Lake Huron can be experienced.

Access: The trailhead is at River Street in Port Elgin, a few blocks north of the town and east of Hwy 21. There are several access points - some with parking some without.

The trail is maintained through a combination of volunteer labour, community funding and membership in the Saugeen RailTrail Association.

NOTE: In the summer, a popular route is to bike the trail and loop back along the North Shore Road.

This route provides beautiful views of the Lake Huron shoreline. Length: 25 - 30 km with loops.

Difficulty: Easy. Surface: Hard-packed stone dust. Uses: Walking/hiking, cycling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing.

No motorized vehicles are permitted.

CYCLING TRAILS

Saugeen Shores offers many different trails for cycling.

Saugeen Rail Trail has access points all over Saugeen Shores and is a well traveled former rail bed that stretches 8km from Port Elgin to Southampton.

Two of the newest trails include the Gore Drain Trail that starts off at the corner of highway 21 south & Count Road 25 (CAW Road) and the Rotary Way Trail which connects to County Road 33 & McGregor Point Provincial Park. Both Trails connect to over 30km's of a "looped" trail system that connects Port Elgin, Saugeen Township and Southampton, all of which are part of the amalgamated Municipality of the Town of Saugeen Shores.

By taking the Gore Drain to the Rotary Way, you can then enter into the MacGregor Point Provincial Park trails. MacGregor Park boasts the Deer Run bike trail and many other trails which allow cyclists to enjoy the great outdoors. Biener's Bush ski trails, accessed through Nodwell Park or Concession 10, offers challenging paths with hills, mud, sand, and log covered streams.

Biener's Bush in Port Elgin ski trails, accessed through Nodwell Park or Concession 10, offers challenging paths with hills, mud, sand, and log covered streams to Southampton.

Northshore Road and Miramichi Bay Road connects Port Elgin and Southampton and offers a picturesque ride along Lake Huron, with many twists and turns, and has a two lane trail/path parallel to the road.

SWIMMING IN LAKE HURON

Perhaps you would prefer to have a swim in Lake Huron. The beaches in Southampton, Port Elgin and Saugeen Township offer wonderful swimming opportunities. But you must be careful at the beach.

Please Note: The beaches in Saugeen Shores do not have life guards on duty. Please ensure that you watch children and those who are inexperienced swimmers while at the Beach and swimming in Lake Huron.

It is suggested that children and inexperienced swimmers with a 'swimming buddy" who is responsible for their direct supervision. We suggest caregiver be arm's reach of the child(ren) and inexperienced at all times, both in and out of the water.

Always swim with a buddy; never leave children in or near water unsupervised. Watch out for what the Red Cross calls the "dangerous too's" - too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much strenuous activity. Know Your Limits.

If you're not a strong swimmer, don't head into water that's too deep and don't try to keep up with swimmers that are much stronger than you. Inflatable mattresses,and toys and water wings are not water safety devices. Wear a life jacket if you are a inexperienced swimmer.

If you get into trouble, don't be afraid to call for help! Many people drown because they're too afraid to call for help or don't want to look silly.
If your legs get caught in weeds, don't make quick or vigourous movements. Move slowly and carefully to prevent yourself from getting tangled up even more. •If you get a cramp while in the water, don't panic. Call for help and try to massage the cramp out.
Swimming And Eating? It's actually a bit of a myth that you should wait one hour after eating before going for a swim. If you've just gone to an all-you-can-eat buffet and then decide to go for a strenuous one hour swim by yourself, then you could find yourself sinking. But if you've just had a normal meal, and then decide to go for a dip in the lake, you'll be fine.
Remember: follow the above rules about swimming with a buddy and knowing your limits. If you enjoy a busy beach head to the Port Elgin beach, for something a little more quiet try the Southampton beach or for seclusion go to Eidt's Grove or Gobles Grove beaches. What are you waiting for? Grab your swimsuit and your swimming buddy and hit the water!

CANOEING & KAYAKING

Port Elgin is an ideal destinations to base any kind of paddling adventure from. With our harbour and calm bays it is an excellent paddling choice for lake paddling or on the Saugeen River.

NOTE: You can paddle from Hanover to through Port Elgin and on to Southampton in three days. Although a fourth day allows time to explore the towns of Walkerton and Paisley or the conservation areas along the way.

You can access the lake and river at many points. Rental equipment, shuttle and tour services are available in many places by local outfitters.

The Saugeen River Canoe Route: The Saugeen River empties into Lake Huron at Southampton. You can canoe this historic and picturesque river from Hanover, through Walkerton and Paisley then on to Southampton.

Check out the official The Saugeen River Canoe Route on the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority's web site. http://www.svca.on.ca/canoe.php

SAUGEEN SHORES ROTARY SKATE PARK

Home to 12,000 square feet of formed concrete; including ledges, curbs, rails, a quarter pipe with wall, an open bowl, pole jam, up gap and more!

Wear your helmet when you try out this hot spot for bikers, boarders and bladers. The Park was designed by New Line Skateparks in association with van der Zalm and Associates, both from Vancouver BC. It's located on Wellington street, beside the BMX Track and the Police Station in Port Elgin.

BMX RACING TRACK

BMX racing in Saugeen Shores is a full out sprint on a hard packed dirt track that is approximately 1000 gruelling feet long with massive jumps, turns and berms. From April to early October, weekly BMX races take place each Sunday afternoon at 1 pm at the track located behind the Saugeen Shores Community Complex in Port Elgin, and their club runs practices normally on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 pm.

The Saugeen Shores BMX Racing Club is proud to offer the use of a racing track and programs for all residents and visitors to the community. The Saugeen Shores BMX Racing Club is a non-profit incorporated organization started in 2001.

It is affiliated to the Ontario Cycling Association. There are different levels of BMX racing including: Local, Provincial, Regional, National and World. Rules and regulations are enforced at the Club to ensure the safety of all riders and spectators. Anyone who would like to volunteer for the BMX Club in fundraising, working concessions during races or maintenance can do so by contacting Saugeen Shores BMX. Saugeen Shores BMX was the host of the 2005 Provincial Finals with 13 local Provincial Champions.

Summer Camps are also available for the child that wants to see what BMX is all about. All types of riders welcome.

Contact Brett Martin for information at 519-797-3200. For more information about the BMX Club visit the Saugeen Shores BMX website

LAKESHORE RECRETION

Check out our new Class Schedule which includes Spin, Yoga, Lite Fit, Muscle Mania, Step and more.

We Offer At Lakeshore:

(Click on each item below to learn more)

Located on Highway 21 North in Port Elgin, we are a complete family fitness and event centre.

Lakeshore Recreation Centre was built in 1983 and is owned and operated by Gord and Ann MacKay. They are proud to have provided over 30 years of fitness and banquet facilities to the Saugeen Shores area.

In the area of fitness, our Club is equipped with both indoor and outdoor recreational options. You can visit our well equipped weight room, our cycle/spin studio, 2 squash courts, 1 racquetball court or attend one of our many group fitness classes. We have certified personal trainers who can assist you in reaching your healthy lifestyle goals. Go to Our Trainers to meet our team of Professionals.

In our outdoor area, we have 2 tennis courts, 8 pickleball courts and an all purpose court that is used for basketball, ball hockey or all types of dry land training. When you are finished working out for the day, relax in our whirlpools and saunas.

Getting married, celebrating a birthday or planning an Anniversary party? Let us help you! Go to our Events/Banquets page to see what we have to offer to assist you in planning a spectacular day or evening. Our 250 seat banquet hall is complete with its own entrance, bar and washrooms. Our kitchen staff are ready to prepare your choice of delicious appetizers, entrees and or/desserts. Whether you require full sit down dining or just a few snacks, we can accommodate you. Do you want your wedding or event outdoors? We can do that too. Check out The Pines, our beautiful patio area, surrounded by trees and equipped with its own bar and washrooms.

TOPP PERFORMANCE

Whether you’re just starting out and unsure of how to train effectively, or you’ve been training for years but have hit a plateau, personal training from ToppPerformance is the key to taking your body to the next level.

We provide customized personal training programs to get you to your next goal. Need to lose weight? Gain muscle? Increase stamina? We can help you achieve all of that and more. Our training pros have the knowledge and expertise to safely and effectively guide you, regardless of what your goals are.

If you’re just starting out, training on your own is not only likely to be very ineffective but can also be dangerous. Improper use of equipment, or doing exercises incorrectly, can easily lead to injury. Even cardio training can lead to repetitive strain injuries if done wrong and weight lifting can result in serious, even permanent injury. Let our pros show you how to do it right. Protect yourself from injury and set yourself on the path to a lifetime of successful training that will make your body stronger, give you greater stamina and energy, help to keep you lean, and even strengthen your immune system.

If you’ve been training for years but have hit a plateau, we can help with that too. We see many clients who have had initial success with weight or cardio training, but who have now reached a point where they can’t move past their current level. We can show you how to train, and how to eat, to push your body to the next level, whether it’s just a personal goal, or you’re training for competition.

PORT ELGIN CURLING CLUB

Curling has a long history in Port Elgin since 1903 when the original club was located on Goderich Street. The sport became very popular and the membership grew such that by 1975 expansion or relocation became a necessity. Members of the club arranged and managed the construction of the new facility at it's current location on Gustavus Street.

The original club then folded and the new club has been in operation since that time. The PECC has always been membership owned and operated.