Kincardine (Ontario)

Kincardine is a town of 12,000 people (2021) in Bruce County in southwestern Ontario, on the eastern shore of Lake Huron.

Understand

The economy of Kincardine has been dominated by the Bruce Nuclear Power Plant since the 1970s.

There is also a thriving tourist industry, centred on its sandy beaches and Scottish cultural tradition.

Visitor Information

Get in

Kincardine Municipal Airport serves charter flights and private pilots.

The Kincardine Yacht Club is a busy marina serving mainly recreational boaters.

By bus

By car

Most people arrive here by car, from the east on highway 9, or from the north and south on Highway 21.

In the winter, blowing and drifting snow frequently causes dangerous driving conditions. Occasionally conditions require the highway to be closed to traffic. Check the weather forecast, road conditions and road closures before leaving. Make sure your car tires are in good condition, and travel with clothes appropriate to the weather.

Get around

Most people get around Kincardine by car, bike or foot. There are no public buses, but there are several taxi services.

See
  • 🌍 Bruce Power Visitor Centre, 3394 Bruce County Road 20 (north of Tiverton), ☏ +1 519 361 2673, toll-free: +1-866-748-4787. M-Sa 9AM-4PM; Sep-Jun closed Sa. Visit the Bruce nuclear power plant. You cannot get into the plant, but the visitor centre has a lot of information about the plant and nuclear power in general. Free Wi-Fi. free. (updated Oct 2016)
  • 🌍 Kincardine Lighthouse, 236 Harbour St (One block west of Queen St). The lighthouse has been an icon for the town since 1881. Inside the lighthouse is a museum open July through early September. A Phantom Piper plays from the top of the lighthouse at sunset in summer, Sunday-Friday (on Saturdays, the pipe band is on parade on Queen St instead). (updated Mar 2023)
  • 🌍 Walker House Museum, 235 Harbour St, ☏ +1 519-396-1850, . Summer only. Located in the Paddy Walker House, the town's oldest building. Offers exhibits covering local history. (updated Mar 2023)

Do

Kincardine is a very popular tourist destination in the summer. There are events such as the Kincardine Summer Music Festival, the Kincardine Scottish Festival, Cruise Nights (Classic Cars) and Fishing Derbies planned almost every weekend.

Unique to the town, is the Saturday night pipeband parade. The Kincardine Scottish assemble at Victoria Park and parade down Queen Street, playing bagpipes and drums, followed by a crowd. At the end of the street, they take a brief break, and parade back to the park (followed by the crowd). Some nights, they are joined by visiting pipebands.

During July and August the Bluewater Summer Theatre presents plays. During the winter the amateur Kincardine Theatre Guild presents plays using the same facilities. The Kincardine Legion (219 Lambton St) organizes regular bingos, dances and community dinners.

Most people come here to enjoy the lake. The water is clean and there are lengthy stretches of easily accessible beach for swimming or sitting in the sun and the fresh lake air.

There are four golf courses nearby:

  • Ainsdale Golf Course. 
  • Black Horse Golf Course. 
  • Kincardine Golf & Country Club. 
  • Somerhill Golf Club. 

Kincardine has an extensive network of walking trails.

Remnants of the wreck of the ship "Anna Maria" can be seen at Station Beach.

Buy
  • 🌍 Pine River Cheese & Butter Cooperative, south of Kincardine on highway 21, ☏ +1 519-395-2638, fax: +1 519-395-4066. Fresh cheese and discount "trim ends" are available for purchase from the factory store which is open every day during the summer. Fresh chesse curds every Wednesday. Museum is free. 
  • Fincher's, 816 Queen St, ☏ +1 519-396-7012. Toys, games, jigsaw puzzles, hobbies, children's books, Playmobil toys, Webkinz. 

Eat
  • 🌍 Bean's Bistro, 728 Queen Street, Kincardine, ☏ +1 519 396-4777. Great local coffeehouse without the franchise-feel of big chain coffeehouses. Offering light breakfast and lunch fare as well as great, individually hand-prepared regular and specialty coffees, teas, fair trade. 

Mid-range
  • 🌍 The Erie Belle, 259 Harbour Street, ☏ +1 519 396-4331. Regular visitors to Kincardine always stop in the Erie Belle for deep-fried fish and lots and lots of chips. (updated Nov 2016)
  • 🌍 Bruce Bar and Grill (Bruce Steakhouse), 750 Queen St, ☏ +1 519 396-5100. Every town in Ontario used to have a hotel. This was Kincardine's, which is why local people occasionally refer to it as "the Bruce Inn". The Canada South Blues Society puts on regular concerts here. 
  • 🌍 Gilley's Feed Lot Bar & Grill, 832 Queen St, ☏ +1 519-396-7423. Tu-Sa 11AM-10PM. (updated Jul 2018)
  • 🌍 Jean's Family Restaurant, 1120 Sutton St, ☏ +1 519 396-1900. A good place to go for breakfast. 
  • 🌍 Knotty Pine Restaurant, 507 Broadway Street, ☏ +1 519 396-3132. Chinese and Canadian cuisine. 
  • 🌍 New Seasons Tavern & Restaurant, 722 Queen St, ☏ +1 519 396-2323. Chinese buffet on Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights. 
  • 🌍 Victoria Park Restaurant, 335 Durham Market Square, ☏ +1 519-396-8001. 
  • 🌍 Watercress Bistro, 829 Queen St, ☏ +1 519 396-5727. From 4PM. 

Drink

Most bars and pubs offer food (see Eat above) as well as drink. The following usually have a large selection of draft beer.

  • The Erie Belle, 259 Harbour Street, ☏ +1 519-396-4331. 
  • 🌍 Hawg's Breath Saloon and Deli, 894 Queen Street, ☏ +1 519 396-6565. Eat the peanuts and throw the shells on the floor! 

Sleep

In the summer, the hotels, motels and cottages are frequently full.

Hotels

Motels

Campgrounds

Go next

Larger nearby towns are Goderich (~ 30 minutes by car south), Walkerton (~ 30 minutes east), Port Elgin (~ 30 minutes north), Southampton 40 minutes north

The nearest major centres are London (2 hours south-west), Kitchener (1hr 30 min hours east) or Owen Sound (1hr 15min north)

Routes through Kincardine
END ← Owen Sound ←  N  S  → Huron-Kinloss → Jct


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