[flar]

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/DSC_0088.jpg

Marine City and Sombra are on opposite sides the St. Clair River. Marine City is a small city of 4600 and has many beautiful
Victorian homes. Sombra is a Victorian village of 500 with a small shopping area. There is a ferry service and international
border crossing between Sombra and Marine City. Fawn Island is an island of cottages nearby in the St. Clair River and is
accessible only by boat. There are no cars on Fawn Island.


http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/stclairmap.jpg

The ferry...
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/00044.jpg
...and the dock on the Canadian side:
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/DSC_0083.jpg


Marine City, Michigan

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/DSC_0058.jpg
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http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/church.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/DSC_0048.jpg
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http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/DSC_0037.jpg



Fawn Island

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/00023.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/00035.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/00073.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/00070.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/00063.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/00052.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/00051.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/00049.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/00047.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/00042.jpg
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http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/00037.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/00050.jpg




Sombra, Ontario

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/DSC_0089.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/DSC_0075.jpg
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http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/DSC_0178.jpghttp://aas.ath.cx/threads/stclair_river.jpg

[Top Of The Park]

what an amazing group of older homes. great shots

[dugdogmaster]

Two wonderful little towns. I love the island too

[clynnog]

One of the few examples I can think of with border communities where the US border town looks more prosperous than its Canadian equivalent.

[flar]

One of the few examples I can think of with border communities where the US border town looks more prosperous than its Canadian equivalent.


To be fair to Sombra, it's pretty good for a village of 500 and Marine City has ten times the population. This part of Ontario is lightly populated.

[xzmattzx]

Great pictures. I've never heard of any of these three places. They are south of Detroit, correct? Marine City looks really nice, and it has a lot of Ontario architectural influence, in my opinion. I even see a little bit of Western New York. Seeing little reminders of Western New York reminds me that even though there are 2 whole states separating New York and Michigans, and you have to curl around the bottom of Lake Erie, only one province separates the two states, and the line is more direct, so each state's influence doesn't have quite as far to go as it looks like it does on U.S.-only maps.

[OhioGuy]

Looks reasonably good. The island looks like a pleasant place to spend a summer weekend.

[10101000]

Awesome!

[Evergrey]

One of the few examples I can think of with border communities where the US border town looks more prosperous than its Canadian equivalent.

agreed... very pleasant pics, Flar! you are the master of so many styles of settlements

[Thundertubs]

I like Midwestern beach communities.

[denveraztec]

Fantastic homes and great shots! So good to see so many in excellent conditions.

[DC83]

Interesting places!

I would love to have a cottage on an Island like that!

Great shots, Flar!

[ColDayMan]

Thanks!

[flar]

Great pictures. I've never heard of any of these three places. They are south of Detroit, correct? Marine City looks really nice, and it has a lot of Ontario architectural influence, in my opinion. I even see a little bit of Western New York. Seeing little reminders of Western New York reminds me that even though there are 2 whole states separating New York and Michigans, and you have to curl around the bottom of Lake Erie, only one province separates the two states, and the line is more direct, so each state's influence doesn't have quite as far to go as it looks like it does on U.S.-only maps.

This is just a bit northeast of Detroit, basically on the other side of Lake St. Clair.

I think Marine City's downtown looks similar to Ontario downtowns. But you don't see a lot of the elaborate wooden Victorians in Ontario. There are a lot more wood frame houses in the parts of Ontario bordering Michigan than in the rest of southern Ontario, but generally the large homes in most Ontario towns are brick. It's fairly rare to see big wooden Victorians in Ontario (a strange exception is Hamilton Beach, strange because Hamilton is brick). There are lots of huge wooden Victorians all along the American side of the St. Clair River (see Port Huron). In that sense, it seems Michigan influenced the architecture in nearby places like Sarnia (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=146875) and Wallaceburg (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=130336) where wood frame houses predominate. Still, the Michigan examples are much grander. There are a bunch of these in the Niagara Falls and Buffalo area too.


Sarnia example:
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/sarnia2008/00098.jpg

Wallaceburg example:
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/wallaceburg/00185.jpg




agreed... very pleasant pics, Flar! you are the master of so many styles of settlements

Fawn Island was my first tour where boat was the mode of transportation!

[TinChelseaNYC]

How do you find these places? You keep coming up with one after another. It's nice to see so many of those big old beauties being well maintained in Marine City. It can't be cheap to keep up one of those houses! It looks prosperous.

[LMich]

Great pictures. I've never heard of any of these three places. They are south of Detroit, correct? Marine City looks really nice, and it has a lot of Ontario architectural influence, in my opinion. I even see a little bit of Western New York. Seeing little reminders of Western New York reminds me that even though there are 2 whole states separating New York and Michigans, and you have to curl around the bottom of Lake Erie, only one province separates the two states, and the line is more direct, so each state's influence doesn't have quite as far to go as it looks like it does on U.S.-only maps.

A big reason for this is that many of the original settlers of Michigan were New Yorkers and specifically Western New Yorkers who settled in the state when the Erie Canal was opened. Most didn't come through Ontario, though, they came along Lake Erie. It's why the accents of the two regions sound so similar. Heck, our capital city of Lansing was settled by New Yorkers from Lansing, New York.

[xzmattzx]

A big reason for this is that many of the original settlers of Michigan were New Yorkers and specifically Western New Yorkers who settled in the state when the Erie Canal was opened. Most didn't come through Ontario, though, they came along Lake Erie. It's why the accents of the two regions sound so similar. Heck, our capital city of Lansing was settled by New Yorkers from Lansing, New York.

Interesting. I never knew that about Michigan or Lansing.

[jodelli]

That's a nice stretch of river between the St Clair Flats and Courtright. There used to be a little conservation area just north of Sombra that you could pull the boat into on the way to Lake Huron.

[Swinefeld]

Amazing. How do you keep finding places like these?

[flar]

How do you find these places? You keep coming up with one after another.

Amazing. How do you keep finding places like these?

I know this area well, my family is from Sombra. I lived nearby in Wallaceburg (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=130336), but spent a lot of time in Sombra during my childhood. My wife and I were married in the park jodelli is talking about, Branton Cundick Park. The boat launch is still there, and there's another park further up the river called Cathcart Park.

[xzmattzx]

I know this area well, my family is from Sombra. I lived nearby in Wallaceburg (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=130336), but spent a lot of time in Sombra during my childhood. My wife and I were married in the park jodelli is talking about, Branton Cundick Park. The boat launch is still there, and there's another park further up the river called Cathcart Park.

I am finally starting to realize why you're visiting some places. I was aware that you are from Wallaceburg, and so you know places within an hour's drive or so from your hoetown well. For some reason, though, I thought that Wallaceburg was around where Leamington is.

Since you're from Wallaceburg, and now in Hamilton, everything in between can be covered, since it's on the way between one or the other. It's kind of like how I have covered many place in between Delaware (where I live) and Buffalo (where I have relatives). Out of curiosity, what are the farthest "out of the way" places that you've covered? Toronto & Niagara Falls? Other places?

[kcexpress69]

Hey, great pictures Flar!! :tup: Both towns looked like a great place to live!! (In the summertime of course). ;)

[Jimby]

I enjoyed the tour. I love the variety of houses you find. Great pics.

[DecoJim]

Some very nice Queen Anne/Victorian homes in Marine City. Thanks for sharing!

[hudkina]

Hey, great pictures Flar!! :tup: Both towns looked like a great place to live!! (In the summertime of course). ;)

Even better in the Winter! When else can you go skiing, snow-mobiling, or ice-skating?;)

[boden]

Interesting exhibit. The artificial frontage on those Ontario buildings cracks me up. I wonder why it was done? To impress? :haha:

Never heard of either place. Thanks for the glimpse flar :tup:

[flar]

Since you're from Wallaceburg, and now in Hamilton, everything in between can be covered, since it's on the way between one or the other. It's kind of like how I have covered many place in between Delaware (where I live) and Buffalo (where I have relatives). Out of curiosity, what are the farthest "out of the way" places that you've covered? Toronto & Niagara Falls? Other places?

Stratford, St. Mary's, Amherstberg and Windsor/Detroit are the farthest drives I've done. The rest are within 45 min to an hour of Hamilton or Port Lambton (near Wallaceburg, where I stay when I visit family).

[Hozay]

Interesting places, I love the Victorians!

[Bergenser]

Both cities looks very cozy. :)

[KevinFromTexas]

What a neat place. That neighborhood along the canal especially.

Either one of these would do. :D
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/00049.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/stclairriver/00052.jpg

[Cbautz]

very cool photos of some very interesting places. Fawn island looks cool.

[wrabbit]

Wow - I was born near Detroit and didn't even know about Marine City & Sombra. Thanks for the pics.

[go_leafs_go02]

Marine City really impresses me.. I can't believe that's in Michigan, harsh as that sounds.

[hudkina]

Why do you say that? Marine City is very representative of the small towns that dot the Michigan landscape.

[go_leafs_go02]

I haven't been through much of Michigan, but the parts I've seen, which is the major cities are like some of the most depressing cities i've seen.

[LMich]

That can be a problem. Depending on which cities you've seen, people could come away with a rather bad impression of Michigan, but the small towns and villages are like anywhere else in the country, and probably quite a bit more healthy than the towns and villages of the Great Plains in the other part of the Midwest.

[hudkina]

So basically you expect all of Michigan to look like Detroit?;) Hell, not even all of Detroit looks like "Detroit". While a few cities (Detroit, Flint, Saginaw) may be rough they are the exception for Michigan. There are hundreds of cities and villages that are just as healthy as Marine City.

Here are five examples from the Raisin Valley area a largely agricultural area that is located along the Raisin River between Detroit/Ann Arbor and Toledo. The Raisin River runs from the Irish Hills area to Lake Erie. Over a dozen cities and villages are located along the banks of the river or its tributaries, including Monroe, Dundee, Petersburg, Deerfield, Blissfield, Adrian, Tecumseh, Clinton, and Manchester.

Dundee, MI - 3,600
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3263/2673536930_6646fb878c_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3252/2672716483_15b8245fed_o.jpg

Monroe, MI - 22,100
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3119/2671414713_b64ea79b38_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3035/2671414473_9d944ef9ba_o.jpg

Tecumseh, MI - 8,600
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3065/2888571879_af13cebbed_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3155/2888571609_d33e2115f5_o.jpg

Adrian, MI - 21,600
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3139/2888615201_ee603b0ca3_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3223/2889447998_1d39a9e40b_o.jpg

Manchester, MI - 2,200
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3048/2889448010_8770842fc5_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3172/2889448020_87b22da3ec_o.jpg

[go_leafs_go02]

So basically you expect all of Michigan to look like Detroit?;) Hell, not even all of Detroit looks like "Detroit". While a few cities (Detroit, Flint, Saginaw) may be rough they are the exception for Michigan. There are hundreds of cities and villages that are just as healthy as Marine City.


Yeah, that's the problem. I live in London, which is an hour from Port Huron, so what I see in Michigan is close to the border, Flint, Saginaw, Detroit, Port Huron.

I've been in Grand Rapids, and that city was a pleasant surprise. It also doesn't help that one cross Michigan journey I took was from Port Huron to Chicago by rail, and generally, passengers will always see the worst of things along railway corridors. But don't worry. Gary, Indiana was by far the dirtiest and depressing city I've ever seen in my life (in real life)

[hudkina]

I've only been to Port Huron once or twice and I don't have that clear of a memory, but I don't remember it being that bad. And from what I hear, compared to Sarnia (across the river) Port Huron looks pretty decent.

[flar]

Port Huron is alright, I was there earlier this year: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=149660


Thanks for looking everyone :cheers: