The Township of McDougall was surveyed and named in 1866.  The name "McDougall" was chosen to honour William McDougall,
one of the Fathers of Confederation. 
The Township itself was officially incorporated on May 1, 1872.

One of the more widely known areas in McDougall Township is the community of Nobel, which started as a railway station named Peart to serve the farming residents.

McDougall Township still has active farmlands within its boundaries, a fairly substantial number of cottages on the shores of Georgian Bay and our inland lakes and rivers, and several other well-developed residential areas, which still retain a rural flavour but are close to the Town of Parry Sound and its many amenities.

Our Township is also the proud home of an 18-hole golf course, extensive cross-country ski trails meticulously maintained by the Georgian Nordic Ski and Canoe Club, an equally impressive network of snowmobile trails, and our own municipal parks and beaches.

The Township of McDougall continues to flourish and we can easily boast that it is
"A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE and A GREAT PLACE TO VISIT".

NOBEL
Location:
1. On the shore of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.
2. Village in McDougall Township.
3. Most of C.I.L. property in McDougall Township.
4. Some of C.I.L. property is in Carling and Ferguson Townships.
5. 161.2 miles north of Toronto on main C.P.R. line to the west.
6. 167 miles north of Toronto on Trans-Canada Highway.
7. About 100 miles south of Sudbury.
8. Approximately 7 miles north of Parry Sound, located on the northeast shore of the Great Sound.

It is located in well-wooded and rocky country, excellent territory for fishermen and hunters.

Nobel is a beautiful place with many lakes in a tourist area.  The village proper is on a bluff overlooking Parry Sound on Georgian Bay.

The district is called "The Paradise of Canada" because of the hundreds of lakes and rivers, and the tourist season is a very active one. The annual Parry Sound Regatta is an event of considerable interest in Ontario.

Within a day’s traveling time can be found the famous "Chaplains Trail" which is marked with picturesque crosses all through the 30,000 islands from Midland, Ontario to the French River.  Nearby is also the Champlain Memorial in Orillia, Ontario, and home of Stephan Leacock, Algonquin Park, a short distance away, also has a major share of tourists during the summer season.

Nobel is 45 degrees N. latitude and 80 degrees W. longitude.  The region is predominantly commercial forest.  The soil is rock, peat, and swamp and sub-arctic soils.

Nobel has an average of more than 10’ of snow each winter.  There is less than 100 days frost-free period.

Find out more about Tourism in Georgian Bay Country.