Member municipalities
The City of Belleville
Belleville is at the center of Quinte. Shopping, dining experiences, theatre, fishing, wind surfing and visits to old friends, all bring people to Belleville. The famous Waterfront Festival gives people an excuse to visit Belleville in July, when the usually tranquil Bay of Quinte shoreline comes alive with music, water-ski shows, hundreds of boats and ethnic delights from food to dance. Sports, such as world-class auto and motorcycle racing at Shannonville Motorsport Park, and Ontario Major Junior A Hockey at the Quinte Sports Centre, bring thousands of visitors to Belleville annually.
The City of Belleville is the largest service centre in the Bay of Quinte and, as such, offers excellent shopping facilities. The Quinte Mall is located right on Hwy 401 and Hwy 62 in the north end of the city. The Bayview Mall at the east end, and plazas throughout the city, mean that you're never far from convenient shopping hours, quality national retailers and selections of merchandise sure to please. Downtown offers convenient benches, ample parking, over 250 stores, restaurants and services for pleasant and leisurely shopping. On Market Day, the Farmer's Market bustles with activity from the first early crops of spring to the bountiful harvest of autumn. Shopping at the market is a time-honored activity for many Bellevillians and it offers visitors a chance to buy quality fruits and vegetables at reasonable prices.
Belleville is the gateway to an angler's paradise. In winter hundreds of ice huts dot the bay, turning it into a small offshore fishing village. Spring or summer, anglers of all ages drop their lines from the banks of the Moira. Vacationers can rent boats and buy bait at various spots near the waterfront. Meyer's Pier is the ideal destination stop over for boaters. Families who choose the Trent system and the Bay of Quinte as part of their summer boating vacation are sure to enjoy the flavor and friendliness of Belleville, Meyer's Pier and Victoria Park.
The municipality of Brighton
Brighton is located 90 minutes east of Toronto. there is waterfront living in Presqu'ile Bay, with direct access to Lake Ontario, the Trent Severn System, and the Bay of Quinte via the Murray Canal. Conveniently located along the 401 corridor, Brighton is a town of approximately 9,000 people. Situated at the southeastern edge of Northumberland County and adjacent to the quinte Region, this area is host summer residents and vacationers from coast to coast. The wonderful 19th century architecture if the town retains the spirit of the early founders who established some of the first apple orchards in Canada. The town itself was named after the resort Town of Brighton, England, which sits along the seashore. Brighton, Ontario sits along the shore of Presqu'ile Bay (Lake Ontario), where commercial fishing has and continues to play a role in the Town, and also offers family camping, cross country skiing, hiking, bird watching, and kilometers of sandy beaches which are seldom crowded and provide excellent swimming. Each Spring, tens of thousands of ducks rest here on their migration further north as well more than 300 species make Presqu'ile a "hot spot" for birders.
The history of the town is preserved and maintained by the "save Our Heritage Organization (SOHO)". A privately owned railway museum highlights the prominence of rail transport in Canada and Brighton. Brighton has contributed to the marine transport industry, early settlement between Toronto and Kingston, commercial fishing on the lake, prohibition and UFO sightings just to mention some of the highlights. Visit Proctor House Museum, said to be haunted by the Nix ghost, and see the 'widows walk' with views of the Bay, or Memory Junction with its railway memorabilia of yesteryear. Visit the Applefest Festival in September, when Brighton celebrates the harvesting of the apples in grand style! In the winter, there are cross country skiing trails for the enthusiast. Northumberland County and the Bay of Quinte is one of the most diverse fishing areas in Ontario offering anglers a wide range of fishing opportunities in all seasons.
The City of Quinte West
On January 1, 1998, Quinte West was formed by the amalgamation of four former municipalities- City of Trenton, the Village of Frankford, Sidney Township and Murray Township. With a population of 41,000, the City of Quinte West is just 90 minutes east of Toronto on Highway 401. It offers visitors and residents the best of urban and rural lifestyles: on one hand, a vibrant outdoors environment for agricultural and recreational pursuits; on the other, an exciting downtown core with shopping and retail opportunities.
At the heart of Quinte West is the southern entrance to the Trent-Severn Waterway, a unique 386-kilometer system of lakes and rivers stretching from the Bay of Quinte in the south, to Georgian Bay in the north. Add the area's nine golf courses, world class walleye fishing on the Bay of Quinte, and the City of Quinte West becomes a true destination for reactional activities.
Quinte West is home to Canada's largest military air wing, 8 Wing on Canadian Forces Base, Trenton as well as home to some of the world's major corporations including Moore corporation, Quaker Oats, Nestles and Pillsbury, just to name a few.
Work, play or simply a visit. Quinte West is the perfect place to be.
