Port Perry, Ontario

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Port Perry, Ontario, (Pop. 13,000: estimate, 2001) is a rural town located in Scugog Township, Durham Region. This is considered to be part of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). Port Perry is set on Lake Scugog, and features 2 popular lakeside parks (Palmer and Birdseye), but is perhaps more famous for boasting a picturesque Victorian-era downtown, featuring many clothing stores, eateries, cafés, bookstores, and antique shops. In the summer, it hosts many festivals, including the Mississauga Indians tribe PowWow, the Highland Games, and StreetFest. There are also numerous golf courses.

Other attractions in Port Perry and surrounding area include the Great Blue Heron Charitable Casino, located at the tip of Scugog Island outside of town, the Scugog Arena, Scugog Memorial Library (featuring the Kent Farndale Art Gallery), Ocala Winery, Scugog Shores Historical Museum, and the Northwood Buffalo and Exotic Animal Ranch. Cruises on Lake Scugog aboard "The Woodman" are also possible.

Daniel David Palmer, the founder of chiropractic, spent his childhood in this town. Port Perry has also attracted many movie productions, both television and wide screen, over the years. It was used extensively in the movie Fly Away Home where it played itself. Port Perry also doubled as the Maine town of Mooseport in the film Welcome to Mooseport. Port Perry was also used briefly as a small town in New Hampshire during the 6th season of The West Wing (TV series).

The village of Scugog was renamed "Port Perry" in 1851 in honour of Peter Perry who had played an important role in the development of the area in the first half of the 19th century. Perry had also played an important role in the reform of the legislative assembly of the province.