Bruce Peninsula Orchid Festival

I have been doing a bit of research into native orchids in Ontario as I am currently visiting Toronto. I discovered that on the Bruce Peninsula, known for its diversity of native orchids, you can find one of the greatest concentrations of native orchid species in North America - 44 orchid species!

The Bruce Peninsula is also home to a two-day wild orchid festival at the end of May each year. Unfortunately we will be returning back home before the end of May and so we will miss this festival, but it definitely sounds like something to check out one day!

I also came across a reference to the following field guide to native orchids for this area: Bruce-Grey Plant Committee. 1997. A Guide to the Orchids of Bruce and Grey Counties, Ontario. Stan Brown Printers Limited, Owen Sound, Ontario. 106 pp.

The guide provides a key "as well as descriptions and illustrations for each species. Colour photographs by Donald Gunn add to the attractiveness and usefulness of the book, as does a chart of flowering times and a glossary. The book is available for $17.00 from the Bruce-Grey Plant Committee, c/o Owen Sound Field-Naturalists, Box 401, Owen Sound, Ontario N4K 5P7."
(Source)

You can also read about native orchids found beyond the province of Ontario in this feature article on Canadian wild orchids.