COBOURG, Ont.—A century or so ago, they came to escape the stench of industrial Pittsburgh and the oppressive summer heat of the southern states. First they built a string of hotels along the waterfront, situated to catch refreshing lake breezes. Some of the wealthiest erected mansions and estates.

Those high-rolling American tourists of a bygone era arrived in this little town on Lake Ontario’s north shore by boat. Then Henry Ford began his campaign to put every American family into an automobile. Ford changed tourism forever and the last ferry from Rochester to Cobourg finished its voyage in the early 1950s.

Today pleasure boaters such as Bruce and Donna Proctor are resurrecting the water route to Cobourg from Western New York. In fact whenever the Proctors take their 37-foot powerboat out of its Kendall harbor in Orleans County and head off for an overnight trip, chances are pretty good they’ll end up on the Canadian side of the water. And they say the Cobourg Marina is one of their favored destinations.

“There’s nothing on the American side that compares to Canadian marinas,” enthuses Bruce Proctor. “As far as the facilities, the amenities, the people and the good times, there’s nothing like going to Canada.”

Cobourg is about 30 miles directly north of Kendall. From Buffalo, the shortest water route is through the Welland Canal, which is entered at Port Colborne, Ont. There are eight locks to Lake Ontario and the one-way charge for recreational boaters is $200. The trip could take anywhere from seven to 17 hours, says Bill Zimmermann, executive director of Seven Seas Sailing School in Buffalo.

If you’re driving, Cobourg is 170 miles from Buffalo via the Canadian freeway system, an hour east of Toronto.

The Proctors discovered the charms of this town of 18,500 about 15 or 20 years ago when they accepted friends’ invitation to join them for the lake crossing. They have returned regularly ever since. Cobourg is one of those lamentably rare Great Lakes communities that boasts a harbor within a short walk of the restaurants, bars and shops travelers love to poke around.

“The [marina] bathrooms are as clean as home,” says Bruce Proctor. “They’ve got showers, safe dockage and the friendliest people. If you need anything, they’re there to help you get it.”

In fact Cobourg has become such a popular destination with

the Proctors and other members of the Eagle Creek Yacht Club, its members hold a rendezvous here one weekend every summer. As many as 30 boats make the trip—many traveling together—and meet up for a weekend of socializing with members of the Cobourg Yacht Club.

While the American industrialists who once summered here are long gone, many of their mansions remain, preserved thanks to the town’s strong architectural heritage movement. It’s a movement born from the 1970s fight to save the magnificent white sandstone-faced Victoria Hall, opened in 1860, which had fallen into disrepair.

Thanks to their efforts, Victoria Hall remains the focal point of King Street, the town’s main retail route just two blocks from the harbor. The building houses the municipal offices, art gallery and concert hall. Its sunken Old Bailey-style courtroom is still in use.

Cobourg’s compact layout beckons the visitor into leisurely summer strolls. East of the marina is one of Lake Ontario’s most beautiful sand beaches, packed all summer long with swimmers and sunbathers and teeming with beach volleyball tournaments and triathlon events. Adjacent to it is Victoria Park, a popular place for picnics and activities connected to various summer festivals. At the heart of the park is a bandshell, a frequent concert site, and nearby is a small children’s play area with waterspout and splash pad, monkey bars and snack shack.

You can stroll west or east along the waterfront through parks and eventually through residential areas. Or you can head through Victoria Park to King Street.

There you’ll find the art moderne-style Park Playhouse, a former movie theater converted for live performances. Turn left to the shops and restaurants or right for a wander through neighborhoods of Victorian- era homes. Of particular interest are College, Walton and Henry streets. The town also provides a walking guide available at the booth in front of Victoria Hall that points to many historically significant homes.

For the full services of Cobourg Tourism, it’s worth the walk farther west to 212 King St. West. The office is housed in Dressler House, the childhood home of Cobourg-born actress Marie Dressler, whose Hollywood film credits included “Dinner at Eight,” “Tugboat Annie” and her Academy Awardwinning performance for Best Actress in “Min and Bill.”

Cobourg has a Best Western and several motels but space fills up fast at the handful of bed-and-breakfast establishments and the Breakers Motel on the Lake, which has a private beach. The Breakers provides modern efficiency units built around the historic Cold Blow House, a storied structure known for hidden passageways, a failed assassination and a macabre coincidence.

Nearby, the Woodlawn Inn is housed in a stately home built in 1835. Besides its guest rooms, the Woodlawn is home to one of the town’s most elegant restaurants.

Two miles from downtown is the Inn by the Mill bed-and-breakfast, an English country-style home with an indoor pool. Next door, The Mill Restaurant and Pub is located in a former gristmill next to a pond and a nine-hole golf course.

Just west of downtown and an easy walk to shops and restaurants is MacKechnie House bed-and-breakfast, in one of those grand estates from Cobourg’s past.

One of the Proctors’ favorite eateries is the whimsical Oasis Bar and Grill, which features live music on the patio Sunday afternoons. While you’re there, you can try out Crabby Carol’s Oyster Bar.

The Proctors are also partial to The Cat and the Fiddle, a British-style pub on Covert Street, one block north of King. Next door is the casually elegant Spice of Life Bistro and Wine Bar. Both have patios.

Back on King, the North Side Grill has been serving fine food on white tablecloths in elegant surroundings for years. Nearby are the recently opened Miss Thailand, the Matterhorn Restaurant and, for good old-fashioned family fare and great weekend brunches, the Buttermilk Cafe.

For an eclectic coffee house, there’s The Human Bean, which serves light lunches and, on Fridays, Jamaican fare such as jerk chicken. King Street boasts several fine bakeries and coffee shops. Several King Street establishments have street patios.

Summer activities

National holiday weekend: As the Fourth of July is to America, July 1, or Canada Day, is to Canadians. The weekend’s Waterfront Festival is also the biggest event of the summer, with many of the festivities centered around the harbor, this year July 1 to 4.

Farmers’ market: Every Saturday from May until December, local farmers sell their fresh produce a block from the marina, just behind Victoria Hall.

Other events: A buskers’ festival on June 13; highland games on June 27; concerts and outdoor film nights in Victoria Park, antique and classic car show on July 12; and ghost walk tours of the town Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings through July and August.

If you go

Cobourg Tourism, (Dressler House), 212 King St. West, has listings for accommodation, restaurants and events;

www.cobourgtourism.ca

, (888) 262-6874. Cobourg Marina: (905) 372-2397,

www.cobourg.ca

. The Park Playhouse: (905) 377-9595,

www.parkplayhouse.ca

Lodging

Breakers Motel on the Lake, 94 Green St., (905) 372-9231,

www.nexicom.net

Woodlawn Inn, 420 Division St., (905) 372-2235.

www.woodlawninn.com

Inn by the Mill, 1000 Ontario St., (905) 372-6062,

www.innbythemill.ca

MacKechnie House, 173 Tremaine St., (905) 372-6242,

www.mackechniehouse.com

Dining

Oasis Bar and Grill, 31 King St. East, (905) 372-6634,

www.oasisbarandgrill.ca

The Cat and the Fiddle, 38 Covert St., (905) 377 9029,

www.catandfiddle.com

Spice of Life, 34 Covert St., (905)372-4982,

www.spiceoflifecobourg.com

North Side Grill, 92 King St. West, (905) 377-9709,

www.thenorthside.ca

Human Bean, 80 King St. West, (905) 377-1755,

www.humanbean.ca

Miss Thailand, 100 King St. West, (905) 377-8998

Matterhorn Restaurant, 95 King St. West, (905) 372-5231,

www.matterhorn.ca

Buttermilk Cafe, 44 King St. West, (905) 373-7247,

www.buttermilkcafe.com

Nearby: About 45 minutes drive east of Cobourg are the Prince Edward County wine district and Sand Banks Provincial Park. A 10-minute drive west of Cobourg is Port Hope, which boasts a well-preserved historical downtown and the live-performance Cameco Capital Theatre. Port Hope is home to the All-Canadian Jazz Festival, held this year Sept. 25-27.

Directions

From Buffalo, cross the Peace Bridge to the Queen Elizabeth Way. Take the Torontobound QEW to Exit 139, Highway 427, then north to Highway 401. Take Highway 401 east to either Exit 472 or 474 at Cobourg.