Саутгемптон: Уютный городок на берегу озера Гурон

Southampton is a community on the shores of Lake Huron in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. It is close to Port Elgin and is located at the mouth of the Saugeen River in the Saugeen Ojibway Nation Territory. The size of the town is 6.44 square kilometres. The permanent population in 2016 was 3,678, but the summer population is higher since cottagers and campers spend vacation time in the area. Although the community still has its own post office, and road signs indicating the name Southampton, it is no longer an entity in its own right. In 1998, Port Elgin, Southampton and Township of Saugeen, all along the shores of Lake Huron, were amalgamated to form the Town of Port Elgin Saugeen Southampton. On December 17, 1998, the province renamed the community the Town of Saugeen Shores. The primary employment categories are agriculture, small business, tourism, and the Bruce Power nuclear power station 40 km away. Southampton is a bedroom community, a retirement destination, and a tourist destination.

Tourism is the majority source of revenue for the economy; however, the Bruce Nuclear plant in nearby Tiverton, Ontario, is a major employer. In 2016, the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station started a $13 billion refurbishment program which will provide employment for many residents and maintain demand for other services. According to Bruce Power, this multi year plan "will generate between 1,500 and 2,500 jobs on site annually – and 18,000 across Ontario directly and indirectly – while injecting up to $4 billion annually into Ontario’s economy".

This area of the Lake Huron shore is known for its long sand beaches (the Main Beach is approximately 4 km long) as well as the sunsets since the beach area faces to the west. Every Friday night in from mid June to early September, a bagpiper plays under the "Big Flag" at the foot of High Street on Friday evenings, a tradition which started in the late 1990s. Canada Day is a highly celebrated occasion, where hundreds of cottagers and locals alike gather on Southampton Beach to watch the fireworks lit off the base of the "Big Flag". During the months of July and August there are "Ghost Walks" available every Tuesday night with Katherine Leonard and Raymond Harrison. These commence at sunset at the foot of High St at the "Big Flag". During the summer and early autumn, the beaches are full of people who have come to see the colourful sunsets lighting up the sky over the lake. Fishing is common in this area in the nearby Saugeen River, at Denny's Dam and in Lake Huron. The Chantry Chinook Classic Salmon Derby is held each summer, usually from about mid July to the second week of August. The Chantry Island Lightstation Tower was built in 1859; the tower, keeper's cottage, boat house and dock have been fully restored. The island is a federal Migratory Bird Sanctuary and access is prohibited except with the single licensed tour operator. From late May to mid September, tours of the lightstation facilities are available several times a week. They leave on the Marine Heritage Society's boat from the ticket office by the fishing boat docks at the harbour. Three other local lighthouses have been designated under the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act: McNab Point and both the Front and Rear Range lights at the River Front.

There are numerous cottage owners in and around Southampton. Cottage owners are uniquely split between those who own their land outright and those with cottages located on Native lands. A lease relationship exists between the Saugeen First Nation ("Chippewas of Saugeen") and cottagers who have built seasonal homes on Native land in the lakeside area between urban Southampton and Sauble Beach; there are approximately 1,200 such cottages. Each cottager on such land pays an annual lease fee to the First Nation for use of the land.

passes through Southampton, following its lakeshore route to the south and veering over land to the north on its way to Owen Sound. Bruce County Road 3 intersects with it just south of Southampton, near Port Elgin. Bruce County Road 13 continues following the lakeshore north from Southampton.

The Saugeen Rail Trail is a long rail trail connecting Southampton and Port Elgin. It also connects to the larger Bruce County Rail Trail, It follows the route of the former Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway line (later the CN Southampton Subdivision) which was abandoned in 1988. After the railways ceased to service the area, the tracks were removed and the beds were vacant and overgrown. A group of volunteers founded the Saugeen RailTrail Association in 1990, and convinced Port Elgin, Southampton and Saugeen Township to acquire sections of the then unused rail bed. Over the years, the bed has been developed as trails for walking and cycling. The trail also connects to the 80 kilometre long Bruce County Trail Network which leads to towns such as Paisley, Walkerton, Mildmay and Kincardine. The trailhead can be accessed at River Street in Port Elgin, a few blocks north of the town centre and east of Hwy 21. There are other access points in both towns, some with parking. The trail is not groomed for cross country skiing during the winter but is used frequently for that purpose. The Great Lakes Waterfront Trail also runs through Southampton, following a more coastal route and a mix of on road and off road rights of way. South of Port Elgin, it connects to MacGregor Point Provincial Park.

The Town of Saugeen Shores' hospital is in Southampton, Saugeen Memorial. Many physicians' practices are at the Saugeen Shores Medical Building. The hospital is part of the Grey Bruce Health Services' network of hospitals in northern Bruce and in Grey County. Hospital facilities include 16 beds, a 24 hour emergency department, surgery, acute medical care, outpatient services, and day surgery including ear, nose and throat surgery.