The sinking of the Asia in September 1882 is considered one of the greatest tragedies of Georgian Bay. The wooden steamer was overloaded and ill equipped to handle the rough open waters.

Built in 1873, the Asia originally ferried people and cargo up and down the Welland Canal. At one hundred and thirty-six feet in length and with thirty staterooms the Asia ended her career transporting people across Georgian Bay.

It had been in service two years on the Bay before succumbing to the waves, taking many of it passengers with it. The exact number of passengers the ship was carrying is unknown, but the ship, licensed to carry forty passengers, at time held over one hundred individuals. Of these only two survived: Douglas Tinkiss and Christy Ann Morrision.

To this day, the resting place of the Asia has never been found. It is one of the many mysteries of Georgian Bay. The busy shipping lanes of the Bay and a lack of understanding about the nature of Georgian Bay sank many ships in those years.

The Asia tragedy motivated the government to conduct a full hydrographic survey of Georgian Bay. While it was unclear if better charts would have prevented the sinking of the Asia, the government agreed that something had to be done to reduce the number of ships lost on the Georgian Bay waters.

The wrecks that lie beneath the bay have been a fascination for many over the years. Some wrecks have become popular diving sites, while others, like the Asia, have remained lost beneath the waves.