Parry Sound was named by "Captain Henry Bayfield" after Sir William Edward Parry, the Arctic explorer. Bayfield surveyed the 30,000 islands in the early 19th Century.

Parry Sound is the largest natural harbour on Georgian Bay and birthplace of hockey legend Bobby Orr. Parry Sound's history dates back to the Ojibwa First Nations when they established a village at the mouth of the Seguin River and called it Wasauksing or shining shore. The high concentration of inland lakes, streams, rivers and, of course, Georgian Bay itself provide excellent opportunities for sport fishing and boating.