Picture Yourself on Manitoulin Island

A curve of white beach against calm blue water with sailboats on the horizon.
A rocky, windswept point where great waves crash in as the sun sets red.
Still green fields that roll down towards a sparkling bay.
A quiet night under a sky that is a sanctuary for stars.
This is Manitoulin Island.

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MANITOULIN ISLAND
by Steve Maxwell

Facts at a Glance:

First European Settlement: 1830’s

Population: Approximately 13,000 year-round; 42,000 during summer

Size: 135 km long; 46 km at widest

Urban Escapes: Sudbury 125 km to 250 km drive, depending where you start.

Getting On and Off the Island: Single-lane swing bridge at Little Current; seasonal ferry from Tobermory to South Baymouth.

Climate: A little cooler than southern Ontario, but not much.

Garden Zone: Officially 4B to 5A. Walnut, apple and chestnut trees grow fine

Geology: northern extent of Niagara Peninsula; limestone bedrock pokes through soil in some areas

Real Estate:

*100 acre hobby farm property $50,000 to $65,000 (no house); $80,000 to $120,000 with house

*three-bedroom house in town $100,000 to $150,000

*waterfront cottage lot $30,000

Health Services: hospitals in Mindemoya and Little Current; doctor’s clinics in Little Current and Gore Bay.

Business Directory: a mall-free, fast-food franchise-free zone. Small businesses and restaurants in all towns. Several highly rated restaurants.

Claims to Fame:

*Largest freshwater island in the world

*Manitoulin contains over 100 inland lakes

*East end is home to Canada’s only unceded native reserve

*massive population of white-tail deer

Last Word: complete freedom from cultural whiff of any big city; unique combination of authentic small towns, agricultural communities and clean, acid rain-proof lakes.

New Businesses Likely to Succeed: high-end eco-tourism; value-added agricultural; digital communication entrepreneurs

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Manitoulin Island is nestled along the north shore of Lake Huron in Ontario. The Island rests in Lake Huron on the threshold between Southern and Northern Ontario. As the largest freshwater island in the world (150 kilometres from tip to tip), it has a lot of variety to offer; and is one of the most diverse rural spots you’ll find anywhere. Manitoulin is a beautiful haven with forest, farmland, safe and rural communities, modern day amenities, clean inland lakes and ocean-like shore along the Lake Huron coastline.

But let’s not forget the gallery browsing, hiking trails, cycling, world class fishing, star gazing parties, yacht races, best-food-anywhere fish-fries, Native cultural events, ice fishing, clubs and organizations, motorcycle tours, fine dining, snowmobiling, great weekend festivals and so much more! No matter what your choice of recreational activities or lifestyles, you can put yourself in the picture on Manitoulin Island.More than one person has described Manitoulin as “forever on the fringe”, and for folks who’ve had enough of life at the centre of the urban universe, this authentically-rural place is a God-send. Although residents here consider themselves northerners, the landscape and climate is more like southern Ontario. Even though Manitoulin borders the granite rock and white pines of the Canadian Shield, it’s a limestone island, forested with a mix of cedar, poplar, spruce, hard maple and beech. Cultivated and wild apples grow easily here, offering reasonable, worm-free autumn harvests without spray.

Manitoulin’s century-old agricultural heritage does a lot to lend a character of settlement to the land. Three-generation family beef farms are common enough to be ordinary. Several full-service towns show what rural life can be like when the nearest Wal-Mart is three hours drive away. Where else but in Gore Bay, Manitoulin’s seat of government, could you find a town of 900 people that boasts two pharmacies, two new car dealerships, a modern grocery store, the district courthouse, an elementary school, nursing home, doctor/dentist’s clinic, an outstanding health food store (Island Pantry), a modern ambulance base, a complete library, summer theatre, two hair salons, curling and skating rinks, a golf course, and the head office of Manitoulin Transport, one of the ten largest highway carriers in North America. A vibrant commercial fishery also means that stores everywhere sell fresh-caught and smoked local fish. The wild salmon that run up Island rivers in October make you think you’re in BC.

Is Manitoulin paradise? Not in every way. If you’re addicted to name-brand hamburger experiences, big-screen movies, and instant access to ego-boosting clothes, then living on Manitoulin will seem like you’ve fallen into a Little House on the Prairie time warp. But if you’re serious about living an authentically rural life, love to see Bald Eagles, are self-motivated, and have at least a small entrepreneurial streak, then Manitoulin Island is the closest thing to paradise you’ll find this side of eternity. Whatever you do, if you come here to live, don’t change anything Manitoulin Island

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Click on the links below for more on the history of settlement on Manitoulin Island:

The Making of the Manitoulin Treaty of 1836

The Making of the Manitoulin Treaty of 1862

Manitoulin, an essay about The Ojibway and Lumbermen by Harold Nelson Burden (1895)

This site is currently maintained by Manitoulin Living. All content is subject to change without notice. For further information contact Patrick Kiley at info@manitoulinliving.com