A Spotlight on Manitoulin Living: October '06: Retirees

 Retirees Stewart and Pat Zacharjewicz
find Central Manitoulin a lively place.

September 2006 (Central Manitoulin) -- As Stewart and Pat Zacharjewicz relax (briefly) in their breeze-cooled living room overlooking a backyard shaded by massive maples, the phone rings several times. “Invitations to go fishing this evening,” Mrs. Zacharjewicz explains.

The pair has already been golfing today, as they do about five times a week, and they usually go for a walk each night along the nearby road hugging Lake Mindemoya as well. In the winter they cross-country ski, leaving right from their backyard to access a nearby trail, curl four times a week at a rink in Providence Bay, and ice-fish on trout-teeming Lake Manitou, a mere 10-minute trip from their home.

They may have relocated from a community called Lively, but life on Manitoulin is anything but dull for this pair. “We’re busier than we’ve ever been,” says Mr. Zacharjewicz. “Anyone who says there is nothing to do here-sorry.”

The Zacharjewiczs retired-Stewart from a 33-year career with INCO; Pat from her duties as a school bus driver-several years ago, and in 2005 sold their city home and started building a new one on the edge of a quiet subdivision near Lake Mindemoya. The house, a three-bedroom bungalow, went up in about four months, with Stewart performing the electrical work.

“It’s totally different from where we lived in Lively,” Mrs.  Zacharjewicz notes. “We don’t need a privacy fence, and it’s just gorgeous in the wintertime, looking out at the stars and the shadows of the branches from the moonlight.” Her husband agrees, noting, “that’s something you don’t see in the city with the light pollution.”

The Zacharjewiczs have also been enjoying the colourful mix of birds that visit their feeders, including a scarlet tanager that recently stopped by.

Other aspects of Manitoulin living that they appreciate are the quiet roads, community spirit, dining options and health-care services.  “One nice thing here is that there’s a good little hospital (in Mindemoya), and we managed to get doctors, dentists and chiropractors right away,” says Mrs. Zacharjewicz.

As well, the two find just about everything to meet their recreation and fitness needs. Mrs. Zacharjewicz joined a PACE fitness club (similar to Curves) in Mindemoya, and also took yoga classes in Providence Bay. Apart from his passion for curling, angling and golfing, Mr. Zacharjewicz also enjoyed the deer hunt in the fall.

Both enjoyed their first experience of the annual Journey to Bethlehem nativity event held in a sugar bush near Mindemoya (it draws busloads of visitors from such urban centres as Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie) and the numerous social teas and fundraising lunches.

“The only thing that isn’t here (on Manitoulin) is a movie theatre, but we’re not big movie watchers anyway,” says Stewart. “And if we wanted to go to a theatre, it’s not that far a drive to Sudbury.”

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