Manitoulin Island

Exploring Ontario: The best things to see and do in Manitoulin Island

| Christie

We have always been fascinated by rural roads, always eager to jump in a car and go on a road trip. Even close to our home, or in a new country, I feel amazing since the moment I start planning one. This time the final destination was Manitoulin Island, with a couple of stops in Killarney Provincial Park, and French River Provincial Park.

If you have found yourself reading this post, you might be planning a road trip to Manitoulin Island. Or wanting to go after you finish reading it, as I will try to summarize what some of you might already know, plus a touch of a little bit more.

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CA, Ontario: Fun at The Beach – Providence Bay

| Christie

Considered by the locals The Beach, Providence Bay is famous for an obvious reason.

About 6 hours north from Toronto, located on a picturesque, southern side of Manitoulin Island, Providence Bay is the perfect place for a getaway. Looking upon Huron Lake, one of the Great Lakes of North America, the bay offers one of the longest sandy beaches I’ve ever seen in Ontario. Early natives, Ojibwe people called the place Bebikodawangog, which translates as ‘where the sands curve around the bay’.

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CA, Ontario: Manitoulin Island, In search of lost lighthouses

| Christie

First time we visited Manitoulin Island was back in 2017, when we did a road trip around Huron Lake, one of the five Great Lakes of North America. This time we decided to take more time and do a road trip around Manitoulin Island itself, searching for the island lighthouses.

Manitoulin Island is the world’s largest freshwater island, and it is considered by natives The Heart and Spirit of the Great Lakes of Canada. Home to three distinct cultures – First Nations, Francophone and Anglophone – this region has a diverse culture and a rich history. The island itself is considered sacred by the Native Anishinaabe people, who identify themselves as the People of the Three Fires. 

With fond memories of our first visit to Manitoulin Island still fresh in our mind, we were not so lucky this time to book a reservation with MS Chi-Cheemaun Ferry Service, as due to Covid-19 restrictions, the passenger capacity could not exceed 50% of the vessel’s certified capacity hence we could not find spots available for our August trip.

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CA, US: Around Huron Lake in 8 days

| Christie

Canadians love outdoors. At least half of them, who can’t wait to get their outdoor belongings every weekend and scatter to various destinations.

Our excitement actually started when we began making plans to have a road trip around Lake Huron, one of the five Great Lakes in North America.

road trip 2017

Part of the UNESCO heritage, Niagara Escarpment goes through Tobermory. The escarpment that runs from New York through Ontario (Canada), Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois is mostly famous for the cliff where Niagara River plunges at Niagara Falls. But today I will talk about Tobermory, located right between Huron Lake and Georgian Bay, and which is the most northerly town in the Bruce Peninsula. Continue reading →

CA, Ontario: Manitoulin Island by Chi-Cheemaun; Wikwemikong – Manitowaning

| Christie

Around Huron Lake in 8 days: Manitoulin Island by Chi-Cheemaun; Wikwemikong – Manitowaning

Chi-Cheemaun is not only a ferry. It is the Big Canoe (as it means in Obijwe language) that connects Tobermory in Bruce Peninsula with South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island, but also connects people, stories and spirits.

Tobermory shore and Big Tub Harbour
Tobermory shore and Big Tub Harbour, as seen from the ferry, before departing.

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