For the past few years, my wife, Jane, and I have vacationed in the U.S. in the summer, specifically Michigan, Massachusetts and Maine, usually because of something specific to those areas. This year we decided to vacation in Canada, in particular Ontario, where we live.
We picked Manitoulin Island because Jane who works for a law firm and some of the clients spoke positively about it. According to Wikipedia, Manitoulin Island is an island in Lake Huron and is the largest lake island in the world, large enough that it has over 100 lakes itself.
There are various ways to get there, but we chose to drive to Tobermory, which takes about four hours, spent the night there, then took the ferry with our car for the two-hour journey to Manitoulin. More on that later.
The drive to Tobermory was painfully long and frustrating because for the most part there is only one lane on each side. We ran into many cars driving the speed limit. My wife and I are not the type of people who look to veer out of the lane to pass other cars, particularly when it’s not easy to see oncoming cars in the other direction. I practically felt the fenders of drivers tailgating me. In some cases, the drivers pulled out and passed us, even when they weren’t supposed to because the lane didn’t have broken white lines. In a couple cases, the anxious drivers passed my car and the one ahead.
While in Tobermory, I encountered Terry Koshan, who is a sportswriter with the Toronto Sun, where I worked there for 21 years. He and his wife are from nearby Wiarton and were visiting Tobermory for the day. My kids love to joke about wherever I go, I’ll probably run into someone I know.
Tobermory is a small tourist town with a marina that reminded me of some places we had visited in the U.S. When we vacationed in the U.S., American flags were proudly displayed everywhere. Whether or not Tobermory has always had Canadian flags on display, I’m not sure, but we noticed quite a few. I think it’s starting to happen more frequently because of the Elbows Up philosophy.
Tobermory has the usual stores selling clothing and jewellery, and there were various places to eat, several of which advertised all you can eat fish and chips. How much fish and chips can one person possibly eat? For a one-day stay, it was okay. I’m not sure we would vacation there again, unless we decided to explore it further and nearby towns.
When planning the trip, we decided between driving to Manitoulin or taking the ferry there. We decided on the ferry because it seemed like more of an experience and were advised by people to book way in advance. Frankly, after the drive to Tobermory, I was glad we opted for the ferry rather than driving.
The MS Chi-Cheemaun, operated by the Owen Sound Transportation Company, is the primary ferry to Manitoulin. There are three daily sailings during the peak tourist season. Basically, you have to arrive one-hour before the ferry sets sail, though we arrived well before that, and park in a designated area. The ferry can accommodate 140 vehicles and are arranged in size from passenger vehicles to transport trucks. Though I was somewhat nervous about the way in which we would board on to the ferry – I envisioned the way in which you drive into a lane at a car wash – it was relatively seamless. Once inside the ferry, you exit your car and climb up to various places where you can sit inside or outside, and there are places to eat and drink. The two hours passed quickly, and the exit from the ferry happened quickly. I highly recommend this experience.
Manitoulin Island has a population of 15,000, which doubles during tourist season. You pass by various small towns, which reminded me of spending many summers in Muskoka. The scenery is very familiar with farmlands and lakes.
We stayed in Gore Bay, which has a population of 900. We had chosen to stay at The Inn At Gore Bay based on something I read. The Manager, coincidentally another Perry as it turned out, is Perry Patterson, and he explained how the Inn had been purchased several years ago by local resident Doug Smith, the founder and owner of Manitoulin Transport, which is a major shipping business in North America. Doug Smith had known about the Inn going back to his youth and when the previous owner put it up for sale a few years ago he bought it and refurbished it. The Inn is a boutique hotel and has an event centre that includes a restaurant that serves fine dining. It is quite popular with townspeople who arrive by boat. The view from the balcony of our room to the port is beautiful at any time of the day.
There is a walkway from the Inn to the town. During various walks, Jane and I were amazed by the wildlife, in particular in the evening when deer emerged. I took several photos, including some surrounded by geese and gulls, and it amazed me how they all blended so peacefully together. The deer were not particularly bothered by the presence of humans, though one time I noticed a buck with antlers that were clearly in the early stages of growth and he seemed to be wary of my presence. Of the many images I photographed, there are two that stand out: a Blue Heron standing majestically and still in the water, and a deer standing behind some bushes.
Perry and his assistant, Nikki Middleton, were gracious hosts. I did a video with Perry, who explained a little about the Inn and life on the Island. Basically, it’s called Island Time, which is to say everyone is relaxed.
I highly recommend staying at the Inn. It is small enough that you don’t feel crowded. Whether dining at the Inn or venturing into town, there are many places to eat, and there are various craft beers and ales that are brewed locally.
Rather than take the ferry back, we decided to drive all the way home. We had a chance to see a different side of Manitoulin Island and it was pleasant.
We enjoyed our stay and hope to return.
Perry Lefko is the Content Manager of The Car Magazine. He can be reached at perry.lefko@thecarmagazine.com. Feel free to forward any story suggestions or comments.