Page 13 - REN_May-June 2021

Where to live
With just 25 active REALTORS® on the island and a low housing inventory, buyers eager to lock into Manitoulin Island
should be aware of the special considerations that make the island unique.
For those with school age children, proximity to schools and snow removal on rural roads can be an issue in more
remote parts

To the west, Gore Bay (pop. 900) has a medical centre, car dealership, hardware store, grocery stores, Canada Post and
a Service Ontario location. Little Current (pop. 1,558), on the eastern fringe, is the island’s gateway community. During
the summer, more than 3000 boats tie up at the town’s docks and three local marinas.

Cottage and waterfront properties are considerably more affordable when compared to similar areas like Muskoka
and along Lake Erie. Outpriced buyers from Toronto and retirees are pushing boundaries in different directions like
the North and Manitoulin’s communities of Gore Bay and Little Current.

What to do
• Along Highway 540 in Kagawong, visitors make a
beeline for the 35-foot Bridal Veil Falls (which also
has a namesake beer!). Don’t forget to stop at nearby
Manitoulin Chocolate to elevate your campfire menu
with some S’more bark. While you can’t pop a tent at
Bridal Veil, there are dozens of campgrounds on the
island to choose from.
• View Lake Manitou and the North Channel from a
lofty vantage point! The Cup and Saucer Trail (also
a beer!) offers a two kilometre adventure loop and
more demanding 12 km circuit. The 70 metre cliffs
and startling views will make your heart pound in
awe and from exertion!
• Immerse yourself in turbulent island lore by picking up a copy of The Haweaters by Vanessa Farnsworth. Based Image via Jules Torti
on the savage real-life murders of two members of one family by two members of another, the rancorous family
rivalry and sepia settler landscape of 1870s Manitoulin is a necessary and chilling history lesson. g

Image via Jules Torti
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