So - I have decided to treat myself to a change of scenery and I’m off on a little road trip! Not totally sure how long I’ll be away for, but roughly in the neighbourhood of about two weeks I think. I’m heading up to ‘northern’ Ontario with the hopes of seeing some beautiful autumn colours. I put the word ‘northern’ in quotations though because when you look at a map of Ontario really where I’m going is only mid-Ontario but it’s pretty universally referred to as ‘northern’ Ontario. The true northern Ontario is fly-in access only!
Given that I’m hoping to have more photos than usual I’ll try and put blog posts together more frequently - maybe focusing on each area that I stop in. That said, blog posts will also rely on access to, and strength of, WiFi and I have a feeling that could be a bit spotty in some locations.
First stop was Manitoulin Island. I’ve posted about Manitoulin Island before (back in 2016) so just a quick bit of information here. Manitoulin Island is an island at the north end of Lake Huron. With an area of 2,766 square kms it is the largest lake island in the world, large enough that it has over 100 inland lakes itself. The current name of the island is the English version, via French, of the Ojibwe name Manidoowaaling, which means “cave of the spirit”. It was named for an underwater cave where a powerful spirit is said to live. The modern Odawa name for Manitoulin Island is Mnidoo Mnis, meaning “Spirit Island”.
The Chi-Cheemaun ferry is how you get between the mainland and the island. Literally translated, ‘chi-cheemaun’ means “big canoe” in Ojibwe. A trip across Georgian Bay on the ferry is a long-standing tradition, dating back to the 1930s.
I arrived on Manitoulin Island in the sunshine but my first full day there, as you will see in the photos, was fairly grey and overcast.
Nope - this isn’t the Chi-Cheemaun, but there’s good fishing up here too.
Here she is - coming into port.
Looks where I got to park my car this time!
Only a few members of a very large family that was on board for my ferry crossing.
Looking down into Big Tub Harbour
Crossing the Main Channel between Lake Huron to the west and Georgian Bay to the east.
The lighthouse on Otter Island
As soon as I got off the ferry I saw what I was hoping to see - our fall colours!
This tree was right outside my motel room.
St. Francis of Assisi Anglican Church in Mindemoya. Constructed in 1932, it was built in the ancient style of European churches with a fine Norman tower, with the stone all quarried by hand on the island. The building of a stone, as opposed to a wooden, church evoked a great deal of interest on both sides of the Atlantic, with the result that a magnificent and quite priceless collection of historical treasures have found their way here.
Many homes on Manitoulin had lovely autumn and Thanksgiving decorations, and then in the village of Mindemoya there were also many interesting ‘scarecrows’ or ‘stuffed people’.
Lake Mindemoya, the third largest lake on the island of Manitoulin.
The local bakery/restaurant in Mindemoya makes the best apple fritters!! Had to have two my first day here, after that I managed to get by with only one a day.
Early morning fishing on Lake Mindemoya. Treasure Island is the largest island in the world in a lake on an island in a lake.
The Kagawong River, near where it empties into Mudge Bay.
The marina at Kagawong, on Mudge Bay.
Janet Head Lighthouse, built in 1879, is an example of the classic Georgian Bay lighthouse in which the keeper’s home is part of the lighthouse. As well as guiding boats during the shipping season, the Janet Head light also directed sleighs carrying the mail along an ice highway between 1910 and 1924. Since 1967 the lighthouse has been a private summer home and the family that owns it still welcomes visitors inside, a few afternoons each week during the summer.
Lake Kagawong, the second largest lake on Manitoulin.
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