The Road to Manitoulin

Land of Rugged Beauty and Tranquility

Manitoulin Tourism

Manitoulin - Ontario - Weather

 
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The Rainbow Hwy (6), as it winds through the Willisville Pass in the
La Cloche Mts., on its way to Manitoulin Island.

 



Aerial view of the Swing Bridge at
Little Current

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The Manitoulin Island Swing Bridge

 
Location:                         Manitoulin Island - Ontario - Canada
  Name of bridge                North Channel Bridge
  Completion date:             1913

 
Most distinguishing feature:

       The only highway access to Manitoulin Island is from the north. The Rainbow
   Hwy (6) starts at Hwy 17, about 40 miles west of Sudbury, Ontario. The highway
   then goes through Espanola and continues south on its way to Manitoulin, a
  distance of approximately 28 miles. The final leg of the Rainbow Hwy then crosses
  the Swing Bridge. Little Current is on the other side.

        The Swing Bridge was built for the Algoma Eastern Railway in 1913, by the
   Canadian Bridge Company of Walkerville, Ontario at a cost of $285,000. The
   bridge is 571 feet long (swing portion is 325 feet long), 22 feet above the water
   and 14 feet wide.

       The bridge's swing mechanism was originally powered by a gas engine, but
   changed to an electric motor in modern times, which is controlled by a computer.
   The bridge was built to allow railway traffic onto the island. However, highway
   traffic soon reached the bridge and it was upgraded to allow vehicles to cross.
   The bridge is only wide enough for one lane of vehicle traffic so lights were
   installed at each end of the bridge to control the flow of traffic.  In 1983 the
   bridge was listed as an Ontario Heritage Bridge.

 

The North Channel Swing Bridge
at Little Current, Ontario

North Channel Swing Bridge
in the open position


 

 

  

 
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Manitoulin Island
  The Largest Fresh Water Island in the World

   Location:   Manitoulin Island, Ontario

       Manitoulin Island is 1068 square miles in area making it the largest fresh water
   island in the world. The island separates Lake Huron from the North Channel
  and part of Georgian Bay. Manitoulin Island has 108 fresh water lakes within it.
  Some of these lakes have their own islands, which in turn have ponds. It happens
  that Lake Manitou (40 sq. miles in size) is the largest lake in a fresh water island in
  the world. Treasure Island in Lake Mindemoya  is the second largest island in a
  lake on an island in a lake in the world.

      The island is graphically part of Southern Ontario, an eastward extension of the
  interior plains, a region that has low relief and sedimentary underock. It is a
  continuation of the Bruce Peninsula and Niagara Escarpment, a geological rock
  formation running south into Niagara Falls and continuing into New York.

       Manitoulin Island has alkaline soil, which discourages the growth of common
  northern Ontario flora such as wild blueberries, but allows for the island's
  trademark, hawberries. These berries are so distinctive that people born on the
  island are referred to as Haweaters. The island hosts the annual August long
  weekend Haweater Festival. This event is a large tourist draw and includes
  parades, fireworks, shows, dancing, crafts and rural competitions such as
  horse pulls.

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Manitoulin Island
  The Freshwater Capital of the World

   Location:   Manitoulin Island, Ontario

      In the world we live in today can Manitoulin Island claim the above title?
  That is an interesting question. The island has freshwater around it, above it ,
  below it and on it. To help you make some sense of this, please visit the following
  website  Manitoulin Streams Rehabilitation.  It's a very interesting website and to
  check out the freshwater question, click on the article, The case for freshwater
  capital of the world, located on the homepage.


 
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Sand Dunes at Providence Bay

   Location:   Manitoulin Island, Ontario

     The sand dunes at Providence Bay formed over the last 3,000 to 4,000
  years, since the last ice age receded. These dunes are formed from post
  glacial lake deposits, which preceded the present Lake Huron shoreline.
  The dunes are considered a closed system, which means shore currents do
  not bring sand in from other parts of the coastline.
 
     The dunes at Providence Bay are comprised of fine sands and as a result,
  they are particularly vulnerable to erosion from stormwaves and from the
  wind. People's indiscriminate use of the dunes can damage or destroy
  thousands of years of geologic processesin one instant.

     The dunes are native to Providence Bay and can not be found anywhere
  else on the island. If you visit the area enjoy them, please read and follow
  the instructions on posted signs.


 
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Rainbow Highway (Ontario Hwy 6 - formally Hwy 68)

   Location:   Hwy 17 at McKerrow to South Baymouth, Manitoulin Isl.

     Ontario Hwy 6 between Hwy 17 and the North Channel Swing Bridge
  was built in 1920. It was known as a trunk road and was unpaved and
  very rough in many places. In 1937, this section of road was merged
  into the Ontario Provincial highway system as Hwy 68. In 1973 the
  highway was finally paved. In 1980, the designation 68 was changed
  to provincial Hwy 6. The highway picked up its nickname, "The
  Rainbow Hwy" in 1969, when the TV show Adventures in Rainbow
  Country was being filmed in the area.

     For treasure hunters, here is a interesting piece of information. An
  American, who was on the gang that was constructing highway 6 from
  highway 17 to Little Current stated, one  of his fellow workers
  uncovered a glass jar containing about $800 in gold coins, near present
  day Willisville. Who's money it was and how it got there is unknown.
  However, he did state an old homestead in ruins was close to where
  the road was being built.

 
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TV Series "Adventures in Rainbow Country"

   Location:   Filmed on location at Whitefish Fall, Birch Island, Hwy 68,
                    North Channel and Manitoulin Island. 

     Adventures in Rainbow Country was a Canadian television series,
  which aired on the CBC Television network in 1970-71. The 26
  episodes in the series were filmed in 1969.

     The show was a half hour family adventure drama. Nancy Williams
  (Lois Maxwell) starred as a widow raising her two children Billy
  (Stephen Cottier) and Hannah (Susan Conway) in rural Northern
  Ontario. Pete Gawa (Buckley Petawabano) played Bill's friend and
  Dennis McGubgub (Wally Koster) played the bush pilot.

     The show continues to run in Canada (Deja View) and
  internationally. It was a very popular show and technically never
  cancelled.

 
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Manitoulin Lodges, Resorts & Accommodations

   Location:   Manitoulin Island, Ontario

     To many regular Manitoulin Island visitors, Manitoulin is known
 as the Island of Enchantment. If you decide to go there for a
 vacation, you will soon understand why. The island has an flavor
 and atmosphere that is so unique, one can easily fall in love
 with the place. The following is a list of over seventy places you
 can contact for your next vacation there. Another good website
 to visit for information is Rainbow Country.

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Manitoulin, Island of Mystery, Legends & Spirits

   Location:   Manitoulin Island, Ontario

     Dreamer's Rock is located on the Birch Island Indian Reserve.
 The area seems to have some spiritual significance as young
 natives went there to fast and pray for a vision and direction of
 adult life. The ceremony is called a Vision Quest and it has been
 recorded since white man first journeyed to the area. However,
 some feel the actual vision was a doorway into another world.

     The Great Bell Rock, which was suppose to be located on
 Great Cloche Island is another island mystery. Legend says
 when the rock was struck it sounded like a bell. The rock
 was recorded in the journals of early voyageurs. To the natives
 the rock was a physical connection to the island Gods. During
 times of war it was a warning bell.

   The Manitoulin Triangle is another legend, which has
 swallowed up some 500 ships and 30 planes. The first ship
 that became its victim was the famed Griffon, which was built by
 the French explorer La Salle.


 

 


 

 



Steep cliffs located on Manitoulin Island
are part of the Niagara Escarpment.



The view is awesome from the top
of these cliffs.



The community of Providence Bay




Hwy 6 at the Willisville Pass



Billy Williams and Pete Gawa on location.
Adventures in Rainbow Country


Dreamer's Rock
The top of Dreamer's Rock is 800 feet
above sea level and 210 feet above the lake.


This eerie image is said to be
the ghost of the Bell Rock.

 

 

  

 

 
  
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Sudbury, Ontario:  The Birthplace of Earth History
  
Location:   Sudbury, Ontario

   Most Distinguishing Feature:   
      
 
From a time in the distant past, long before the dinosaurs and back before time
    itself, Earth had a visitor. This visitor came from a distant land, looking for a new
    home and a new beginning. Today, over two billion years later, the remnants of her
    encounter with our planet, can still be seen in Sudbury.
         Her encounter with our planet was not by chance. She was sent by a civilization
    that had technology, so far beyond our understanding that even today they remain
    silent. However, their silence is only as we perceive it, for they have been interacting
   
with Earth for two billion years. In 1884, a major discovery concealed in the ancient
    rocks of the Sudbury Basin has led to the writing of a book titled, "2 Billion Years
    Ago, A Heavily Armed Warship Went Into Earth Orbit."
         This book is about the historical legacy of the Sudbury Basin. It is an exciting
    and riveting story based on historical events. The book will challenge or complement
    the bible depending on how you view religion. The
book's release date has not been
    finalized yet.
   
You Tube video ad for this book on page 2
 

 
 
 


 

 

On that fateful day over two billion
years ago, a fast closing super class
meteor was seconds away from
sealing our planet's history