The North Huron Islands

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The North Huron Islands

Lying in the northern part of Lake Huron are several large islands and a number of smaller ones. Three of the large islands, Manitoulin, Cockburn and St. Joseph belong to Ontario. Drummond, Neebish and Sugar belong to Michigan, U.S.A.

Climatically these islands resemble the Near North, but tend to have lesser extremes of temperature and a lower rainfall. The vegetation is much like that of the northern part of peninsular Ontario and the soils normally have Brown Podzolic profiles.

Physiographically the islands are part of the Niagara Cuesta, the rim of the great dolomite saucer that underlies the Michigan Basin. If it were not for a few low places this rim would form a long land arc from the Bruce Peninsula to Northern Michigan and divide Lake Huron in two.

Manitoulin

Manitoulin, the largest of these islands has an area of 1,073 square miles--it is said to be the largest "freshwater" island on earth. It is dotted with more than 100 inland lakes, the three largest of which are Kagawong, Mindemoya and Manitou.

Manitoulin is underlain by limestones and shales which dip southward under Lake Huron. The structure of the island may be compared to a giant stairway with three broad insloping treads separated by two north facing escarpments as risers. The upper member, Lockport dolomite, covers the southern two-thirds of the island and toward the north forms several plateaux about 500 feet above Lake Huron. Most of the northern part of the island is underlain by Manitoulin dolomite which also is bordered on the north by a steep escarpment at the foot of which is a narrow lowland plain underlain by older limestones. A large part of the surface on all three levels consists of scoured rock plains, unbelievably flat, covered with only a few inches of soil. In some places there is deeper drift, consisting of till plains, drumlins, moraines and lake-laid sands, silts and clays.

The eastern end of the island, about one fifth of the total area, is known as "Manitoulin unceded" as it was retained by the Indian inhabitants in 1862, when a treaty was signed providing for white settlement of other parts of the island.

Gore Bay, is the administrative centre and the shopping place for the western end of the island. Nearby is a large Canadian Government airport. Little Current, is the gateway to the mainland, only railway contact and chief port. It is a rendezvous of yachtsmen from all the upper Great Lakes.

There are two main patterns of agriculture. On the deeper soils a mixed crop and livestock economy prevails, while the shallow and stony soils are given over to grazing.

Many farmers own 100 acres in the areas of better soil on which they grow crops and keep small herds of breeding stock. In addition, they have several hundred acres of "range" on which they pasture their growing animals during the summer. Hereford cattle dominate because of their adaptability to range conditions. The island cattle are in good demand among the farmers of Southern Ontario who finish them for market. Dairying is of minor importance but there are a few good dairy herds which supply the towns and the two creameries. There are several large fur farms, one of which is the largest in Ontario. The raising of turkeys has become very important in recent years.

Agriculture is the most important economic activity on the island. It is a marginal and extensive type of agriculture with few specialties, conditioned by isolation and lack of good arable land. The area of occupied land remains about the same, but over the years farm population and number of farms continue to decrease.

Much of Manitoulin remains in forest but all the good saw-timber has been removed. Spruce and poplar are cut for pulpwood which is shipped to outside mills by steamer. Pulpwood cutting is one of the main activities of the Indian workers.

Manitoulin, at one time, had important fisheries. South Bay in the eastern part of the island is being used as an experimental area by the Ontario government in the hope of finding out how to revive the industry.

The island is becoming increasingly popular as a summer resort. Lodges and cottage camps are widespread but they are especially attracted to the shores of the inland lakes. On the south shore the villages of Providence Bay and South Baymouth attract some visitors but otherwise the 80 mile coast line is almost uninhabited even in summer. Although some come from Southern Ontario, the summer guests of Manitoulin are mostly Americans, with a noticeably large representation from the cities of Ohio.

In addition to the northern road and railway entrance at Little Current, the island may be reached from the south. A large steam ferry makes several trips daily between South Baymouth and Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsula. Regular steamship service is also maintained from Owen Sound to Little Current and Manitowaning.

Cockburn Island, although having deeper soils than much of Manitoulin is largely forested and there is very little farm land.

St. Joseph Island also has considerable deep drift and a large part of the island is occupied as farm land. Its agriculture is similar to that of Manitoulin except that a small acreage is devoted to the growing of fruits and vegetables for sale in Sault Ste. Marie. The island also has a number of summer resorts.