Manitoulin by Water

Nestled in the middle of beautiful Lake Huron, one can easily travel to Manitoulin Island, "the jewel of the great lakes", by watercraft.  The M.S. Chi-Cheemaun provides regularly scheduled ferry service throughout the spring, summer, and fall between Tobermory and South Baymouth.  See the link below for a current schedule.

Ferry service has been a long-standing Great Lakes tradition dating back to the 1930's when a small, wooden vessel called the Kagawong first ferried automobiles and passengers across the waters of Georgian Bay between Tobermory and South Baymouth.  The SS Norisle, now permanently berthed at Bay Street Marina in Manitowaning sailed from the Bruce Peninsula to Manitoulin Island from 1946 to 1974. 

As described by Ontario Northland, the  Chi-Cheemaun is the "largest, most modern vessel ever built for ferry service on the Great Lakes." It features drive-on, drive-off bow and stern loading and unloading through a visored bow system and a square door stern section.  The ship is 365 feet long with a 62 foot beam and has capacity for 638 passengers and 113 vehicles, including room for 17 highway vehicles such as buses and transport trucks. The ship is powered by two Ruston 3500 horse power diesel engines and an 800 horse power "bow thruster" engine which improves the handling of the vessel at slow speeds.  The addition of two mezzanine decks in 1982 increased the ship's vehicle carrying capacity to 143. 

Click on the link below for the current Chi-Cheemaun Schedule.

M.S. Chi-Cheemaun Schedule

Manitoulin by Land

When traveling on the Trans-Canada Highway through Ontario, one will find the junction of highways 17 and 6 just west of Sudbury at the Town of Espanola.  Manitoulin Island is a short scenic drive south on Highway 6, with land access provided at Little Current by one of Canada's few remaining active swing bridges.

Originally built in 1913 for the railway, the swing bridge provides the only road access to Manitoulin.  It has been listed in the Ontario Heritage Program (along with 12 other places on Manitoulin) as a property of historical significance.  During summer months it swings on the hour to allow boat traffic to pass through.  Your best vantage point view the bridge is on the grounds of the tourist information center.

A high quality road map of Manitoulin can be found at the official Ontario Road Map link.  The Manitoulin Island Road Map is in Adobe Acrobat .PDF format so you will need Adobe Acrobat reader installed on your computer prior to viewing it.

Manitoulin by Air

There are two small airports on Manitoulin Island.  Airport operations and contact information for Manitoulin East Municipal Airport are listed below.

It is recommended to call ahead for runway conditions if you are planning a winter trip to the Island.

Manitoulin East Municipal Airport "CYEM"

Manitoulin East Municipal Airport (MEMA) has a terminal building, flight-planning room and a 3,500' by 100' paved runway.  Runway lighting can be remotely activated by Arcal 123.2Mhz type K. Three, five, or seven impulses for low, medium or high intensity lighting.  Lights remain on for 15 minutes.  UNICOM is 122.8Mhz.  Reference co-ordinates are N 45 degrees 50'51", W 81 degrees 51'46".  Elevation is 870'.  There is a non-directional beacon, (NDB), approach.  Oil and fuel (100 LL and jet A1) are available, and there are tie-down and parking facilities.

Car rentals can be arranged by calling the airport in advance.  At present, customs clearance is available through Can Pass, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday through Monday, May 15 to October 15 by calling 1-888-226-7277.

For full details of flight services, including charters and private pilot training, please contact MEMA at the number listed below.

Telephone / Fax: 705-859-3009