Manitoulin Island

I spent much of today on the water. The special operations boat took us up to Manitoulin Island, the largest freshwater island in the world. Most of its inhabitants are members of Canada’s First Nation tribes and, therefore, they own all of this land. England claimed it in colonial days. After the War of 1812, however, England gave this island back to the native tribes in gratitude for their alliance in the recent war. Since then the Canadian government has recognized the tribal rights to this land. Nowadays, any business or enterprise must be approved by the local tribal council. There is a large quarry here that mines quartzite, and also a fish farm that grows salmon. A huge wind farm occupies the high ground in the center of the island. It generates 60 megawatts of power which the tribal owners sell to subscribers. The windmills can be seen from miles away.

This remote area contains some of the wildest and most beautiful scenic land in all of Canada, providing a home for bald eagles, pileated, woodpeckers, bears, moose, and elk. It is a paradise for sailboat owners, who come here from all around North America to land on the thousands of tiny islands and picnic these unobstructed waters.Read more