Manitoulin, Unorganized, West Part, Ontario

Manitoulin, Unorganized, West Part is an unorganized area in the Canadian province of Ontario, encompassing the portion of Manitoulin Island which is not part of an organized municipality. [ [http://geodepot.statcan.ca/GeoSearch2006/GeoSearch2006.jsp?resolution=H&lang=E&otherLang=F&census=Yes&DisplayData=Yes&New
] ] It comprises the geographic townships of Robinson and Dawson.

The division had a population of 222 in the Canada 2006 Census, and a land area of 407.54 square kilometres. [ [http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/profiles/community/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3551094&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=Manitoulin&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom= 2006 Community Profiles - Census Subdivision: Manitoulin, Unorganized, West Part] ]

Communities

The division includes the communities of Burnt Island, Cook's Dock, Fernlee, Meldrum Bay and Silver Water.

Meldrum Bay (coord|45|55|N|83|07|W|display=inline|region:CA_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki) is located at the western terminus of Highway 540, 72 kilometers west of Gore Bay. Settled in the 1870s, and named after a town in Scotland, Meldrum Bay developed as a commercial fishing and lumbering centre. Once the village was home to a busy fishing fleet, and Great Lakes steamers tied up at the docks.

From the 1920s the Owen Sound Transportation Company steamers provided weekly ferry service between Meldrum Bay and Thessalon, on its route between Owen Sound and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, however, the 1962 opening of the Trans-Canada Highway, and other road improvements has made this service unprofitable. Now during the summer, the docks are busy again, lined with pleasure craft from around the Great Lakes. This area holds some of the best chinook salmon fishing in all of Canada.

Many residents of the area are employed by Lafarge, whose quarry near Meldum Bay produces dolomite used in concrete, road construction and metallurgical processing. This Lafarge Canada site is the home of the "largest Canadian marine quarry," with loading docks on the Mississagi Strait.

References