The Meldrum Bay Inn

Meldrum Bay is one of those rare and beautiful Ontario village that is largely untouched by modern development. Settled in the 1870s and named after a town in Scotland, Meldrum Bay developed as a successful commercial fishing and lumbering centre.

Once the village was home to a busy fishing fleet, and Great Lakes steamers tied up at the docks. Over the years, no fewer than three sawmills cut and planed the lumber that was drawn from the west end hardwood bush.

During the summer months, the docks are busy, lined with pleasure craft from around the Great Lakes. Our marina is the first Canadian Customs port for boats traveling east from Lake Superior and Michigan.

These waters possibly hold the best chinook salmon fishing in all of Canada, and fishermen travel hundreds and thousands of miles to try their luck in these waters. Local charters are readily available.

Located about six kilometres from the village, at the water’s edge on the western shore of the Island, is the largest quarry operation in Canada.

The Lafarge Quarry produces dolomite used in concrete, road construction and metallurgical processing, and all of their product leaves the area on huge ocean-going freighters.

The North Channel, the wide body of waters flowing from Lakes Superior and Michigan along the north shore of the Manitoulin is a storied and favorite destination for all sorts of pleasure craft.

Meldrum Bay has long been a destination for sightseers, fishermen, and hunters alike.

salmon

Located directly across the street from the Inn and situated right on the shores of the Bay is Point Park, a locally-operated campground. Open during the summer season, the Park is a favorite destination for those wanting a "fresh air" experience, complete with washroom, shower, fish cleaning, and laundy facilities.

The Net Shed Museum sits right between the village's main street and the water’s edge, in a building formerly used by commercial fishermen to repair their nets. The museum highlights the area's rich marine heritage, and is open during the summer months.

The Meldrum Bay's Dinghy Tour gives boaters a whole new view of this historic village and the ships sunk in these waters. There is a printed "floating tour guide" available at the Museum.

A ‘must-see’ attraction for anyone visiting the west end of the Manitoulin is the Mississagi Lighthouse and Museum. Located on the southwest shore some 12 kilometers from the village, the lighthouse guards the treacherous Mississagi Straits.

Now serving as a museum and restaurant and furnished as it was for the lighthouse keeper and his family years ago, this working lighthouse provides glimpses into the marine history of the Great Lakes.

Manitoulin Island

During your trip west to Meldrum Bay, you'll travel almost the full length of the Manitoulin Island and pass many historic and interesting attractions.

Manitoulin means spirit island in the Ojibwe language. The island was a sacred place for the native Anishinaabe people who were Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi.

Manitoulin Island's soil is perfect for the island's trademark hawberries; these berries are so distinctive that people born on the island are referred to as Haweaters. Each year on the August long weekend, the island hosts the Haweater Festival, drawing many tourists with parades, firework shows, craft shows, and rural competitions such as horse pulls.

Manitoulin Island is the world's largest freshwater lake island. With an area of 2,766 km², it is the 174th largest island in the world, and Canada's 31st largest island. The island separates the larger part of Lake Huron to its south and west from Georgian Bay to its east and the North Channel to the north.

The Island itself has 108 freshwater lakes, some of which have their own islands, and many of these have their own ponds. Lake Manitou (about 104 km²) is the largest lake in a freshwater island in the world. The Island in Mindemoya Lake is the largest island in a lake on an island in a lake in the world. The Island also has three rivers, the Kagawong, Manitou, and Mindemoya Rivers, which provide spawning grounds for Atlantic Salmon and trout.