Michael's Bay

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Michael's Bay is a ghost town in Tehkummah, Ontario, Canada. Certain areas of Manitoulin Island were covered under the Treaty of 1862 and Indigenous peoples relocated after it was signed.[1] Michael's Bay was the first area to be used by settlers,[2] eventually becoming the largest settlement on the island.[3] The town was known for its prominent lumber industry from the 1860s to the early 1900s.[3] At its height, Michael's Bay had a post office, two boarding houses,[3] a lighthouse, a lath mill, a sawmill, and a shingle mill. A school was established in 1874.[2] While the industry was quite lucrative at first, financial prospects dwindled once Americans began charging tariffs on Canadian exports. By 1890, most of the town's residents had moved.[1] A 1914 fire ruined the bulk of the remaining infrastructure.[2]

The original lighthouse stopped functioning in 1947. Members of the Michael's Bay Historical Society successfully campaigned for a replacement that was built in 2006. The new lighthouse is solar-powered and has a historical plaque at its base.[4] In 2005, a property in Michael's Bay was subject to a criminal investigation by Belgium, which alleged that a Canadian couple had been using it to sell bovine growth hormone, and successfully encouraged the Canadian government to seize the land.[5] Some of the land remained unsold until 2021, when it was bought by the Michael's Bay Historical Society.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Harry, Isobel (July 24, 2019). "Michael's Bay: Manitoulin's vanished boomtown tells a ghostly tale". The Manitoulin Expositor. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "A story of Michael's Bay pioneers". The Manitoulin Expositor. November 9, 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "Michael's Bay Historical Society needs help to save historic townsite". Ontario Historical Society Bulletin. No. 152. 2005.
  4. ^ Savari, Tom (October 8, 2025). "The Manitoulin Expositor". Michael’s Bay Point lighthouse shines again. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  5. ^ Schlote, Warren (October 14, 2020). "Island man purchases former Royal Michael's Bay Resort". The Manitoulin Expositor. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  6. ^ Schlote, Warren (May 12, 2021). "Final seized Michael's Bay properties hit the market". The Manitoulin Expositor. Retrieved 20 November 2025.

Further reading

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  • Russell, Derek (2016). Michael's Bay: The Rise and Fall of Manitoulin Island's Forgotten Town. Ontario Historical Society. ISBN 9780993670817.
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