MANITOULIN—Since 1960 the magazine ‘This is Manitoulin’ has served as the premier ‘lure book’ for the Island and much of the North Shore. This summer has seen the launch of that venerable publication into the 21st century, taking its right of place in the information age with the website www.thisismanitoulin.com (or www.thisismanitoulin.ca if you so choose).
“The website grew out of the tourist guide ‘This is Manitoulin’ which has been Manitoulin Island’s premier tourist lure book since 1960,” explained publisher Rick McCutcheon. “Our webmaster, Dave Patterson, thought that This is Manitoulin, the magazine, should expand to a website with additional information and resources about Manitoulin accommodations, activities, attractions and events.”
The website serves as an added value to the customers and advertisers who have depended on This is Manitoulin for generations to get the message out as to what Manitoulin in general, and their businesses in particular, have to offer to visitors to the region. “This is a great resource for people visiting Manitoulin,” said Mr. McCutcheon. “I made a presentation recently to the Manitoulin Tourism Association Welcome Centre summer student staff encouraging them to use the website as a resource when they are serving the travelling public.”
Mr. McCutcheon noted that This is Manitoulin and its sister publication Manitoulin Magazine combined with The Expositor and the Manitoulin West Recorder all provide great resources for tourists and visitors to the region, along with the newspaper’s award-winning and interactive website manitoulin.ca and, now, thisismanitoulin.com.
“We thought that the ‘This is Manitoulin’ website would function in the same spirit as the Discover Manitoulin initiative undertaken by Ameal and Cathy Leduc of South Baymouth’s Buckhorn Motel,” he said. “They are encouraging people to cross-market with the Chi-Cheemaun ferry to enhance ridership and so increase the tourism experience and also ferry ridership for all of our visitors. These are all great ideas to bring people to the Island and help to present Manitoulin in the best possible way in as many ways as possible.”
“The website is built for the tourist on the go,” said Mr. Patterson, whose efforts on behalf of The Expositor website has led to its garnering national and provincial awards each year. “The website has been optimized for the iPad and other mobile devices. It is designed for quick navigation to present pertinent travel information about Manitoulin and the North Shore.”
The website has undergone extensive design and testing over the past year and is now ready for general access. This is Manitoulin online can be found at www.thisismanitoulin.com or www.thisismanitoulin.ca. Manitoulin Publishing invites our readers to visit the site and to provide constructive feedback that could further enhance the publication.
