by Michael Erskine
LITTLE CURRENT—For several years now, free Manitoulin Island maps provided to Island visitors by The Expositor have been a hit. Now those maps have become “interactive,” providing hours of fun getting to know Manitoulin in a new and unique way thanks to Expositor staffer Debbie Bailey, who came up with the idea of turning those maps into jigsaw puzzles.
“I was thinking about something different for our Island visitors one day when realized that I had never seen a jigsaw puzzle of the Island,” said Ms. Bailey. “So, I started doing a bit of research and discovered that we could turn our free Manitoulin Island maps into 250-piece jigsaw puzzles.”
Those familiar with the free map know that there are two images, one on each side. “One of the maps features local points of interest and the other is basically an island road map.” In addition, the maps indicate the location of important services, such as the Manitoulin Health Centre, launch sites, hiking trails, etc.
“So many people were getting into puzzles during the pandemic, it seemed like a natural thing to create one of the Island,” said Ms. Bailey. “Lots of people have taken up doing puzzles.”
Ms. Bailey noted that the puzzles are also a great gift idea for friends and family who have moved away as well as tourists and other visitors. “They can take a little “piece” of the Island with them,” said Ms. Bailey. “They are a great gift idea.”
The puzzle maps can be found at both The Expositor Office locations, in Little Current and Gore Bay. The 250-piece puzzles retail for $25 each, or $45 for two (your choice of styles). The puzzles can also be ordered by calling The Expositor at 705-368-2744.
