The island is serviced by air year-round but during the winter months the island is only accessible by air and the Ontario government guarantees this service. Once on the island itself there are docking facilities at the Scudder Marina that can handle boats up to 65 feet in length with a draft between 7 and 9 feet. Many people also arrive at the island by private boat and there are many launch facilities along the northern and southern shorelines of Lake Erie. There are transportation options once you get to the island as listed below. Insider Tip: Obviously it costs more money to transport your vehicle to the island so it is recommended for day-trippers to leave their cars at the ferry departure point parking lot and simply walk on-board. Please check the above website to confirm the departure and arrival point. It can transport 196 passengers and 14 vehicles.įor more information as to departure points and time and rates visit: Please note that depending on the time of year the ferries may arrive and depart from the Town of Kingsville (18 kilometres or 8 miles west of Leamington). The Pelee Islander operates between Leamington, Pelee Island and Sandusky, Ohio and runs between early spring and late fall. It can carry up to 400 passengers and 40 vehicles. The Jiimaan is the larger vessel and operates from early spring until December and leaves from either Leamington or nearby Kingsville. The vessels dock at Scudder, the main “town” on the island or, if traveling on the Sandusky bound ferry, at a wharf on the island’s western shore. The trip can take anywhere from 90 minutes to two hours depending on the departure route and point. This is how most people arrive on the island and two ferries, the MV Pelee Islander and the MV Jiimaan, service it. Pelee Island is also an important stopping point for migratory birds as they fly between Point Pelee and the American mainland in Ohio and each spring and fall thousands of people from around the world make the trek to the island to watch this annual phenomenon.Īs this is an island it is impossible to drive directly to Pelee Island but you can however bring your car onto the island by taking the car ferry from Leamington or Sandusky, Ohio. In 1860 grapes were planted on the island and ever since vineyards and winemaking have been an important economic factor both for their agricultural output and the tourism affects this has had with the droves of people that come to the estate winery. Pelee Island is the only inhabited parcel of land in the archipelago.ĭue to its extended growing season as a result of its moderate climate for most of its history the mainstay of the economy was agriculture and while this is still of prime importance today it is definitely tourism that drives the island’s economy. Today there are less than 200 permanent inhabitants living on the island but during the busy tourism season this can easily swell up to over 3000 people. It has a Mediterranean climate that is one of the country’s mildest and you can in fact find the prickly pear cactus growing here, the only place in Canada where this occurs. It is so far south that few people realize that at its most southern point on Middle Island a portion of 27 American states do in fact lie further north including parts on northern California. Long inhabited by aboriginal peoples, humans were naturally drawn to the area due to its moderate climate that is a result of its southern location and the effects that Lake Erie has on its weather patterns.
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