Wolfe Island welcoming visitors for summer 2022

Always its own hub of tourism activity in the warmer weather, Wolfe Island is highlighting the multiple offerings and services aimed at welcoming visitors for summer 2022.

On Monday, Jul. 18, 2022, Frontenac Islands Township announced that its shuttle bus services are now funning seven days a week and will continue to do so for the remaining summer months. Free of charge to users, the shuttle bus runs between Dawson Point Dock and Marysville, the village many summer tourists to Wolfe Island are used to docking at. While work continues on the building of new docks for the new Wolfe Island electric ferry, which is schedule to begin service at some point this year, the Wolfe Islander III is docking at Dawson Point, which is commonly referred to as ‘the winter dock,’ by Islanders and those who frequent Wolfe Island. With Dawson Point Dock a good distance from the village, the shuttle bus allows tourists and visitors the ability to walk onto the ferry and get to the village – the heart of Wolfe Island activity. This service also aims to alleviate the influx of visitor traffic to, from, and on the Island, the Township explained.

“Visitors are encouraged [to] walk on and use the shuttle, as there is a substantial increase in visitors to the island in the summer months,” a press release from Frontenac Islands reads.

One of the gems of Wolfe Island undoubtedly bringing in visitors this summer is the now-reopened Big Sandy Bay beach, which has remained closed through much of the pandemic thus far. Single day use and season passes to the beach and trail are available on-site, as is an all-terrain wheelchair for use on the beach and trail.

Of course, one of the other main draws of visitors to the Island is its exceptional cycling opportunities.

“There are various cycling routes on Wolfe Island for all levels from experienced to leisure cyclist,” the Township said.

“Wolfe Island offers mostly traffic-free roads with lots of beautiful waterfront views. Take the ferry across and cycle around the island.”

And with its own farmers’ market, a variety of options for live entertainment, dining, and exploring, there are many reasons to visit Wolfe Island over the summer months. Helping welcome visitors is new signage, installed in the fall of 2021. Standing at Dawson’s Point and at the eastern entrance to Marysville, the new welcome signs were designed to incorporate the original Mohawk name for the island, Long Island Standing. This was done “to honour Indigenous peoples and in the spirit of truth and reconciliation,” according to the Township.

The Mohawk language on the signs translates to ‘Welcome to Long Island Standing,’ the Township explained: ‘Te’kwanonwerá:ton tsi,’ which means ‘welcome to’ (phonetically: watt-wa-noon-wear-adon ge), and ‘?kawehnóhkwes tsi kawè:note,’ which means ‘Long Island Standing’ (phonetically: ga-way-no-gwess ge ga-way-no-day.’

For more information about Wolfe Island’s shuttle bus services, click here.
For more information on Big Sandy Bay and accessing it, click here.
For more information on Frontenac Islands Township, visit the Township’s website, which also offers a full website dedicated to Wolfe Island.