Manitoulin Living's Housing Survey Concludes

Manitoulin Living's housing survey has come to a close and the results are being disseminated. The survey polled individuals between the ages of 44 years and up to determine individual’s preference for accommodation and activities on Manitoulin Island and was conducted as a random sample of the Manitoulin Island population achieving 361 completed surveys which provides for better than +/- 5%, nineteen times out of twenty.

The survey, conducted by Veri/Fact Research of Sudbury conducted between August 4, 2007 and August 30, 2007, was specifically designed to gain a better understanding of accommodation needs on Manitoulin. The results will help Manitoulin's communities assess, plan and support future retirement development on the Island.

Some highlights from the survey:

• 54% of respondents suggested they were indeed planning to retire on Manitoulin Island.
• 42% were still undecided.
• 40% of respondents suggested they will be retiring in less than 10 years. 25% of respondents were already retired.
• 88% of those who are already retired or are retiring in more than 10 years, suggest do not anticipate moving.
• 32% of those who will retire in under 10 years anticipate buying a smaller home. In total, 21% of respondents suggest they anticipate buying smaller home in the next 10 years.
• Of those who suggested they would buy a smaller home, 67% suggested they would buy a new house in a condo village.
• 56% suggest they require approximately 1,200 square feet; and 40% would pay $150,000 for a new one level home.
• 93% of respondents were unsure about pre-purchasing housing.
• 17% of respondents suggested they would rent a home in the next ten years.
• 65% them would rent a new single story house. 48% suggest it should be approximately 1,200 square feet. 69% suggest they would pay $800/month rent for a new one story house.
• 15% of respondents suggested they would move into a Retirement Home/Village in next ten years. 60% suggest they would like fully independent living but all building outside maintenance included.
• 87% would rent a 2 bedroom unit in a retirement residence with the option of purchasing meals and/or housekeeping.
• 80% suggested they would pay $1400/month rent for a 2 bedroom unit with the option of purchasing meals and /or housekeeping.
• 23% of respondents suggested they would like a Kitchenette, a recreation room and laundry facilities available to them in a Retirement village.
• “Other” responses suggested respondents would also like “yard access.”
• When asked in general what services respondents deem important, 19% suggested “kitchen”, “parking” and 18% suggested “Laundry facilities.” “Other services” important for respondents to have in general included “yard space” and “water access”.

Check back here periodically or got the Manitoulin Living website for further updates.

Filming Manitoulin Life

The Manitoulin Living film project took to the beautiful waters of Georgian Bay and the North Shore for its third week of filming the promotional video/DVD for Manitoulin Island.

Cinematographer Harry Makin, known throughout Northern Ontario for his work on the television series Rainbow Country in the late 1960's, with Producer Deb McLachlin, Manitoulin Living Project Coordinator Patrick 

Kiley and Photographer Steph Martin set off for the Benjamin Islands Sept 19 aboard the Sicilia, Captained by Canadian Yacht Charter’s Ken Blodgett, to capture the stunning scenery of the popular destination for the film.

The DVD, slated for distribution next summer, is to promote Manitoulin Island by an enhanced visual presence professionally produced and edited to entice travelers to relocate to the Island.

Lindsay Kelly from the Manitoulin Expositor states in a recent article that “The cultural significance of a First Nations powwow, the calming beauty of a farmer tilling his field or the crystal blue waters of a freshwater lake may be everyday scenes for Islanders but Manitoulin Living is employing them as visual temptations to entice people to relocate here.”

Some of the objectives for the project include:

• To develop a high quality film/video to market and brand Manitoulin Island as a viable destination to live, visit and do business.
• To use the medium of film to market Manitoulin Island through multimedia packages, seminars, TV commercials and websites.
• To educate and inform outside markets of the benefits of living on Manitoulin Island.
• To promote cooperation and sharing of enhanced marketing strategies with other existing organizations on Manitoulin Island.
• To create an on-going film archive that can be utilized to further marketing endeavours in the future.

The project is also designed to utilize available existing footage as well as compile new footage over the next four seasons. The film would then be professionally edited by a media outlet or firm down to a 30 minute video for use on the Chi-Cheemaun, in ferry terminals, the Welcome Centre and in participating organizations’ marketing packages.

The film will contain footage of the following:

• Natural settings and scenes
• Recreational activities
• Retail outlets
• Farming
• Cultural events
• Festivals and concerts
• Seniors and healthcare
• Telecommunications

Film compiled in this project may also be utilized in other venues. For example, it may be useful in local community cable programming and outside community cable.

For more information Contact Patrick Kiley at 705-859-3768 or email him at mailto:info@manitoulinliving.com

Housing Survey Takes Off

Veri/Fact Research of Sudbury has officially kicked off the Manitoulin housing survey on Manitoulin Island.

The brief survey, on behalf of Manitoulin Living regarding Housing services, will require up to 5 minutes of time and all responses will be completely confidential.

The Poll is specifically designed to gain a better understanding of accommodation needs on Manitoulin. Your participation will help us assess, plan and support future retirement development on the Island. To ensure respondents' privacy names and contact information are optional in the survey.

Survey results will be aggregated and averaged before being reported. Your name will not appear in the report of the completed survey results. No personal information provided, including names and telephone numbers, will be sold, or rented to any entity or individual. By participating in the survey, permission is granted to Manitoulin Living to use your information for research purposes only.

Respondents may choose not to answer some or all of the questions.

We thank you for helping us plan for future retirement housing on Manitoulin Island.

Dawn of a New Era

This blog is an extension of Manitoulin Living. If you have a question, it can be asked here. If you just want to talk about Manitoulin Island, this is the place to do it.

Visitors come from all over the world to witness the incredible scenery on Manitoulin Island.

Got a favourite spot? A question? This is an open forum inviting all discussion about life on Manitoulin Island.

Anything and all things Manitoulin!