LITTLE CURRENT—As the land deal between the Northeast Town and the Great Spirit Circle Trail (GSCT) nears closing, the hotel proposed for Highway 6 in Little Current is now free to go forward, with construction anticipated to start this fall.
Construction for the 65-room facility, which will be located adjacent to the Manitoulin Welcome Centre, will likely get going in about six to eight weeks' time, and in the interim, final details, such as easements for water lines, are being worked out, noted GSCT manager Kevin Eshkawkogan.
"We're moving forward, but we're moving forward very slowly," he said. "We didn't want to start to incur any more costs until we knew for sure we would have access to the land, so now that that's pretty much done—I know there are some minor things we're waiting to sign off on—we've given our architect the green light to get the drawings done that takes a little bit of time."
The project is slightly behind schedule, he noted, since the land deal took longer to work out than either the town or the GSCT anticipated. But after working with the town for more than two years, an agreement has finally been worked out to suit both parties.
Northeast Town Mayor Jim Stringer noted that council had already approved the transaction, in principle, "a couple of months ago," but there had remained "a few details to sort out regarding the actual contract."
There was no major hurdle to inking the final agreement, he said, but rather "some little technical issues that had to be resolved." He added that the consortium acquiring the property represents several First Nations, and the obligation to consult with each stakeholder also protracted the process.
Mr. Eshkawkogan said the group's careful approach is being undertaken to ensure that the project is done right, and the delay might make for a "tight push" when it comes to meeting its construction targets.
"I don't know how far we're going to get during the winter months, but we're going to get as far as we can, and we'll have to make the decision about whether to shut down in the winter months and pick it up in the spring again," he noted.
Once the final architectural sketches have been completed, the GSCT will tender the work out, and ground will be broken some time next month.
While the overall layout of the building hasn't changed much since the group introduced preliminary architectural drawings last fall, a few alterations are in the works which should make the facility an attractive and welcome addition to the Manitoulin community.
"We're trying to keep same footprint more or less," Mr. Eshkawkogan said, noting that some adjustments have to be made to accommodate the easement. "The only thing that's really changed from those drawings is that we've decreased the size of the restaurant, and we've increased the size of the conference facilities."
It's been "proposed and accepted in concept" to expand the conference space to accommodate 400, Mr. Eshkawkogan noted. He emphasized that all details are subject to approval by the stakeholders, but the idea of an expanded conference space ties in with the GSCT's vision to move the tourism industry on Manitoulin in a new direction, bringing larger events here that will, in turn, create demand for additional accommodations across the Island. That should generate additional spinoff opportunities for economic development, which he believes will benefit Manitoulin as a whole.
The current plan also incorporates a pool—which, again, must be approved and signed off on by the partnering owners—although it will likely be an outdoor infinity pool (a swimming pool that gives the appearance of stretching out to the horizon), positioned at the north side of the building facing the North Channel.
"We're looking at a higher end interior and resort-style hotel," Mr. Eshkawkogan said, noting that the pool will have a deck and areas for seating for guests. "So they can enjoy the North Channel and boaters can see what's going on as well."
The group has also researched the possibility of incorporating some green-energy aspects into the hotel, such as a geothermal heating and cooling system, as well as solar panels, but those discussions are ongoing.
"We're exploring how much we can do in that regard," Mr. Eshkawkogan said. "We're going to make it as green as possible."
Once the hotel gets up and running, the GSCT foresees plenty of economic development opportunities for Island proprietors to engage in, but the Little Current facility is just the tip of the group's vision.
Over the long term, the GSCT hopes to create a unique brand specific to the organization, which would then branch out into other communities—and already investors have expressed interest, eager to be part of this new venture.
"This will be branded a Great Spirit Circle Trail hotel, and other First Nations want to be a part of this one because they want to eventually build in their area," Mr. Eshkawkogan said. "This will not be the only hotel we end up building."
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