Manitoulin Expositor Spoof Generates Media Attention
By John Francis, Bruce Peninsula Press
A listing appeared on Realtor.ca in late March, proclaiming that Fitzwilliam Island was for sale, for $29.5 million.
Fitzwilliam Island is a large (12,248 acres) island off the southeast tip of Manitoulin Island.
Also known as Horse Island, Fitzwilliam has played a varied role in Northern Bruce Peninsula history. Rattlesnake Harbour (appropriately named!) is at the island’s northern end; it has been used by fishermen for 150+ years as a base of operations and harbour of refuge. The island has also been a favourite destination for deer hunting and wilderness camping.
Listing agent James McGregor states that the island has been privately owned by an American citizen since the 1970s. It was logged in the 1990s but has been largely untouched since then. The last of the equipment was taken off last fall.
On April 1, the Manitoulin Expositor featured a front-page article with the headline “Fitzwilliam Island Acquired By SpaceX”.
The article begins:
In what local officials are describing as “an exciting opportunity” and what the Island’s seven permanent residents are describing as “an absolute nightmare,” Silicon Valley’s relentless march has arrived on the doorstep of Georgian Bay.
Later in the article, it explains that:
Critics claim that the timing of the announcement was tailored to fly beneath the radar as most concerned environmentalists were glued to the television watching the federal NDP leadership convention.
The article is a delightful April Fools spoof. You can find it at: https://www.manitoulin.com/fitzwilliam-island-acquired-by-spacex/ Or just go to Manitoulin.ca and search for Fitzwilliam.
But the Expositor spoof has generated more media attention. On April 5, there was an article in the Toronto Star (behind a paywall) detailing the island’s price, potential and history.
Who will the island’s next owner be?
The Toronto Star article says that “negotiations between Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, Ontario and Canada are ongoing.”
Other possible interested parties include conservation foundations and the cruise ship industry.
