Manitou Miikana

Abstract

Manitou Miikana explores the potential of developing communal experiences as a means of addressing historical and tourist-related concerns within the Canadian rural landscape. The creation of these experiences also seeks to foster a deeper connection and respect for our natural environment. However, each context in Canada must be studied independently to facilitate a meaningful analysis and conceptual intervention. This statement is informed by the concepts of people’s sense of place that exist in a specific location and placeknowing. Placeknowing specifically speaks to the importance of contextually informed design, which is influenced by community understanding and societal interest. Manitoulin Island in Ontario, Canada, was selected as a site to study the potential and underlying challenges in rural areas due to its unique context, significant history, and the researcher’s connection to the location. The intention of this study was to analyze the existing challenges and issues specific to Manitoulin Island. These challenges relate to the increase in tourism and the resulting disconnections between residents and tourists. Observations of resident-tourist dynamics revealed preexisting issues which relate to the historical disconnections between indigenous and non-indigenous communities. With the issues identified, the investigation looks to create meaningful and engaging communal experiences that will provide a sense of connection to the Island and its community, including resident groups and the increasing number of tourists. Several methods were used to understand the issues, needs, and challenges specific to Manitoulin, including analysis of historical treaties, community meetings and community engagement reports, resident and tourist interviews, architectural and rural case studies, and on-site documentation of conditions across seasons. The outcomes of these studies revealed a specific desire for deeper connections between indigenous and non-indigenous residents. While tourists are interested in a more profound experience relating to the Island’s environment and history, which would build resident and tourist relationships. Multiple frameworks were designed to address Manitoulin at the island, community, and individual scales. These scales are connected through the decided approach for Manitoulin: a pedestrian path network that will simultaneously address the lack of community linkages while creating an overall experience that brings attention to the environment and history, building awareness, respect, and understanding for both aspects. Supporting indoor spaces and wayfinding elements were developed, which emulate geological history as well as contemporary and historical Canadian art philosophies, providing further space for collective recreation and education. The resulting proposal illustrates that interventions which support communal experiences address more than lacking physical connections but also emerging and historical issues and needs. The research demonstrates the ability to learn from a community and provide a comprehensive strategy rooted in its context. This strategy can influence design interventions for other rural contexts in Canada that are similar to Manitoulin Island.