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Great Lakes islands aim to help each other

Downtown Put-In-Bay
Elizabeth Miller/ideastream
Downtown Put-In-Bay

There are thousands of islands in the Great Lakes – most of them small and only suitable for wildlife.  But a few have year-round residents, and there is a burgeoning plan to create an islands coalition.

Elizabeth Miller reports.

Year-round communities like Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie’s South Bass Island face challenges that aren't found on the mainland.  Peter Huston, who works for Put-in-Bay’s Chamber of Commerce, says, “It’s being able to have a reasonable year-round economy, transportation, food.” 

Other islands have these problems, too.  And what if they could all work together? 

That was the goal of this week’s Great Lakes Island Summit, a days-long conversation about the challenges of island life.

The idea comes from the Maine Island Institute, a group that supports 15 islands around the state.

But the Great Lakes Island Coalition would be a little different.  “We are a collection of several states and provinces, so in order for us to be able to solve some problems we’re going to have to work as a greater group,” explains Huston.

Huston says one idea presented at the summit is a passport program to attract tourism to all the Great Lakes islands.

Twelve islands were represented at the summit including Canada’s Pelee Island, and Harsen’s Island near Detroit.

Copyright 2017 Great Lakes Today

Elizabeth Miller
Reporter/producer Elizabeth Miller joined ideastream after a stint at NPR headquarters in Washington D.C., where she served as an intern on the National Desk, pitching stories about everything from a gentrified Brooklyn deli to an app for lost dogs. Before that, she covered weekend news at WAKR in Akron and interned at WCBE, a Columbus NPR affiliate. Elizabeth grew up in Columbus before moving north to attend Baldwin Wallace, where she graduated with a degree in broadcasting and mass communications.