| What is the proper pronunciation of the word "Mackinac"? | | Answer: | | The French pronounced it "aw" but spelled it "ac". The British heard it pronounced "aw" so they spelled it that way. Whichever way you see it spelled, it is always pronounced "aw". | | ~~~~~~~~~ |
| What does the word "Mackinac" stand for? | | Answer: | | Mackinac is Canadian French, short for Michilimackinac, from early Ojibwa "Missilimaahkinaank" which means "at the territory of the Mishinimaki". The Mishinimaki was an extinct division of the Ojibwa formerly living in this region. | | ~~~~~~~~~ |
| What are the wind mills at the south side of the bridge? | | Answer: | Bay Windpower and Crystal Flash, both Grand Rapids companies, have constructed two of five wind turbines in Mackinaw City. The two 256 foot wind turbine generators will produce an estimated 4 million kilowatt hours of power annually.
Through an agreement with Consumers Energy, Bay Windpower will provide the first 4 million kilowatt hours of power to customers enrolled in the Consumers Energy Green Power Pilot Program. Energy customers in 68 counties who are interested in purchasing wind power produced at the Mackinaw City site can do so by enrolling in the Consumers Energy Green Power Pilot Program. Details are available through the Consumers Energy web site - www.consumersenergy.com. | | ~~~~~~~~~ |
| Please provide a copy of Dr. David B. Steinman's poem " The Bridge at Mackinac". | | Answer: | The Bridge at Mackinac
In the land of Hiawatha,
Where the white man gazed with awe
At a paradise divided
By the straits of Mackinac
Men are dredging, drilling, blasting,
Battling tides around the clock,
Through the depths of icy water,
Driving caissons down to rock.
Fleets of freighters bring their cargoes
From the forges and the kilns;
Stones and steel - ten thousand barge-loads -
From the quarries, mines, and mills.
Now the towers, mounting skyward,
Reach the heights of airy space.
Hear the rivet-hammers ringing,
Joining steel in strength and grace.
High above the swirling currents,
Parabolic strands are strung;
From the cables, packed with power,
Wonder-spans of steel are hung.
Generations dreamed the crossing;
Doubters shook their heads in scorn.
Brave men vowed that they would build it -
From their faith a bridge was born.
There it spans the miles of water,
Speeding millions on their way -
Bridge of vision, hope and courage,
Portal to a brighter day. | | ~~~~~~~~~ |
| Where is the live camera located? Could you provide different views of the bridge? | | Answer: | | The live camera picture of the Mackinac Bridge is a very popular feature of our site and others. The camera and live picture are provided as a courtesy of Freeway, Inc., a Voyager.net company. The camera is located in Mackinaw City at the Shepler ferry dock. Eventually we plan to upgrade this feature to get different views of the Mackinac Bridge and surrounding area. | | ~~~~~~~~~ |
| Sometimes the live camera on your web site doesn't appear to be working. What could be the problem? | | Answer: | | The live camera picture of the Mackinac Bridge is a very popular feature of our site and others. The camera and live picture are provided as a courtesy of Freeway, Inc., a Voyager.net company. The camera periodically experiences transmission difficulty. When this happens, Freeway has been very efficient at correcting the problem. Thank you for your patience. | | ~~~~~~~~~ |
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