Mackinac Island, Michigan is known as a premiere vacation destination for tourists. The car free island is home to 500 year-round residents, with higher seasonal fluctuations in the summer months due to tourism, and staffing needs. The island’s claim to fame is its history, and its unique no vehicles allowed policy.
While the island is known for its historic filming of the movie, “Somewhere in Time”, the historic island still relies on modern conveniences such as electricity for daily operations. Cloverland Electric Cooperative powers the island and employs two full time linemen who reside year-round on Mackinac Island.
While it may seem dreamy to work on a historic, tourist island – the reality is the linemen are tasked with a challenging job at a location that only makes line work more difficult.
During peak tourist season from May – November linemen use bikes to traverse from their shop on the island to job sites, carrying line and safety equipment with them to each job location. While they do have a bucket and digger truck on the island, it’s nearly impossible for the crew to use the trucks during tourist season. Linemen only use trucks during extreme outage situations or new construction. Relying on bikes for transportation can become a tiring task – especially exhausting when storms and severe weather come across the Great Lakes. In the winter months, linemen switch from bikes to snowmobiles, a welcome method of travel after months of biking around the hill filled island.
Island linemen, Don Smith and Mark Guisinger, are in charge of ensuring the lights stay on across the island. Their teamwork has been a benefit to the cooperative, and is an essential role for island life. The linemen have been a great pair through the past five four years, but Guisinger has decided it is time to hang up his hardhat in pursuit of retirement.
As the cooperative searches for a new island lineman, complexities of the role have become a factor. High cost of island living, requirements of staying on the island and difficulties in finding a work force in the rural Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
“It takes a unique personality to adapt to our lifestyle here on the island,” Smith describes. “For the right person, this is a great opportunity.”
While filling the role may be a challenge, it is an opportunity for someone who enjoys the slower pace to life. A close-knit island community, beautiful views of the Straights of Mackinac and plenty of Mackinac Island fudge are important elements for potential applicants to consider.
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