Everything about Middle Island Lake Erie totally explained
Middle Island is the southernmost point of land in
Canada, located at 41°41'N, 82°41'W, or about 41.7 degrees north latitude. It lies in
Lake Erie, just south of
Pelee Island, and is part of
Point Pelee National Park. It forms part of the province of
Ontario.
Background
Middle Island is uninhabited by humans, but wildlife abounds. The most common species are
cormorants, though several others also nest there. It once was the site of a
lighthouse, built in 1872 and deactivated in 1918. The 49-foot pyramidal square tower burned sometime afterward, but its stone foundation is visible. Despite lying in Canadian waters, the island was privately owned for years by various U.S. owners, until it was purchased in 1999 by
The Nature Conservancy, then donated to the national park system on September 6, 2000.
Archaeological evidence from a study done in 1982 suggests human occupation dating from 1000-1500 A.D., with one site containing remains that may date to 500 B.C. Despite early rumors of burial mounds, none were found.
The island is part of an archipelago across western Lake Erie, providing a natural migratory corridor for birds and other animals. It has also seen human migrations, mainly from the U.S. northward in the 1800s, including escaped slaves, prisoners of war and army deserters from the
U.S. Civil War seeking asylum in mainland Ontario.
During
Prohibition, the island was a
way station for alcohol en route to the United States on the south shore of
Lake Erie. Gangster Joe Roscoe acquired part of the island and built a seven-bedroom "clubhouse" that became the center of rumrunning activity. The hotel offered electricity, fireplaces, and a large screened-in porch with views of the lake. The basement held a casino, carved out of solid bedrock.
In the years after 1933, when liquor was legalized in the U.S., the hotel drew as many as 200 visitors a day in peak season. Its kitchen became known for pheasant dinners.
Likely prior to the 1950s, there was an airstrip of about 900 feet in length. The runway began and ended in water, and is now choked with vegetation.
There was at one time a stately mansion on the island, rumored to be a brothel some time after Prohibition. Only a remnant of the foundation remains.
The island had no physical improvements and had essentially become a nature preserve over the last ten years, hosting the occasional scientific visit, and curious boaters. Although part of Point Pelee National Park, Middle Island isn't officially open to visitors.
Interest in preserving the island prompted a 1982 study by
Parks Canada, which recommended naming it a national natural landmark. Its ecological, historical, and aesthetic value led Essex County to include it on its list of Environmentally Sensitive Areas and an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest. A conservation group, Carolinian Canada Coalition, named Middle Island one of 38 critical unprotected sites in its effort to preserve remnants of Ontario's southern forests.
The enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) allowed North American investors to seek acquisitions throughout Mexico, the U.S., and Canada, no matter their citizenship. Title insurance and escrow services for the sale were provided by the Cleveland office of First American Title Insurance Company.
In what is believed to be the first successful sale of a foreign real estate asset by open outcry auction in the United States, National Association of Realtors member Dutton Auction & Realty Co. engineered the sale of Middle Island. The auction was held at Cleveland, Ohio. There were six bidders, each with cashiers checks for US$35,000 who registered to bid on the property. Four of the bidders were from the U.S., two from Canada. The successful bidder for the property was The Nature Conservancy of Canada, which acted as lead agency in a coalition of government and non-government partners, including Parks Canada. It prevailed at a price of US$867,000 (C$1,312,000). The minimum bid for the property had been US$585,000.
Middle Island had been owned since 1976 by a family group from Cincinnati, Ohio. Title to the island was held by a corporate entity, Middle Island (Erie) Investments, Ltd. The ownership's decision to offer the property at auction rather than through a conventional negotiated sale was based on there being no comparable sales available for such an asset. Owners were unsure what to ask for, and were concerned the marketplace wouldn't know what to offer.
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