Belle Island is a forested island located in the

Cataraqui River The Cataraqui River ( ) forms the lower portion of the Rideau Canal and drains into Lake Ontario at Kingston, Ontario. The name is taken from the original name for Kingston, Ontario; its exact meaning, however, is undetermined. Early maps showed ...

, north of downtown Kingston, Ontario. The island is noted for evidence of

prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...

Native use such as hunting and fishing, and for the existence of a burial ground. The island is about 44 hectares in size.

History

The island was named Isle aux Recolets during the years of occupation by the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

, and Isle au Père after the British occupied the area. The current name, Belle Island, appears after 1828. Fort Frontenac 1682

Evidence of use by Native groups for hunting and fishing in the

Middle Woodland Period In the classification of archaeological cultures of North America, the Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures spanned a period from roughly 1000 BCE to European contact in the eastern part of North America, with some archaeol ...

have been discovered on the island. A burial ground was uncovered by accident in 1988 when the City was constructing a beach. The remains of three males, one female, and three children were uncovered by archaeological work in 1990 and reburied in a nearby location in 2000. One of the males was determined to have died because of a bone projectile point which had entered the chest area. Fragments of early tools, pottery and other items were also found. These remains and the found artifacts date from about 1100 years ago. Belle Island was acquired by the City of Kingston in 1956. Although there has never been any development on the island, the area between the island and the west shore of the Cataraqui River, known as Belle Park or Cataraqui Park, was once an extensive marsh that was gradually filled in. A

landfill A landfill site, also known as a tip, dump, rubbish dump, garbage dump, or dumping ground, is a site for the disposal of waste materials. Landfill is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of the waste ...

occupied this area from 1952 to 1974, and from 1978 to 2017 the landfill was covered and used for a golf course. The City of Kingston and the Mohawk Council of Canada have agreed to collaborate to manage the island. A local group known as the Belle Island Caretakers Circle undertakes annual clean-up events and have plans to protect the island.

Natural environment

The island is located in the Mixedwood Plains Ecozone. Within the island's boundaries, many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, plants, and fungi are known to live. A few of the many species that are found here or have been seen here include:

American bullfrog The American bullfrog (''Lithobates catesbeianus''), often simply known as the bullfrog in Canada and the United States, is a large true frog native to eastern North America. It typically inhabits large permanent water bodies such as swamps, po ...

, American toad, common watersnake,

common snapping turtle The common snapping turtle (''Chelydra serpentina'') is a species of large freshwater turtle in the family Chelydridae. Its natural range extends from southeastern Canada, southwest to the edge of the Rocky Mountains, as far east as Nova Scotia ...

, pileated woodpecker,

eastern screech-owl The eastern screech owl (''Megascops asio'') or eastern screech-owl, is a small owl that is relatively common in Eastern North America, from Mexico to Canada. This species is native to most wooded environments of its distribution, and more so th ...

, great horned owl, wild turkey, great egret,

great blue heron The great blue heron (''Ardea herodias'') is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos ...

, tundra swan,

Canada goose The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), or Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is o ...

, osprey,

bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...

, American beaver,

muskrat The muskrat (''Ondatra zibethicus'') is a medium-sized semiaquatic rodent native to North America and an introduced species in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands over a wide range of climates and habitat ...

common raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...

, North American river otter,

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecologica ...

, northern pike, yellow perch,

monarch butterfly The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (''Danaus plexippus'') is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown. It ...

, eastern red cedar, common juniper,

eastern white pine ''Pinus strobus'', commonly called the eastern white pine, northern white pine, white pine, Weymouth pine (British), and soft pine is a large pine native to eastern North America. It occurs from Newfoundland, Canada west through the Great Lakes ...

, white spruce, red maple, sugar maple, white oak, and

basswood ''Tilia americana'' is a species of tree in the family Malvaceae, native to eastern North America, from southeast Manitoba east to New Brunswick, southwest to northeast Oklahoma, southeast to South Carolina, and west along the Niobrara River to ...

Recreation

Hiking, bird watching, picnicking,

mountain biking Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...

, and cross country skiing are popular activities. A km trail traverses the island.

References

{{Reflist Landforms of Kingston, Ontario Archaeological sites in Ontario