Cockburn Island is an island and

township municipality The following is a list of the types of local and supralocal territorial units in Quebec, including those used solely for statistical purposes, as defined by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy and compiled by the Inst ...

in the

Canadian province Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, located in the

Manitoulin District Manitoulin District is a district in Northeastern Ontario within the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1888 from part of the Algoma District. The district seat is in Gore Bay. It comprises Manitoulin Island primarily, as well as a ...

. It is separated from the westernmost point of

Manitoulin Island Manitoulin Island is an island in Lake Huron, located within the borders of the Canadian province of Ontario, in the bioregion known as Laurentia. With an area of , it is the largest lake island in the world, large enough that it has over 100 ...

by the

Mississagi Strait The Mississagi Strait is a narrow strait or channel in Manitoulin District, Ontario, Canada, located in Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake M ...

, and from

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

Drummond Island Drummond may refer to: Places Antarctica * Drummond Peak, King Edward VII Land * Drummond Glacier, Graham Land Canada * Drummond (electoral district), a Quebec federal riding * Drummond (provincial electoral district), Quebec * Drummond ...

by the

False Detour Channel The False Detour Channel is a short channel in Lake Huron, connecting the main body of the lake to the North Channel. Retrieved 2013-03-30 The Canada–United States border passes roughly through the middle of the channel, which separates Michiga ...

. The island is incorporated as and coterminous with the municipal Township of Cockburn Island. The island contains approximately 90 cottages that are owned and occupied by families as vacation properties, and thus has an estimated population of 200 to 300 people in the summer;"Municipalities wait for the other shoe to drop". ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...

'', February 1, 1997. however, the island's sole permanent year-round resident is a maintenance employee of the township,"History of Cockburn Island: Part 3"
''North Channel Current'', October 3, 2014. and thus its official

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

population has sometimes been recorded as zero due to

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...

practices of rounding off the populations of communities smaller than 15 people.Conor Mihell, "The Island That Time Forgot: Not every thriving cottage community can claim a population of zero. But then, Cockburn Island isn't your average cottage community". ''

Cottage Life ''Cottage Life'' is a Canadian magazine focusing on cottage lifestyle content. First published in the summer of 1988, the publication features how-to articles, buying guides, and tips on aspects of cottage living and lifestyle. Formally published ...

'', June 2013. Historically, however, the island had a permanent resident population of up to 1,000 people, and evolved from a conventionally populated settlement into a seasonal

cottage country Cottage country is a common name in Ontario, New Brunswick, and other regions of Canada for areas that are popular locations for recreation, recreational properties such as cottages and summer homes. Cottage country is often socially, culturally, ...

area after the island's regular

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

service was discontinued in the 1960s.

History

Sources are in conflict as to whether the island was named for

Francis Cockburn Sir Francis Cockburn (; 10 November 1780 – 24 August 1868) served in the British Army, played an important role in the early settlement of eastern Canada and was a colonial administrator. Cockburn was born in England in 1780. He was the fifth ...

, a deputy

quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land armies, a quartermaster is generally a relatively senior soldier who supervises stores or barracks and distributes supplies and provisions. In m ...

of Upper and

Lower Lower may refer to: *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Gloucestershire, England See also *Nizhny Nizhny (russian: Ни́жний; masculine), Nizhnyaya (; feminine), or Nizhneye (russian: Ни́� ...

Canada in the early 19th century,"Spirit of great god Manitou is still alive on island retreat". ''

'', September 18, 1993. or for Isaac Cockburn, a descendant of his who was the island's first major landowner."History of Cockburn Island - Part One"
''North Channel Current'', August 6, 2014. The first settlement on the island comprised a small number of family farms in the area known as Scotch Block, and the community of Tolsmaville was established in 1878 by Siberon "Zeke" Tolsma, a fisherman from Cheboygan,

. A

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...

ferry service, linking the islands of the Manitoulin chain to Sault Ste. Marie and

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

, was launched by 1879, the township government was incorporated in 1881, and an improved shipping dock was built in 1888."History of Cockburn Island-Part 2"
''North Channel Current'', September 4, 2014. Schools were built at Tolsmaville in 1882, and at Scotch Block in 1884. After a change in provincial law in 1898, which banned the export of raw logs from the province and instead required local processing of the logs into lumber, the island saw a rapid expansion of its logging industry with the establishment of new sawmills; in addition to Tolsmaville, logging operations were also established in the new community of Ricketts Harbour. The island reached a population peak of around 1,000 residents in the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

era. After the discontinuation of the MS Norgoma's run from Sault Ste. Marie to

Owen Sound Owen Sound ( 2021 Census population 21,612) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The county seat of Grey County, it is located at the mouths of the Pottawatomi and Sydenham Rivers on an inlet of Georgian Bay. The primary tourist attract ...

in the 1960s, Cockburn's transportation access was limited to a once-weekly ferry to Meldrum Bay on Manitoulin Island, and its population began to decline rapidly due to its increased isolation. Harold McQuarry, the former operator of the island's general store, stepped in at this time as the township's new reeve, and his efforts have been credited with the island's survival as a summer recreational community. By the 1980s, the island's only full-time residents were Lee Chappell, a maintenance employee of the island's municipal government, and his wife Lynne."On an Island with You; Lee Chappell's penchant for privacy led him make Cockburn Island his home for more than 3 decades". ''

Sault Star ''The Sault Star'' is a Canadian broadsheet daily newspaper based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. It is owned by Postmedia. In 2015, the newspaper had a daily paid circulation of 7,577 weekdays and 7,763 on Saturdays. Its total circulation includi ...

'', October 10, 2009. Chappell retired from his role in 2000 and was succeeded by Darren Rogers, who also lived on-island as of 2014; Chappell moved to Thessalon in 2009 after remarrying following Lynne's death. Tolsmaville continues to serve as the hub of the island's summer tourist economy, even though some references incorrectly describe it as a wholly abandoned

ghost town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * Ghost Town (1936 film), ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * Ghost Town (1956 film), ''Ghost Town'' ...

. Community events include an annual

fish fry A fish fry is a meal containing battered or breaded fried fish. It usually also includes french fries, coleslaw, macaroni salad, lemon slices, tartar sauce, hot sauce, malt vinegar and dessert. Some Native American versions are cooked by coati ...

in August, and a community

potluck A potluck is a communal gathering where each guest or group contributes a different, often homemade, dish of food to be shared. Other names for a "potluck" include: potluck dinner, pitch-in, shared lunch, spread, faith supper, carry-in dinner, ...

Labour Day Labour Day ('' Labor Day'' in the United States) is an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for ...

weekend. In addition to the family-owned residences, the island is also a popular

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...

destination. A modest logging industry continues to operate on the island, and a significant portion of the island is maintained by the

Nature Conservancy of Canada The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is a private, non-profit, charitable nature conservation and restoration organization based in Canada. Since its founding in 1962, the organization and its partners have protected of land and water across ...

as a

conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

. A small portion () of the north-west side of the island is the Zhiibaahaasing 19

Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." Ind ...

of the

Zhiibaahaasing First Nation Zhiibaahaasing First Nation (formerly Cockburn Island First Nation) is a First Nation band government in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is a member of the United Chiefs and Councils of Manitoulin. An Odawa and Ojibwe community located in t ...

. On January 2, 2010, it was dissolved and added to Cockburn Island Township for census purposes. However, the reserve land itself is still set aside for the Zhiibaahaasing First Nation.

Transportation

The island is not currently connected to either Manitoulin or Drummond Islands, or to the mainland, by

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

service; its only transportation access is across the water by private boat in summer or snowmobile in the winter, or air travel in a

float plane A floatplane is a type of seaplane with one or more slender floats mounted under the fuselage to provide buoyancy. By contrast, a flying boat uses its fuselage for buoyancy. Either type of seaplane may also have landing gear suitable for land, m ...

or a

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...

. The municipality maintains a

marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships o ...

at Tolsmaville, and a small grass

airstrip An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...

located west of Tolsmaville provides a landing area for air travel. In the early 2020s, the township undertook a project to realign a road near Tolsmaville for public safety, retaining rock for a future project to repair the

breakwater Breakwater may refer to: * Breakwater (structure), a structure for protecting a beach or harbour Places * Breakwater, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia * Breakwater Island Breakwater Island () is a small island in the Palme ...

protecting the marina.Tom Sasvari
"Cockburn Island marina will boast new breakwall, safer road"
''

Manitoulin Expositor The ''Manitoulin Expositor'' is a Canadian weekly newspaper, published in Little Current, Ontario to serve residents of Manitoulin Island. Launched in 1879 by editor William Loe Smith, it is the oldest still-extant newspaper in the Northern Ontario ...

'', September 7, 2022.

Government

The township's current reeve is Brenda Jones,"Three new faces to lead Manitoulin Island councils"
''Manitoulin Expositor'', October 23, 2018. who succeeded David Haight in the 2014 Manitoulin District municipal elections. Due to the island's lack of a year-round resident population, the township offices are located on the mainland in

Thessalon Thessalon is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located at the junction of Highway 17 and Highway 129 on the north shore of Lake Huron. It is surrounded by, but not part of, the municipality of Huron Shores, and is part of Algoma Di ...

Algoma District Algoma District is a district and census division in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The name was created by an American ethnologist, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft (1793-1864), who was appointed Indian agent to the Ojibwe in ...

, although its historic on-island township hall is maintained as a community facility. Due to the seasonal nature of the municipality, however, the municipal government has few expenses beyond the maintenance of municipal facilities, the cost of postage for municipal mailers to its property owners, and a community telephone at the marina facility. Its status as an incorporated municipality also enables it to receive federal and provincial government funding for major municipal projects, such as maintenance and repair of municipal facilities and the construction of a transmission tower for

mobile phone A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whil ...

service. In addition to its full-time maintenance employee, the municipal government also regularly hires additional summer employees to assist in maintenance work during the height of tourist season. Despite the lack of a permanent resident population, the municipality also maintains the township's historic buildings, including a school and a church.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by

, Cockburn Island had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

References

{{Manitoulin District Islands of Lake Huron in Ontario Lake islands of Ontario Landforms of Manitoulin District Protected areas of Ontario