Snake Island is a

lake island A lake island is any landmass within a lake. It is a type of inland island. Lake islands may form a lake archipelago. Formation Lake islands may form in numerous ways. They may occur through a build-up of sedimentation as shoals, and become ...

located in

Lake Simcoe Lake Simcoe is a lake in southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called ''Ouentironk' ...

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 C ...

, Canada. After the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

, these islands, along with Fox Island and

Georgina Island Georgina Island ( oj, Waaseyaagmiing) is the largest of the lake islands of Lake Simcoe, located in southern Ontario, Canada. The island is a Native reserve populated by the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation, a band of Ojibwa people. I ...

were purchased by Chief Joseph Snake (a member of the

Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation frame, Map of York Region showing Fox, Snake, and Georgina islands. Georgina Island, Lake Simcoe, Ontario The Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation ( oj, Waaseyaagmiing Anishinaabek) are an Ojibwa (or Anishinaabeg) people located on Georg ...

) from the British. The islands used to be headquarters to his father Chief Renatus Snake. Like

and Fox Island, Snake Island is inhabited by band members with homes located along the shores of the island. There are no roads and old dirt trails connecting the residents. The only means to reach the island is by private boats to docks in front of the homes. Winter travel is by snowmobile and ATV as the lake freezes over. The interior of the island is covered by trees. From the 1940s until at least the mid 1970’s, a girls' camp, Camp Centennial, occupied a large piece of property facing the mainland village of Island Grove. Vern and Marion Hickingbottom purchased the camp in the early 1950s from the founding owners, named Henderson, who remained in a cottage next to the camp for many years. Local first nations people from the Porte, Bigcanoe and McCue families worked at the camp and operated a popular tuck shop on the island; many participated in the annual Snake Island Regatta.

Economy

Some homes on the island have been rented out as cottages during the summer months. During the winter and when ice conditions permit, ice fishing is a popular activity. The commercial operators are based in

Georgina Georgina may refer to: Names * Georgina (name), a feminine given name Places Australia * Georgina, Queensland, a locality in the Shire of Boulia, Queensland * Georgina Basin, a large sedimentary basin in Australia * Georgina River, a riv ...

, not from the island itself.

References

Lake islands of Ontario {{GoldenHorseshoe-geo-stub