Middle Island (Ontario)

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Map of Pelee island and Middle Island.

Middle Island, Ontario, 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.

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.

The island is further south than the French Riviera, Rome, Italy, or Boston and Detroit, USA. Interestingly, 27 U.S. states extend north of Middle Island, among them California, and 13 states lie entirely to its north.^[1]

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 waystation 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^{[citation needed]}, 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.^{[citation needed]} 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 is not 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 would not know what to offer.