Amherst Island
Encyclopedia
Amherst Island is one of the Thousand Islands
in Lake Ontario
near Kingston, Ontario
. The island is approximately 70 km² in size, measuring 16.5 km long and 7 km at its widest. It is part of Loyalist Township
in Lennox and Addington County
. The two main communities on the island are Stella and Emerald.
The island is accessible from the mainland only by water or air. A ferry
service, carrying cars and people, connects the village of Stella on the island with Millhaven on the mainland. The ferry, M/V Frontenac II, runs 365 days a year, with the trip across taking about 15 minutes. The ferry service is run by Loyalist Township
.
The resident population of about 450 people doubles during the summer months. The island is also home to approximately 500 white-tailed deer
. In the winter, Snowy Owl
s regularly visit the island. The island is home to Long-eared Owl
s and Great Horned Owl
s in summer.
The island was known by the French
as Isle Tonti, after Henri de Tonty, who accompanied La Salle during his explorations. The island was later settled by United Empire Loyalists and renamed Amherst Island in 1792 in honour of Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst
, who was commander-in-chief of British
forces in North America
.
The island is noted for farming, particularly of sheep of which there are several thousand on the island. Its roads have little automobile
traffic making it an excellent locale for cycling
especially on its gravel and dirt roads that hug the shores of Lake Ontario
. The island has a natural reserve called the Owl Woods.
The island has warm moderate summers and cold brisk winters.
Steady lake winds, especially in winter, make the island an ideal location for wind turbines. Several companies have expressed an interest in developing wind farms on the island, and several local residents have already signed leases for turbines sited on their land. A group opposed to wind power development, calling itself the Coalition to Protect Amherst Island, is opposed to development of wind power on Amherst Island. While at the same time large group of landowners see wind project as a positive for the Island and have formed Citizens of Amherst Island for Renewable Energy (CAIRE).
A community radio station, CJAI-FM
, began broadcasting April 2006 and is now on 92.1FM. It is a 100% volunteer operated station, and is concerned with the preservation of the Island way of life, accurate and timely information reporting, and the promotion of Canadian musical talent. On Saturdays and Sundays during the day, 100% Canadian content
music is played, and over 66% is played during the week.
Notable native-born islanders include Harry Raymond Fleming
, (1892–1942) Member of Parliament for Humboldt (Saskatchewan) and grandfather of Dr. Siobhan Fleming, Associate Vice Chancellor of the Lone Star College System, Houston, Texas.
Thousand Islands
The Thousand Islands is the name of an archipelago of islands that straddle the Canada-U.S. border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for about downstream from Kingston, Ontario. The Canadian islands are in the province of Ontario, the...
in Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
near Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
. The island is approximately 70 km² in size, measuring 16.5 km long and 7 km at its widest. It is part of Loyalist Township
Loyalist, Ontario
Loyalist is a township in central eastern Ontario, Canada on Lake Ontario. It is in Lennox and Addington County and consists of two parts: the mainland and Amherst Island. It was named for the United Empire Loyalists, who settled in the area after the American Revolution.-Communities:The primary...
in Lennox and Addington County
Lennox and Addington County, Ontario
Lennox and Addington County, Ontario is a county and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county seat is Greater Napanee. It is located in the subregion of Southern Ontario named Eastern Ontario.It includes the following municipalities:...
. The two main communities on the island are Stella and Emerald.
The island is accessible from the mainland only by water or air. A ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service, carrying cars and people, connects the village of Stella on the island with Millhaven on the mainland. The ferry, M/V Frontenac II, runs 365 days a year, with the trip across taking about 15 minutes. The ferry service is run by Loyalist Township
Loyalist, Ontario
Loyalist is a township in central eastern Ontario, Canada on Lake Ontario. It is in Lennox and Addington County and consists of two parts: the mainland and Amherst Island. It was named for the United Empire Loyalists, who settled in the area after the American Revolution.-Communities:The primary...
.
The resident population of about 450 people doubles during the summer months. The island is also home to approximately 500 white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
. In the winter, Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl
The Snowy Owl is a large owl of the typical owl family Strigidae. The Snowy Owl was first classified in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus, the Swedish naturalist who developed binomial nomenclature to classify and organize plants and animals. The bird is also known in North America as the Arctic Owl, Great...
s regularly visit the island. The island is home to Long-eared Owl
Long-eared Owl
The Long-eared Owl - Asio otus is a species of owl which breeds in Europe, Asia, and North America. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, family Strigidae, which contains most species of owl...
s and Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl, , also known as the Tiger Owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas.-Description:...
s in summer.
The island was known by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
as Isle Tonti, after Henri de Tonty, who accompanied La Salle during his explorations. The island was later settled by United Empire Loyalists and renamed Amherst Island in 1792 in honour of Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst
Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst
Field Marshal Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst KCB served as an officer in the British Army and as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces.Amherst is best known as one of the victors of the French and Indian War, when he conquered Louisbourg, Quebec City and...
, who was commander-in-chief of British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
forces in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
The island is noted for farming, particularly of sheep of which there are several thousand on the island. Its roads have little automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
traffic making it an excellent locale for cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
especially on its gravel and dirt roads that hug the shores of Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
. The island has a natural reserve called the Owl Woods.
The island has warm moderate summers and cold brisk winters.
Steady lake winds, especially in winter, make the island an ideal location for wind turbines. Several companies have expressed an interest in developing wind farms on the island, and several local residents have already signed leases for turbines sited on their land. A group opposed to wind power development, calling itself the Coalition to Protect Amherst Island, is opposed to development of wind power on Amherst Island. While at the same time large group of landowners see wind project as a positive for the Island and have formed Citizens of Amherst Island for Renewable Energy (CAIRE).
A community radio station, CJAI-FM
CJAI-FM
CJAI-FM, known on air as Amherst Island Public Radio, is a radio station in Stella, Ontario, Canada. Broadcasting at 92.1 FM, the station airs a community radio format serving the Amherst Island region.-History:...
, began broadcasting April 2006 and is now on 92.1FM. It is a 100% volunteer operated station, and is concerned with the preservation of the Island way of life, accurate and timely information reporting, and the promotion of Canadian musical talent. On Saturdays and Sundays during the day, 100% Canadian content
Canadian content
Canadian content refers to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission requirements that radio and television broadcasters must air a certain percentage of content that was at least partly written, produced, presented, or otherwise contributed to by persons from...
music is played, and over 66% is played during the week.
Notable native-born islanders include Harry Raymond Fleming
Harry Raymond Fleming
Harry Raymond Fleming, M.D., was a Saskatchewan physician and politician.He was born and raised on Amherst Island, Ontario and was educated at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario where he also developed business interests. After receiving his medical degree, he entered the teaching profession...
, (1892–1942) Member of Parliament for Humboldt (Saskatchewan) and grandfather of Dr. Siobhan Fleming, Associate Vice Chancellor of the Lone Star College System, Houston, Texas.