Dowker Island
Encyclopedia
Dowker Island is part of the Hochelaga Archipelago
in Lake Saint Louis, Quebec
, between the Island of Montreal
and the Île Perrot
. Although near the towns of Baie-d'Urfé and Beaconsfield
, it is administratively part of l'Île-Perrot.
The flat, wooded, and uninhabited island is about a kilometer in length and breadth.
Dowker Island, then known as île Sainte-Geneviève, was granted to François-Marie Perrot
, the governor of Montreal
, by Jean Talon
, on 29 October 1672, along with the île Perrot. In 1897, the eponymous Leslie Rose Dowker, acquired the island.
In the summer the island is easily accessible by small boat, and in winter on foot over the frozen lake. The water north of the island popular for ice fishing
.
The building burned down in 1960.
Ms. Wilkes was not dressed appropriately for the extremely cold temperatures which reached an overnight low of -23 degrees C. Tracks in the snow indicate that she walked around on the island before succumbing to the cold and collapsing on the frozen lake.
When found, her body was taken to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy was performed to determine the exact cause of death.
A marker has been placed near the site now called "Rachel's Point."
Hochelaga Archipelago
The Hochelaga Archipelago, also known as the Montreal Islands , is a group of islands at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers in the southwest part of the province of Quebec, Canada.-Size:...
in Lake Saint Louis, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, between the Island of Montreal
Island of Montreal
The Island of Montreal , in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, is located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. It is separated from Île Jésus by the Rivière des Prairies....
and the Île Perrot
Île Perrot
Île Perrot is an island west of the island of Montreal in the Canadian province of Quebec. Part of the Hochelaga Archipelago, the island lies between Lake Saint-Louis and Lac des Deux-Montagnes....
. Although near the towns of Baie-d'Urfé and Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield, Quebec
Beaconsfield , 2006 Population 19,194) is a municipality on the Island of Montreal in Quebec, Canada. It is located on the north shore of Lake Saint-Louis and is bordered on the west by Baie-D'Urfé, on the north by Kirkland and on the east by Pointe-Claire...
, it is administratively part of l'Île-Perrot.
The flat, wooded, and uninhabited island is about a kilometer in length and breadth.
Dowker Island, then known as île Sainte-Geneviève, was granted to François-Marie Perrot
François-Marie Perrot
François-Marie Perrot was born in Paris and Seigneur de Sainte-Geneviève,- Biography :He was appointed governor of Montreal by a royal commission in 1670 and arrived in New France that year. Records do show his tenure as 1669–84....
, the governor of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, by Jean Talon
Jean Talon
Jean Talon, Comte d'Orsainville was a French colonial administrator who was the first and most highly regarded Intendant of New France under King Louis XIV...
, on 29 October 1672, along with the île Perrot. In 1897, the eponymous Leslie Rose Dowker, acquired the island.
In the summer the island is easily accessible by small boat, and in winter on foot over the frozen lake. The water north of the island popular for ice fishing
Ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.-Locations:It is a popular pastime...
.
Ruins on Dowker Island
The ruins of a two-story house stand in the middle of Dowker Island. The house was built by Leslie Rose Dowker after he bought the island in 1887. He lived there until his death in 1945.The building burned down in 1960.
Woman's frozen body found on Dowker Island
On Sunday, January 23, 2011, 33 year old American woman, Rachel Ann Wilkes, was found frozen to death on Dowker Island where she had gone walking the previous evening. Her body was found by a passerby who was walking around the island. There were no visible physical injuries on the body.Ms. Wilkes was not dressed appropriately for the extremely cold temperatures which reached an overnight low of -23 degrees C. Tracks in the snow indicate that she walked around on the island before succumbing to the cold and collapsing on the frozen lake.
When found, her body was taken to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy was performed to determine the exact cause of death.
A marker has been placed near the site now called "Rachel's Point."