Thorah Island
Encyclopedia
Thorah Island is located in the southeast portion of Lake Simcoe
, approximately four kilometres from Beaverton, Ontario
, Canada
. The island is approximately 1,450 acres (6 km²) in size and the land is divided mainly between wooded and wooded-swamp terrain. Some land has been cleared for farming and recreational purposes but much of the agricultural land has fallen into disuse and has grown over. Centre Road runs from the east side of the island to the west side but is not much more than a dirt path. A small harbour exists on the east side of the island, directly across from Beaverton Harbour. On the west side of the island are several sandy beaches, otherwise the shore is rocky.
Thorah as well as three other islands in Lake Simcoe were ceded by the Chippewa Indians in 1856 to the British Crown on the agreement that the land would be sold and the proceeds invested for the descendants of the ceding chiefs. Following this sale William Napier made the first survey of the island in 1856.
Thorah was originally used as a recreational destination in the late nineteenth century by a group of four businessmen from Toronto
who came to the island to camp and fish. The island currently (2005) has a seasonal population of 147 that include several descendants of the original group. http://largebande.ic.gc.ca/demographic_servlet/applications/5536?iin.lang=en
The island was also named Canise (or Kanise) Island by Governor John Graves Simcoe
in 1793 to honour a local native chief by that name. In the above-mentioned treaty between the natives and the British the island is known as Plum Island. Neither of these names are in popular use today.
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 by the Huron natives...
, approximately four kilometres from Beaverton, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The island is approximately 1,450 acres (6 km²) in size and the land is divided mainly between wooded and wooded-swamp terrain. Some land has been cleared for farming and recreational purposes but much of the agricultural land has fallen into disuse and has grown over. Centre Road runs from the east side of the island to the west side but is not much more than a dirt path. A small harbour exists on the east side of the island, directly across from Beaverton Harbour. On the west side of the island are several sandy beaches, otherwise the shore is rocky.
Thorah as well as three other islands in Lake Simcoe were ceded by the Chippewa Indians in 1856 to the British Crown on the agreement that the land would be sold and the proceeds invested for the descendants of the ceding chiefs. Following this sale William Napier made the first survey of the island in 1856.
Thorah was originally used as a recreational destination in the late nineteenth century by a group of four businessmen from Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
who came to the island to camp and fish. The island currently (2005) has a seasonal population of 147 that include several descendants of the original group. http://largebande.ic.gc.ca/demographic_servlet/applications/5536?iin.lang=en
The island was also named Canise (or Kanise) Island by Governor John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe was a British army officer and the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada from 1791–1796. Then frontier, this was modern-day southern Ontario and the watersheds of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior...
in 1793 to honour a local native chief by that name. In the above-mentioned treaty between the natives and the British the island is known as Plum Island. Neither of these names are in popular use today.
External links
- Strawberry Island is operated as a retreat for Basilican monks. This page also includes historical information about Thorah Island--particularly the details of the land acquisition from the natives.
- The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources provides a technical description of the Island's environmental characteristics.