Our Canada Magazine

Gull Island: March 2011 More of Our Canada

More of Our Canada Cover March 2011
More of Our Canada
Excerpt from Article by Wolf Starchild
March, 2011

Lying about 2km off the North Shore of Lake Erie, a small island – which can be seen from shore on a clear day, sits silently. What attracts you to this island is the ghostly image of a lighthouse and attached building.

The island is known as “Gull Island” by locals, but is formally called “Mowhawk Island” the island is crown land. It’s owned by the Government of Canada and often patrolled by the Coast Guard to prevent vandalism.

The island itself lays low to the water and is made of bare stone which is rich in fossils of worms, leaves, snails, and other pre-historic creatures. Walking barefoot on the island, I can see it’s covered in zebra mussels and of course bird droppings. The old Light Keepers House and Lighthouse still stand tall over the small 2 hectare island. As you walk along the island, hundreds of sea birds are visible and fly overhead. Birds such as the Ringbill & Herring Gull, Common & Caspin Turn, and even the Cormorant will “sound the alarm” as you walk past.

The island is truly a piece of marine history of the Great Lakes and certainly deserves to be remembered.

7 thoughts on “Gull Island: March 2011 More of Our Canada

Leave a Reply