View from the old Government Dock looking North
View from the old Government Dock looking North
Our beautiful island is located comfortably between Manitoulin Island to the east and Drummond Island to the west. Roughly 40 km across the Lake Huron North Channel by boat.
In 1881, with a growing constituency of homesteaders, fisheries workers, logging and saw mill workers, ‘Cockburn Island’ became a township. Early in the 1900’s, in its hay day, it boasted over 1000 residents. Four generations later it was considered a ghost town. (See Ghost Towns of Ontario).
When the islands remaining store shut down in the 1960’s and the ferry service stopped most of the remaining residents were leaving. The ‘Cockburn Island’ first nation residents left as well to a new reserve on Manitoulin Island. However, today they still have land and a spiritual centre on the western edge of Cockburn.
In the weeks ahead, ratepayers will have an opportunity to review an early draft of the updated Cockburn island Zoning By-law (ZB) which will implement the Official Plan specifically for our township. Your comments are invited as Council considers updates to the current ZB. The current version has been in place since the 1980s so work on this important land-use plan may impact our community for decades. Email your comments and questions to the Clerk at cockburnisland1@gmail.com.
Click here to downloadThis plan focuses on conservation and environmental matters which are now also part Land Use Planning policies for our island and Manitoulin along with the related map.
Click here to download plan Click here to download mapThe municipal road project at the 12th and 15th is completed. If all goes to plan the large pile of rock, which was excavated during the road project and which is now stockpiled near the dock will be moved into the water in the summer of 2023 (or possibly 2024 if circumstances warrant). This project is to increase the size and height of the marina breakwall to better protect this important asset for future generations. As you no doubt know, winter ice and winds are slowly damaging the dock. Permits for this work have been issued by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the provincial Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF). Please be mindful of the compromised dock parking area until this is completed.
Effective with the 2023 season Bev House will be our new Cockburn Island Dockmaster. We wish her well on her new duties with the Township and ask for everyone's cooperation as she becomes accustomed to this important community role.