Fishing Islands of Oliphant

Fishing Islands of Oliphant Fishing Islands of Oliphant

The Saugeen Fishing Islands are rich in history.

The Rankin Survey was done in 1855 and laid out the town of Oliphant. Saugeen Fishing Islands Reserve No. 1 are approximately 89 islands in Lake Huron off the western coast of the Bruce Peninsula and became Crown Land in 1885. These islands lie about 15 kilometres from Oliphant north to Howdenvale off the west coast of the Bruce Peninsula and were named after the abundant fish that once populated the waters. The shallow waters around the islands, with numerous shoals and sandbanks, have long formed a treacherous barrier for ships between the mainland and the open water of Lake Huron. In the late half of the 19th century and the early 20th numerous ships met a watery grave among these islands, either blown onto an outer reef by a Lake Huron storm, or wrecked while seeking safe passage through the islands’ narrow channels.

The Flemings were among the earliest cottagers on these islands that lie along the western shore between Oliphant and Red Bay. “Oliphant” was named after Laurence Oliphant, who in 1854 was Superintendent General of Indian Affairs.

These islands are shared between the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation and Saugeen First Nation who have found evidence around the Islands of net fishing going back some five thousand years. The Fishing Islands were returned to the Saugeen Ojibway Nation in 1968.

Fishing and the waters were and are central to their traditional economy and way of life and indeed to their spiritual beliefs. SON members feel a strong moral obligation to care for the water. The water is as important to them, if not more important, than their dry land territory.

The Fishing Islands were one of the best whitefish spawning grounds on the Great Lakes. Today the Saugeen Ojibway are once again the owners of the commercial fishery around the Saugeen Peninsula. The Saugeen Ojibway Nation co-manage the fishery with the Ontario Government .

In 1834 Crown Lands issued an order in council to the Huron Fishing Co. for the Fishing Islands. Prior to its fishing legislation of 1857, the Crown was supposed to have treated the Great Lakes fisheries as a public right.

Captain Alexander MacGregor was the first to turn the fishing here into a commercial enterprise. He sailed and fished among the Saugeen Islands during the eighteen twenties, and took up his headquarters on the island which he called his Main Station.

Here he built a large stone house now known as the Old Fort, on account of its tremendous walls and narrow windows. History of the County of Bruce gives the date as about 1834.

Captain MacGregor and his men lived here for a number of years, and caught great quantities of whitefish and herring, which they shipped to Detroit. The Captain had a contract with a Detroit firm to ship 3000 barrels yearly for which he was to receive one dollar per barrel.

Until the late eighteen forties no fishing licences had been issued by the Government for Lake Huron. It was at this time that a number of people formed the Niagara Fishing Company and secured the sole license for the waters.

The 89 Islands vary in size from a mere shoal of flat rock with a few currant bushes to the largest, Cranberry Island containing one hundred and twenty four acres. The Islands can be roughly divided into six groups, two south of the Gut and four to the north. Whiskey Island, situated about half a mile from shore, is circular in shape, and is covered with thick beautiful woods. The island is appropriately named. It seems that many years ago, an illicit whiskey-still existed here and as far as is known did good service.

One Sunday in the Captain MacGregor days, it is related, the fishermen from Main-Station held a celebration which ended in a general fight. It was from then on that the fishermen called the place Whiskey Island. Lately the name has been changed to “Shamrock,” but it is hard to forget the old name. Smokehouse Island (No. 10) is the large island just north of Whiskey and separated from it by Smokehouse Channel. It contains over forty acres, thickly wooded with cedar, tamarack, and spruce. At the southern corner are the remains of the old Schell saw-mill, burned down about 1885. The Island was named by the Ojibways who had a smoke-house here for smoking their fish.

Article by Susan Schank