Fighting Island

Fighting Island is a 610-hectare (1,500-acre) island in the Detroit River, and is the largest Canadian island in the river. It is part of the town of LaSalle, Ontario, Canada, opposite Wyandotte, Michigan, and downriver from Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario.

Fighting Island
Fighting Island
Geography
LocationDetroit River
Coordinates42°13′18″N 83°07′12″W
Area6.06 km2 (2.34 sq mi)
Highest elevation174 m (571 ft)
Administration
Canada
TerritoryOntario
CountyEssex
CityLaSalle
Demographics
Population1 (permanent)

History

Originally populated by indigenous peoples, it was settled by the French during the 18th century, and has had numerous owners since then. The island took its name from the Indigenous artifacts that were first spotted on the island in 1810.[1]

The island was the site of a brief skirmish on February 24 and 25, 1838, during the Battle of Windsor, part of the Patriot War.[2]

In 1918, the land was bought by John B. Ford of the Michigan Alkali Company and was used as a location to deposit waste from their industrial plants which produced soda ash, lye and baking soda.[3] Nearly 15,000,000 m3 (20,000,000 cu yd) of high-pH waste was dumped on the island during its industrial history.[4] Michigan Alkali Company became Wyandotte Chemicals Corporation, which was subsequently bought by BASF, who are the current owners of the island. BASF embarked on a rehabilitation program which successfully removed the waste for proper disposal, and rebuilt the natural habitat of the island. A current program running on the island is used to teach elementary/secondary schools about biology and ecology.

References
  1. "Farmer's History of Detroit: Chapter 2 The River, Islands, Wharves and Docks, Streams And Mills". Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  2. Ross, Robert Budd (1890). The Patriot War. Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society. pp. 21–23. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  3. Mark Brush (June 12, 2013). "Fighting Island in the Detroit River no longer a wasteland". Michigan Radio. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  4. Tina Lam (June 7, 2009). "Detroit River island goes from wasteland to sanctuary". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 5, 2015.


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