Pelee, Ontario facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pelee Island
Township (single-tier)
Township of Pelee
Aerial photo of Pelee Island
Seal
Pelee Island Location in Ontario Show map of Ontario Pelee Island Location in Canada Show map of Canada
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Area
• Total	41.79 km2 (16.14 sq mi)
Population  (2016)
• Total	235
• Density	5.623/km2 (14.56/sq mi)

Pelee Island is a cool island in Lake Erie, Canada. You can get there by ferry from Canada or the United States. It's the biggest island in Lake Erie, about 42 km² (16 sq mi). It's also the most southern place in Canada where people live! A special plaque shows how important Pelee Island is to Ontario's history. Close by, Middle Island is the very tip of Canada's land.

Because it's so far south and near the lake, Pelee Island has super mild weather. This makes it one of the warmest spots in Canada! People have grown grapes and made wine here since the 1860s. The Pelee Island Winery restarted this tradition in the 1980s. The island is mostly farms, growing lots of soybeans, wheat, grapes, and some special corn.

Pelee Island is also a key stop for birds flying south for winter or north for summer. It's part of a big "flyway" for migrating birds. Every fall, hunters come for a pheasant hunt, which brings money to the island when other tourist activities slow down.

Island History: A Look Back

People have lived on Pelee Island for a very long time, even 10,000 years ago! We know this from old tools and special objects found there. Europeans started settling on the island in 1788. That's when Thomas McKee leased the land from the Ojibwe and Odawa tribes.

The McCormick family bought the island in 1823 and moved there in 1834. They farmed, cut lumber, dug stone from quarries, and fished to make a living. Wine making began on Pelee Island in the 1860s.

Lighthouse and Shipwrecks

Pelee Island has an old lighthouse built in 1833. It used to guide ships through the tricky Pelee Passage. Lake Erie has many shipwrecks, and at least 15 are in the Pelee Passage area alone! One shipwreck, the JJ Carroll, is very close to the island, just 100 feet (30 m) off Fish Point.

The Patriot War Battle

Pelee Island was once the site of a battle during the Patriot War in 1838. This war involved small groups of people from both sides of the Michigan-Ontario border. They wanted to "free" Upper Canada from British rule. On February 26, 1838, about 300 men took over the island. But on March 3, they were forced to leave or were captured.

Island Geography and Climate

Pelee Island's Mild Climate

Pelee Island's location and the big Lake Erie make its climate much milder than places inland. It has one of the mildest climates in Canada, outside of British Columbia. This is why it's perfect for vineyards and wine making. The island also has the longest frost-free season in all of Ontario.

It's part of the Carolinian forest region. The island has a humid continental climate (which means it has warm summers and cold winters). Winters are cold, with an average January temperature of −5.0 °C (23.0 °F). About 76 centimetres (29.9 in) of snow falls each year, mostly from November to April.

Summers are warm and humid. The average high in July is 27.5 °C (81.5 °F), and the low is 18.9 °C (66.0 °F). It rarely gets hotter than 32 °C (89.6 °F), only about 4 days a year. Pelee Island and Point Pelee get the fewest rainy days in Ontario, about 75 days a year. Sometimes, it can be very dry for 4-5 years. The island gets about 891 millimetres (35 in) of rain each year, spread out evenly. January and February are the driest months.

The coldest temperature ever recorded was −31.5 °C (−24.7 °F) on January 20, 1985. The hottest was 41.1 °C (106.0 °F) on July 24, 1934.

Who Lives on Pelee Island?

In 2016, the census counted 235 people living on Pelee Island all year round. They lived in 90 homes. But in the summer, especially on long weekends, the population can jump to over 1,500 people! Sometimes, more than three thousand people visit at once.

Island Economy: Fun and Tourism

Pelee Island is a popular place for tourists. Thousands of visitors come every year.

Annual Island Events

• Springsong Weekend: This event celebrates birds and books. It usually happens on Mother's Day weekend and often features famous Canadian author Margaret Atwood.
• Pelee Stone & Sky Music & Art Performances: These shows happen weekly all summer. They include spoken word, live music, and visual art.
• Island Unplugged Music Festival: This festival takes place at the East Park Campground. It features Canadian musicians and even has a chili cook-off!
• Farmer's Market: Every Saturday in the Quarry during the summer, you can find a farmer's market.
• Heritage Weekend: The season ends with this event, hosted by the Pelee Island Heritage Centre.

Canada Day is a big celebration on the island. There are fireworks and a parade along West Shore Road.

The Pelee Island Half Marathon brings runners from Canada and the United States. It's known as Canada's southernmost and most exclusive half-marathon. Only about 350 runners can sign up for this race, which happens on the first weekend in June.

Ecotourism: Nature's Paradise

Pelee Island is a great spot for ecotourists, who love to explore nature.

• It's the southernmost place in Canada where people live.
• It's on two major paths for migrating birds: the Atlantic Flyway and the Mississippi flyway.
• The island is an Important Bird Area (IBA). This means it's super important for birds, nationally and internationally.
• The Annual Springsong Weekend celebrates the return of migratory birds.
• The Pelee Island Bird Observatory studies birds on the island. Visitors can even help track, tag, and photograph many different bird species.

Pelee Island is also very important for plants. It has several Nature Conservancy of Canada areas. There are also two Provincial Nature Reserves: Lighthouse Point Nature Reserve and Fish Point Nature Reserve. The island has many different natural areas like wetlands, sand dunes, and special limestone areas called alvars. These places are home to many species at risk, including plants, animals, insects, and more.

How Pelee Island is Governed

Pelee Island is part of the Township of Pelee. This township has its own mayor, a deputy mayor, and three councillors. It's a separate township from Essex County. The township includes nine islands in total. The biggest is Pelee Island, and others include Middle Island, Middle Sister Island, Hen Island, Big Chicken Island, Little Chicken Island, Chick Island, East Sister Island, and North Harbour Island. All these islands together have a total land area of about 41.84 km² (16.15 sq mi).

Island Infrastructure: Getting Around and Staying Safe

Transportation to Pelee Island

MV Jiimaan leaves port at Kingsville for Pelee Island.

Two ferries serve the island: MV Jiimaan and MV Pelee Islander. They are owned by the Pelee Island Transportation Company.

• MV Jiimaan is the larger ferry. It's 61 m (200 ft) long and can carry 400 passengers and 40 vehicles.
• The ferry ride to Pelee Island takes about one and a half to two hours.
• The ferry leaves from Leamington from early spring until August. Then, it moves to Kingsville until mid-December.
• The ferry from Pelee Island to Sandusky, Ohio, runs from late spring to early fall.
• MV Jiimaan was built in 1992 in St. Catharines, Ontario.
• A new ferry is expected to start service in 2017.

Almost abandoned lighthouse at Pelee Island

• The older MV Pelee Islander still operates. It carries 196 passengers and 14 vehicles. It was built in Erieau, Ontario in 1960.
• In June 2015, the Ontario Government announced it would spend $40 million on a new ferry to replace MV Pelee Islander. A company from Chile called Asenav will build it. The new ferry will carry 399 passengers and 34 vehicles.

When the ferries aren't running (from mid-December until spring), the only way to get to Pelee Island is by airplane. The Pelee Island Transportation Company runs an air service from Windsor during the winter.

Emergency Services on the Island

• Medical Clinic: There's a medical clinic run by the Victorian Order of Nurses. It has regular hours in the summer but doesn't handle emergencies. For emergencies, people should call 911.
• Paramedics: Essex-Windsor EMS paramedics are on the island all year round for emergencies. Air ambulance services can also fly patients to the nearest hospital if needed.
• Fire Department: The Pelee Island Volunteer Fire Department is also on the island 365 days a year. They respond to 911 calls. The department has a Fire Chief, a Deputy Fire Chief, and volunteers.
• Police: The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) provide police services. Officers are on the island four days a week during the summer, during the fall pheasant hunt, and on the long weekend in May. In winter, police fly to the island only for emergency calls. Usually, two officers are on the island at a time. The OPP office is in the municipal building.

Education on Pelee Island

Pelee Island has one school, part of the Greater Essex County District School Board. It teaches students from Junior Kindergarten up to grade 8. After grade 8, children can go to high school on the mainland. Or, they can take high school courses online with help from the teachers at Pelee Island Public School.

The school usually has about 10 to 20 students and two to three teachers. Classes are held in a traditional three-room schoolhouse built in 1927. It's located on the northwest side of the island. Every year, the students raise money for a field trip by holding a raffle during the island's fall pheasant hunt.