Pelee Island 1868 Pin

Pelee Island sits in the western half of Lake Erie in Ontario, Canada. European settlement of the island began in 1788 when the land was leased to Thomas McKee by the Ojibwa and Odawa tribes. William McCormick purchased the island in 1823, and it was incorporated as an independent municipality in 1868. At 16 square miles, Pelee Island is the largest island in Lake Erie and also the southernmost populated point in Canada. According to the 2016 census, the island has a population of 235 permanent residents living in 90 households. Connected to the Canadian and United States mainland by ferry service, the population can swell to over 1,500 during the summer months, with more than three thousand people on long weekends.