Cailiff Island (also known as Frye Island and L'etang Island) consists of 940 acres situated in the Passamaquoddy Bay between Black's Harbour and Letang. [1] [2]
Irish immigrant Timothy O'Connor had emigrated after serving the British Army, and was granted 4000 acres on Whittier Ridge, and ultimately moved to Bliss Island where he died - leading his family to relocate to a place called Connor's Beach on Cailiff Island. [3] His grandsons Patrick and Lewis Jr formed the Connors Brothers Limited seafood company, on the mainland. [4]
Dr. Frye, who served on Hospital Island, also built a quarry on the mineral-rich island, which is more easily accessible to the mainland during low tide, to accompany his kiln in L'etang, and the island became alternately named for him. [2] [5] Three lodes of lead are visible. [6] The island also contains cale spar, heavy spar, fluor, serpentine, verde antique, asbestos, galena and iron pyrites. [6]
The ruins of a homestead, and an 1852 grave, remain on the island. [2] In 1896 and 1900, the island was the site of the YMCA's Maritime Boys' Camp. [7] [8]
In April 1928, the president of Connors Brothers Limited purchased the island for $51,200 intending to open a new sister-company also specializing in seafood based on the island. [9] In 2010, Connors Brothers put Cailiff Island and 12 other islands up for sale noting that they were no longer economically viable for aquaculture and fishing purposes. [3] Ultimately half of the island, along with Hog, Douglas, Eagle and Mink islets off its shores, form a "Frye Island Nature Preserve" after the land was donated to the Nature Trust of New Brunswick by Connors Brothers. [2]
