Simpson Island (New Brunswick)

Last updated
Simpson Island
Native name:
Quak-ee-men-ee-quo'-sis
Bog on the Little Island [1]
Simpsons Island NB (1).jpeg
Simpson Island (New Brunswick)
Geography
Location Bay of Fundy
Coordinates 45°00′04″N66°54′45″W / 45.00111°N 66.91250°W / 45.00111; -66.91250
Area40 [2] acres (16 ha)
Administration
Canada
Province New Brunswick
County Charlotte
Parish West Isles Parish

Simpson Island is an undeveloped 22-hectare forested island in the West Isles Parish of Charlotte County, New Brunswick, Canada, where the Bay of Fundy enters Passamaquoddy Bay.

It is covered with spruce and fir trees supporting a white tail deer population. [3] In the late 1970s it was noted to no longer host previous nesting eagles. [4] It has been the subject of subtidal graduate studies. [5] In 1978, Mackay noted a high species abundance and diversity here, and five other nearby islands. [6]

As Warren Hatheway was unsuccessful in his bid to be granted Bar Island off the northern shore of Deer Island against the wishes of Thomas Farrell, between 1810-1817 he was awarded a grant of six small nearby islets including Hardwood Island, Simpson Island and Fish Island. [7] [8] [9]

It has copper pyrites and malachite on the shore under high water, and the copper was mined for a time at the start of the 20th century. [10] [11] [12] In 1952, both Simpson's Island and nearby Adam's Island were purchased by the Anthonian Mining Corporation, with drilling starting immediately on Adam's. [13] Both had mining efforts in the 1860s as well. [14]

A map showing Simpson Island Beans Island and Surrounding.png
A map showing Simpson Island

In 1911, one family reported living on the island. [15]

In December 1985, a study by Parks Canada assessed the island's value as $24,200. [2] A rockweed study was done on the island in 1989. [16]

In 2005, the Nature Conservancy of Canada was raising funds to purchase Simpson Island. [17]

In Summer 2012, the island was one of four studied as a rockweed habitat. [18]

References

  1. A monograph of the place-nomenclature of the province of New Brunswick
  2. 1 2 Parks Canada, "West Isles Feasibility Study....a National Marine Park in the West Isles", December 1985
  3. "Where we work". Nature Conservancy Canada. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  4. https://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/library-bibliotheque/56858.pdf
  5. https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2007/dfo-mpo/Fs97-4-2635E.pdf
  6. https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2007/dfo-mpo/Fs97-4-2635E.pdf
  7. "Provincial Archives of New Brunswick".
  8. "Provincial Archives of New Brunswick".
  9. Craven, Paul. "Petty Justice", pg 77 and elsewhere
  10. Bailey, L. W. (Loring Woart), 1839–1925., Report on the mines and minerals of New Brunswick, G.E. Fenety, 1864
  11. Report of Progress - Geological Survey of Canada 1870-1871. Internet Archive. 1870–1871.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  12. "The Smiling Isle of Passamaquoddy - Wikisource, the free online library". en.wikisource.org. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
  13. "Mining World, July 1952, pg73" (PDF). dn720005.ca.archive.org.
  14. Shortt, Adam; Doughty, Arthur G. (Arthur George) (1914–1917). Canada and its provinces : a history of the Canadian people and their institutions Volume 14. Kelly - University of Toronto. Toronto : Glasgow, Brook.
  15. "Provincial Archives of New Brunswick". archives.gnb.ca.
  16. https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2007/dfo-mpo/Fs97-4-2635E.pdf
  17. "mpas". www.bofep.org.
  18. Kay, Lauren M.; Eddy, Tyler D.; Schmidt, Allison L.; Lotze, Heike K. (2016). "Regional differences and linkage between canopy structure and community composition of rockweed habitats in Atlantic Canada" . Marine Biology. 163 (12) 251. Bibcode:2016MarBi.163..251K. doi:10.1007/s00227-016-3027-3.