Pelee Island

Introducing Pelee Island

Dead-flat and as southerly as Canada gets, Pelee Island (pronounced ‘Pee-lee, ’ from the French pelée, meaning bare) is a chilled-out oasis adrift in Lake Erie some 20km from the mainland. Covered in ridiculously green fields and outlined by sandy beaches, Pelee is one of southwestern Ontario’s major drawcards.

The island’s settled history arcs back to 1788 when the Ojibwe and Ottawa nations leased it to Thomas McKee. It remained largely undeveloped until William McCormick bought it in 1823. By 1900 Pelee had 800 residents, four churches and four schools. These days there are just 275 residents and life revolves around tourism, but nothing is overly pricey, snobby, hurried or harried – perfect for a weekend of doing not much at all.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009