Bois Blanc Island

This river island extends approximately four kilometers in length within the Detroit River waters near Amherstburg in Ontario, serving as a natural landmark between Canadian and American territories.

The island hosted three British military blockhouses constructed in 1839 during the Rebellions of 1837 to defend against rebel forces and American sympathizers attempting to seize control of the region.

A French Catholic mission was established here in the eighteenth century to serve the Wyandot First Nation, and the island later became a crossing point for thirty thousand people escaping slavery.

Access to the island is provided through private ferry services departing from the mainland, with the southern tip featuring a stone lighthouse built in 1836 that continues guiding river navigation today.

During the Vietnam War era, draft dodgers used the island's ferry system to enter Canada by trading return tickets at the terminal, effectively bypassing standard border control procedures and checkpoints.

Location: Amherstburg

GPS coordinates: 42.09694,-83.12083

Latest update: December 21, 2025 16:05