Casco Bay Island
NOAA chart of Casco Bay Island | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Bay of Fundy |
| Area | 37 acres (15 ha) |
| Highest elevation | 26 m (85 ft) |
| Administration | |
Canada | |
| Province | New Brunswick |
| County | Charlotte |
Casco Bay Island (formerly Case's Bay Island or Casco Island) is a private island located in Passamaquoddy Bay, between Campobello Island and Deer Island, in New Brunswick, Canada. The island is approximately 41 acres in size, at the mean high tide line. Found at 44°57'20" North and 66°55'55" West.
W. F. Ganong noted that the "Green Island" referenced in Mitchell's 1764 Ms Field Book and Captain Owen's journal appears not to have referred to the Green Island known at his time and today, but rather have been a reference to Casco Bay Island given its described coordinates. They were further tied together by the 1870 Geological Survey. Although Baillie's 1832 "Account of the Province of New Brunswick" considered them separate.
In 1771, Casco Bay Island was claimed by William Owen alongside Campobello and Sandy Island. In April 1786, Charles Morris, of Halifax, claimed to have purchased at a Sheriff's Sale the entirety of Casco Bay Island, Head Harbour Island and some thousands of acres on Campobello, and sold the same lands to Gillam Butler who later sold them for £2500 to his colleague Thomas Storrow who worked with him at John Fraser & Co Merchants, but later bought it back for £2000. Lady Owen, gifted Casco Bay Island to Chief Justice John Campbell Allen.
As of 1839, the island was one of four belonging to the Campobello Mill and Manufacturing Company.
It is steep on its eastern side, and ledges run 300m off its northern and southwestern edges.
In August 1895, William Conley Jr and Elmer Richardson constructed a herring weir at Casco Bay Island.
In 1909, a sailor estimated to be in his thirties came to the Bay of Fundy with a schooner and crew of 15 men feigning interest in lobster fishing but drawing the attention of authorities who noted its lack of activity and cargo. When a rowboat was launched to Casco Island with men bearing shovels and mattocks, Customs officials followed it from a distance believing they intended to dispose of a corpse or dig up illicit goods to smuggle, unaware the schooner had sent ashore a geologist, mining engineer and civil engineer as part of a scientific expedition out of Galveston, Texas seeking the treasure of privateer Jean Lafitte.
Lithic artifacts have been recovered from Casco Bay Island's marsh on the north end, lying between two bedrock-core tree-covered knolls.
It was one of four islands studied in 1997 for the impact of sea kayaking on the Bay of Fundy environment.
From 2005-2013, the island was listed for sale on cascobayisland.com, including a 1,250 sq ft two-bedroom Riverbend log home built in 1994 with a well, solar panels and ATVs to traverse the islandwith the asking price dropping from $2.2 million to $1.2 million.
Author Michael Strong condemned the approval of a salmon weir at Tinkers Island given its proximity to the harbour seal colony at Sandy Island and similar seals at Casco Bay Island, which would necessitate acoustic seal deterrants disruptive to the minke whales and harbour porpoises that traversed the site.
The NB Power submarine power cable between Campobello Island and Leonardville, New Brunswick relays at Casco Bay Island.