Very few people know about the Island of Brighton. Some who are aware of Presqu’ile Point and its illustrious history may imagine this is a reference to a small island off Presqu’ile, now called High Bluff Island. High Bluff became an island in 1954 when Hurricane Hazel swept away a narrow road/causeway that connected it to Presqui’le Point. But this isn’t the Island of Brighton. The Island of Brighton is not marked as such on any map, but it exists and is settled, with roads, houses and several hundred residences. Certainly one of the prominent locations on the Island of Brighton is the Timber House.
The Island of Brighton’s creation began when the original boundaries of the adjacent Cramahe and Murray Townships were reduced to establish a separate township of Brighton in 1851. Although at this point in time the Island of Brighton did not yet exist, the seeds of its creation were sown in the establishment of these boundaries and their relationship to events both before and after that time.
The south end of Brighton occupies part of the narrow strip of land between the Bay of Quinte, Wellers Bay and Brighton Bay. From the beginning of human habitation in the area, it has been a strategic location. Native and later early European travel was easiest by water. A quick portage from the Bay of Quinte to Wellers Bay was much safer and quicker than the long way on the treacherous open Lake Ontario waters around what is now Prince Edward County. The coveted portage was known as the ‘Carrying Place‘ by natives and the first European visitors. The hamlet located on the portage trail retains that name to this day (see the last map at the bottom of this page).
The entire area was purchased by the British as part of lands acquired in the highly questionable Gunshot Treaty, signed October 9th, 1783 in Carrying Place. The treaty acquired, for a few blankets and guns, all the lands within the sound of a gunshot (which was somehow deemed to be 20km – must have been quite a big gun) from Lake Ontario’s north shore, all the way from present-day Toronto to the west end of the Bay of Quinte. The treaty was signed as part of a grand vision of creating continuous loyal British settlement along the north Lake Ontario shore. This occurred in the time-period following the Revolutionary war (1774-1776), as United Empire Loyalists migrated to the area. Later treaties improved on the questionable ownership transfer, but native land claims still linger over some of these areas.
For unknown reasons when the new township of Brighton was carved out of the earlier-established, adjoining townships, the south Stoney Point area of the new Brighton township was completely isolated by water from the main area of Brighton township to the north by the narrow eastern arm of what is now known as Brighton Bay (shown on the 1880 map as Presqueisle Bay). This eastern arm of the bay forms the north shoreline of Stoney Point. It terminates just over the boundary into Murray Township on the east side of Brighton Township. The image below is taken from the 1880 Map in the Canadian County Digital Atlas. Note the Stoney Point area shows on the 1880 map as ‘Stony’ Point.
South Brighton Township in 1880 - Click for Larger Image
In the blown up version of the south portion of the map below, although not labeled on the map, today’s Stoney Point Road can clearly be seen forming the east boundary of the township on both the north and south side of the narrow eastern arm of Brighton Bay. The east boundary road is highlighted in an orange colour visible on the map. According to this map, the boundary road in the north part of Brighton Township didn’t go all the way south to the actual Stoney Point area. But it was likely the intent when Stoney Point Road was named, since the two ends of the disconnected road share the same name to this day. It was only when 911 emergency services were implemented in the 1990′s a change was made to differentiate the name of the southern portion as Stoney Point Road ‘South’.
Timber House Country Inn is on land owned by Sam Patterson in 1880 - Click for Larger Image
The chosen boundary for the Township made it impossible to get from the north end of Brighton Township to the south end by land without leaving the township. The final step in the Island of Brighton’s creation began with the idea of constructing a canal to eliminate the need to portage at Carrying Place and to provide the safer passage around Prince Edward County for the ever-larger British boats plying Lake Ontario waters. While the portage took a shorter route to Lake Ontario via Wellers Bay, a slightly longer route to Brighton Bay was picked for the canal. As a result, the completion of the Murray Canal in 1889 completely cut off the southern end of Brighton from the mainland. While the south portion of Brighton Township was already an island from a municipal perspective, it now became one in fact as well. Thus was created the Island of Brighton. The island ‘effect’ is seen in the following modern map of the area, with the Murray Canal bisecting Brighton as it connects from Brighton Bay to the Bay of Quinte. The two Stoney Point Roads are both visible, the points on the Map indicate the location of the Timber House. Carrying Place, Wellers Bay and High Bluff Island are all visible as well.
The Timber House Country Inn therefore welcomes you to the ‘Island of Brighton’!
Brighton Island created by the Murray Canal - Click for Larger View