Christian Island
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About
Christian Island, also known to Beausoleil First Nation as Chimnissing or “Big Island,” is an island in southern Georgian Bay, Ontario, and the main community of Beausoleil First Nation. Beausoleil First Nation describes itself as the People of G’Chimnissing and states that it rests on the shores of southern Georgian Bay on Christian, Beckwith, and Hope Islands.
Christian Island, together with nearby Hope Island and Beckwith Island, forms Christian Island Indian Reserve No. 30, which the Government of Canada lists as 5,530.0 hectares and associated with Beausoleil First Nation. Beausoleil’s land base also includes Christian Island Indian Reserve No. 30A, a 7.9-hectare reserve at Cedar Point west of Midland, and an interest in the 3.1-hectare Chippewa Island reserve in Twelve Mile Bay, which is shared with the Chippewas of Georgina Island and the Chippewas of Rama First Nation. Christian Islands' highest elevation is 209 metres (686 feet) above sea level.
Christian Island is part of the Georgian Bay / Thirty Thousand Islands region. Nearby protected areas include Georgian Bay Islands National Park and Beausoleil Island National Historic Site, which Parks Canada identifies as part of the world’s largest freshwater archipelago. Parks Canada states that Georgian Bay Islands National Park is composed of 63 islands and is accessible only by boat, while UNESCO lists the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve as covering 347,269 hectares along the eastern coast of Georgian Bay.
The history of Beausoleil First Nation is connected to broader land and treaty issues involving the Chippewa Tri-Council and other First Nations in the region. In 2012, Beausoleil First Nation was one of the communities involved in the approval of the Coldwater–Narrows Specific Land Claim settlement, which the Government of Canada described as resolving a claim dating back more than 170 years. Beausoleil First Nation materials describe the claim as relating to the former Coldwater–Narrows reserve between present-day Orillia and Matchedash Bay.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.