Quebec brothers seek right buyer for dad's 'treasure island' off the Magdalen Islands

Daniel Barrette-Lapierre and his brother Jean-Philippe say they started getting calls from potential buyers for their family's small island a decade ago, on the day of their father's funeral. 

The small island, called Corps-Mort (corpse in English) and located about 15 kilometres off the southwest coast of Havre Aubert Island, in the Magdalen Islands archipelago, was purchased by Gaston Lapierre in the early 90s.

"It was my father's childhood dream to own an island — a bit like a treasure island," said Daniel Barrette-Lapierre, now one of the island's co-owners. 

"When I was young, my dad often talked about Oak Island [in Nova Scotia], which is the ultimate treasure island. He got a chance to live his dream."

Corps-Mort is uninhabited and is accessible only by boat. It doesn't have any vegetation but it is home to colonies of birds and seals. It's 373 metres long with an area of about four hectares, according to property records.

The brothers say they've decided it may be time to sell — but only to the right kind of buyer. They want the island to remain a sanctuary for birds and seals and for it to remain accessible to day-trippers from the Magdalen Islands.

"There is only you, nature and the sea as far as the eye can see. We can barely see the Magdalen Islands from there," said Barrette-Lapierre, who grew up on the Magdalen Islands but now lives in the Gaspé region. 

He says it's clear that many residents cherish the island. 

"I received a lot of messages from people telling me they sometimes go to Corps-Mort to pick up debris brought on by the sea," he said.

Reaching out to non-profits

Barrette-Lapierre believes it's illegal to build any permanent structures on the island but says a temporary structure might be allowed. Even then, he says, it's not ideal.

"I really don't want some random person to do random things with this [island]. I want it to be given back to people from the Magdalen Islands and for it to become a nature reserve or a park," he said. 

He recently posted on Facebook about his family's plans, in hopes word would spread to non-profit organizations that could be interested. He says he's been in touch with the conservation society of the Magdalen Islands and the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the nature conservancy confirmed that it has begun talks with the owners.

"We're currently analyzing the file," said Olivier Perrotte Caron, a project manager with the non-profit. "We are very happy to know that they prioritize the preservation of Corps-Mort's fauna."

CBC News has also reached out to the conservation society of the Magdalen Islands for comment and is waiting to hear back. 

For now, a sale price hasn't been set since it's difficult to establish this type of property's true market value. According to the assessment roll, Corps-Mort island should only fetch about $1,100. 

"There are no comparables," said the co-owner. "What is it worth to people on the Magdalen Islands or for a conservation group? We don't know."

According to the Commission de toponymie du Québec, the provincial agency responsible for the names of places, Corps-Mort island was once used as a fishing post. The origin of the small island's name is unclear, but the commission says it could be linked to its shape — which resembles a body lying on the floor — or it could be a reference to boat moorings.