Road now open to Boughton Island but some locals want gate removed entirely
New Boughton Island Historical Society to build on groundswell of local support
The road to Boughton Island is accessible again after a gate that was blocking it has been opened, but some local residents want the gate removed so it can't be closed again.
In February, officials with the provincial department of transportation were called into investigate after complaints from some Kings County residents.
A property owner had installed a locked gate at the end of Bruce Point Road in Launching, P.E.I. It's the only way to get to Boughton Island without a boat.
"I put it on social media and there was an immediate uproar especially from the local community," said Scott MacNeill, an environmental scientist who lives in Launching.
"People didn't realize it had been placed there and they've been using that road for many, many years."
Historic island
The island is made up of more than 120 hectares of protected natural area off of P.E.I.'s southeastern shore. People used to live on Boughton Island and at its peak it was home to five lobster canneries, with a schoolhouse and post office.
After meeting with provincial transportation officials, MacNeill and some other local residents organized a petition in support of re-opening the road, gathering 485 signatures in less than two weeks.
MacNeill said transportation officials reached out to the family that owns property in the area asking them to open the gate, which they did.
CBC also spoke to the family but they did not want to comment.
MacNeill said local residents who signed the petition want to see the gate removed entirely.
"They're very happy that our voice was heard and the gate was opened up but they're worried that whenever the hoopla dies down in a year's time that they'll close the gate again," MacNeill said.
"You know once you do it once, the second time, there won't be the same uproar so we want the gate taken out and the road re-established and the government to take control of the road again."
A spokesperson for the P.E.I. Department of Transportation said in a written statement that they are in talks with the property owner and other users of the road and hope to do some additional surveying work in early May to confirm the boundaries of the properties in the area.
The department will provide an update on future plans for the area after that work is complete.
Reclaim the road
MacNeill hopes the P.E.I. government will reclaim the road, which he says was once a government road used to access the wharf used to take mail to Boughton Island.
"In 150 years the road has moved, it's migrated with erosion," MacNeill said.
"Once they finalize the boundaries of the road, and the historical boundaries, hopefully what they're planning on doing is opening up the road, fixing the parking lot, putting in a parking area with signage."
MacNeill would also like to see the road graded, the way it was in the past.
New historical society
All of the interest in the road to Boughton Island has led to the creation of a new group focused on raising awareness about the area's history.
"With the public outcry and the interest and the concern from community members that have a history with the Island, we're looking at starting a Boughton Island historical society," MacNeill said.
"We're hoping to start meeting in May and do beach clean-ups, take people for walks and show them some historical features."
MacNeill believes Boughton Island has the potential to become a destination for both tourists and Islanders.
"I'd ultimately like to get some signage down there explaining the history of Boughton Island," MacNeill said.
"It's a pretty cool place. There's a lot of history there."
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