Private island on P.E.I. looking for new owners

An island within an island in eastern P.E.I. has gone up for sale and is looking for a new owner. 

"It's 11 acres of untouched paradise," said Patrick Martens with EXIT Realty, who is trying to find a buyer. "It's beautiful out there."

Gillis Island is located in the Pinette River and is approximately a 10 minute paddle from Gillis Road. 

"Low tide you can walk to it," he said. "When it's high tide, you have to canoe to it."

Only two previous owners

The property is listed for $87,000. According to Martens, it has only had two owners in the past. The first family owned it for over 100 years. The current family has had it for almost two decades. They recently relocated to the west coast.  

"They used to use it for family kinds of trips just to go camping," said Martens. "Get back to nature ... and just relax as a family. "

The private island has been continuously on the market for over a year. But it was on and off the market for the past couple of years. While Martens said he does get a call or email each day, accessing the island makes it complicated. 

"Everybody likes the concept of an island but you have to get there," he said. "Get supplies over, things like that." 

Ecological value

With forests, trails and red sandbars, the property does have ecological value. Martens said they have spoken with Island Nature Trust and are hoping they might be interested. However, they would most likely need a large donor to come forward because coastal properties are more expensive. 

For the time being, the island will remain listed and up for sale.

According to Martens, the owners will continue looking to "pass it on to someone else that will enjoy it as much as they have."

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