Cockburn Island (Ontario)

Cockburn Island
Township (single-tier)
Township of Cockburn Island
Aerial view of Cockburn Island
Cockburn Island
Coordinates: 45°55′N 83°23′W / 45.917°N 83.383°W / 45.917; -83.383Coordinates: 45°55′N 83°23′W / 45.917°N 83.383°W / 45.917; -83.383
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
District	Manitoulin
Settled	ca. 1880
Government
• Reeve	Brenda Jones
• Federal riding	Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing
• Prov. riding	Algoma—Manitoulin
Area
• Land	171.04 km2 (66.04 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	0
• Density	0/km2 (0/sq mi)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal Code FSA	P0P
Area code(s)	705

Cockburn Island is an island and municipality in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Manitoulin District. It is separated from the westernmost point of Manitoulin Island by the Mississagi Strait, and from Michigan's Drummond Island by the False Detour Channel.

The island is incorporated as and coterminous with the municipal Township of Cockburn Island. With an official population of zero in the Canada 2011 Census, and populations varying between zero and ten people in the previous three censuses, Cockburn Island is the least populated incorporated municipality in Canada. However, the population grows significantly in the summer, as an estimated two to three hundred people maintain cottages and summer homes on the island. Township offices are located on the mainland in Thessalon in Algoma District.

Until 2010, a small portion (3.44 square kilometres (1.33 sq mi)) of the north-west side of the island was taken up by the Cockburn Island 19 Indian reserve, which had no permanent population — this was heritage land belonging to a First Nation whose primary community is located on Manitoulin Island. On January 2, 2010, it was dissolved and added to Cockburn Island Township.

The island was named for Francis Cockburn, a deputy quartermaster of Upper and Lower Canada in the early 19th century.