Chenail Island
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Ottawa River |
| Coordinates | 45°36′52″N 74°36′05″W / 45.6145°N 74.6014°WCoordinates: 45°36′52″N 74°36′05″W / 45.6145°N 74.6014°W |
| Administration | |
| Province |
 Ontario
|
| County | Prescott and Russell |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Uninhabited |
Chenail Island (French:ile du chenail) is an uninhabited island in the Ottawa River of Ontario, Canada. It is part of the town of Hawkesbury, Ontario and across the river from Grenville, Quebec. The only road on the island, the four-lane St. John Street, connects Ontario Highway 34 in Hawkesbury and Quebec Route 344 in Grenville via the Perley Bridge (1931 to 1998) and its replacement, the Long-Sault Bridge.
The channel between the island and Hawkesbury was called the "Chenaille Escarté" (lost channel) by early French-Canadian settlers. An English corruption of the term, "Snye Carty", was later shortened to "The Snye" and came to represent the village. Nearby Hamilton Island was the location of an early gristmill and sawmill built by two Americans, Thomas Mears and David Pattee, around 1815. After having financial trouble, the properties were taken over by the mortgagees, brothers John and Robert Hamilton. The sawmill processed logs that were floated down the river after being cut, with much of the lumber being exported to England. The mill complex, known as Hawkesbury or Hamilton Mills, was expanded many times into the largest sawmill in Canada during the 19th century, employing over 1000 people.
The offices of the mill were on Chenail Island, which was at the time a thriving center of commerce and the original town center of Hawkesbury. A fire destroyed the mill complex in 1925.
In the early 1960s, the size of the island was reduced when construction of the Carillon Generating Station, a hydroelectric power station that was built approximately 12 mi (19 km) downstream from the island raised the water level by over 9 feet (2.7 m) submerging much of the island and forcing the residents to leave. Plans to build embankments that would have protected some properties were rejected by residents who did not want to live behind them. In addition to large tracts of farmland, approximately 35 commercial and 200 residential parcels in Hawkesbury were expropriated, including all of the parcels (approximately 50) on Chenail Island.
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