Charron Island

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Charron Island, also known in French as Île Charron, is a small island in the Saint Lawrence River. It is the westernmost island of the Îles de Boucherville archipelago, near Îles-de-Boucherville National Park, and lies northeast of Montreal. Today it is part of the city of Longueuil and is connected to the mainland and the Island of Montreal by the Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Bridge–Tunnel, which carries Quebec Autoroute 25 and the Trans-Canada Highway.

The island has essentially no residents. A few buildings exist there, including Hôtel Gouverneur, the St-Laurent water treatment plant, and a summer theatre. Much of the island is park-like land and forest, making it an important natural habitat for migratory birds.

History in brief
- In 1672, Louis XIV granted the island (then called Île Notre-Dame) to René Gaultier and it became part of the fief Du Tremblay.
- In 1689, the island’s ownership passed to their daughter, Madeleine Le-Villier, and it became known as Île Madeleine.
- From 1690 to 1753 the island changed hands several times, coming to be known as Île Dufort after Prudent Bougret dit Dufort, and part of the land went to the Jesuits.
- In 1815 the general surveyor Joseph Bouchette listed it as Île Charron, and the name Île Charron became official in 1950 (before that it alternated with Î Ile Dufort).
- On March 11, 1967, the Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Bridge–Tunnel opened, connecting the island more directly to Montreal and Longueuil. A hotel was built, and Charron Island became the main access road to the nearby Îles de Boucherville archipelago.
- In 1984 Îles-de-Boucherville National Park was created, and in 1989 the Quebec government bought the remaining land from the Society of Jesus to create more park space and give the island to Longueuil for green areas.

Controversy
In 1988, Desjardins Financial Security bought a large portion of the island. The following year, Longueuil planned a housing project of about 2,500 units to be built by a Lavalin subsidiary on much of the forested land. Local residents formed groups to protect the island, and today only a few buildings remain. Supporters say the island is valuable for wildlife, especially birds, while talks continue between the government and Desjardins about the land’s future.

See also
- Parcours Île Charron disc golf course
- Hochelaga Archipelago
- Îles-de-Boucherville National Park
- Longueuil
- Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Tunnel