{{Short description|Canadian island in the Detroit River}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox islands |name = Fighting Island |image_name = |image_caption = | map = WayneCountyMI#Ontario | map_caption = |native_name = |native_name_link = |location = Detroit River |coordinates={{Coord|42|13|18|N|83|07|12|W|type:isle_region:US-MI|display=inline,title}} |archipelago = |total_islands = |major_islands = |area_km2 = 6.06 |coastline_km = |highest_mount = |elevation_m = 174 |country = Canada |country_admin_divisions_title = Territory |country_admin_divisions = Ontario |country1_admin_divisions_title = County |country1_admin_divisions =Essex |country2_admin_divisions_title = City |country2_admin_divisions =LaSalle |population = |population_as_of = |density_km2 = |ethnic_groups = }} '''Fighting Island''' is a {{convert|1500|acre|ha|adj=on|order=flip}} island in the Detroit River, and is the largest Canadian island in the river. It is part of the town of LaSalle, Ontario, Canada, opposite Wyandotte, Michigan, and downriver from Detroit and Windsor.
==History== Originally populated by indigenous peoples, it was settled by the French during the 18th century, and has had numerous owners since then. The island took its name from the Indigenous artifacts that were first spotted on the island in 1810.<ref>{{cite web|title=Farmer's History of Detroit: Chapter 2 The River, Islands, Wharves and Docks, Streams And Mills|url=https://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Farmer/default.asp?ID=s002|accessdate=9 October 2014}}</ref>
The island was the site of a brief skirmish on February 24 and 25, 1838, during the Battle of Windsor, part of the Patriot War.<ref name=1838battle>{{cite book|last1=Ross|first1=Robert Budd|title=The Patriot War|date=1890|publisher=Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society|pages=[https://archive.org/details/patriotwar00rossgoog/page/n27 21]–23|url=https://archive.org/details/patriotwar00rossgoog|accessdate=July 6, 2015}}</ref>
In 1918, the land was bought by John B. Ford of the Michigan Alkali Company and was used as a location to deposit waste from their industrial plants which produced soda ash, lye and baking soda.<ref name=MPR>{{cite web|url=https://michiganradio.org/post/fighting-island-detroit-river-no-longer-wasteland|title=Fighting Island in the Detroit River no longer a wasteland|website=Michigan Radio|date=June 12, 2013|author=Mark Brush|accessdate=July 5, 2015}}</ref> Nearly {{convert|20000000|yd3|m3|abbr=on|order=flip}} of high-pH waste was dumped on the island during its industrial history.<ref name=MFP>{{cite web|url=http://www.freep.com/article/20090607/NEWS05/906070473|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090610110547/http://www.freep.com/article/20090607/NEWS05/906070473/|archive-date=June 10, 2009|title=Detroit River island goes from wasteland to sanctuary|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|date=June 7, 2009|author=Tina Lam|accessdate=July 5, 2015}}</ref> Michigan Alkali Company became Wyandotte Chemicals Corporation, which was subsequently bought by BASF, who are the current owners of the island. BASF embarked on a rehabilitation program which successfully removed the waste for proper disposal, and rebuilt the natural habitat of the island.<ref>{{cite news | last=Lam | first=Tina | title=Detroit River island goes from wasteland to sanctuary | date=June 7, 2009 | url=https://www.freep.com/article/20090607/NEWS05/906070473 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090610110547/https://www.freep.com/article/20090607/NEWS05/906070473 | archive-date=June 10, 2009 | url-status=dead | work=freep.com }}</ref> Since 2004, BASF along with the Greater Essex County District School Board have run a program on the island that is used to teach elementary/secondary schools about biology and ecology.<ref>{{cite web | title=Greater Essex County District School Board - 2023 Climate Action Plan | access-date=January 17, 2025 | url=https://www.publicboard.ca/en/about-gecdsb/Plans-and-Reports/2023-Climate-Action-Plan-DRAFT.pdf | work=publicboard.ca }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
Category:BASF Category:River islands of Ontario Category:Landforms of Essex County, Ontario Category:Private islands of Canada Category:Islands of the Detroit River Category:Patriot War