The St. Lawrence River was discovered in 1535 by Jacques Cartier and the area was later dubbed “Les Miles Iles” or translated to English: The Thousand Islands. Dubbed “Garden of the Great Spirit” by the native Iroquois, the 1000 Islands and Eastern Lake Ontario became the passageway to the Canadian and U.S. interiors.
Many battles of the War of 1812 were fought on these shores but Americans and Canadians are now united in international friendship, their cultures blending in the waters of the mighty St. Lawrence River.
Distinguished visitors such as U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant and Civil War General Phillip Sheridan came to the 1000 Islands in the late 19th century, helping to bring international attention to the area which would become widely appreciated as an exceptional summer resort with grand hotels and steamship tour boats. Today, visitors come for the same reasons – to enjoy the gentle waters, scenic views and natural beauty.
Vacationers continue to be attracted to the 1000 Islands to enjoy its breathtaking beauty. Waters that were once patrolled by pirates, 19th century warships and Prohibition bootleggers are now cruised by cottagers who enjoy serene bays and vacationers who tour aboard guided trips and hear the astonishing stories behind the islands. Lighthouses, historic castles, maritime museums, world-class fishing and diving, countless protected anchorages, on-the-water dining, family amusements and more make the 1000 Islands a magical place unlike any in the world.
Ottawa photographer and publisher John McQuarrie lived aboard his boat for the season, mooring at marinas in Kingston, Gananoque and Brockville and amassed a collection of about 5,000 images from which he selected more than 400 to appear in the book’s 232 colour pages. As his ‘Then & Now” sub title suggests, he artfully combined a number of archival photographs and paintings that, paired with his modern views of many of these same areas, gives the reader a vibrant and compelling picture of the region as it has evolved through the ages.
But McQuarrie will be the first to concede that Ian Coristine is the undisputed, master-photographer of the 1000 Islands. Ian has spent the last seventeen summers on his beloved Raleigh Island and living right in the centre of his ‘canvas’ has helped him capture achingly beautiful photographs of his favourite place on earth. (He has graciously allowed 18 of his best to appear in this title.) For many of those summers he had his own ultralight floatplane safely tucked into a small cove on the island, just steps from his cottage, so this explains the spectacular aerial images you have enjoyed in his many books and prints. Readers of this book will get a taste of his exciting iPad interactive eBook which shares the story of him discovering the place and becoming an “accidental artist.”
While so-called coffee table books are typically driven by images, this one is also intended to have a story-telling component and you will find over 50,000 words floating along with the pictures. Fortunately for its readers, several prominent 1000 Island writers and authors were persuaded to lend their particular knowledge and considerable talent in painting their words onto these pages. They include, in alphabetical order; Doug Grant, Kim Lunman, Jennnifer McKendry, John Nalon and Don Ross. Their individual contributions combine in a most powerful way to produce a text that will add immensely to your enjoyment of this 90-kilometre (50-mile) journey through the 1000 Islands from Brockville to Kingston on the Canadian side and Morristown to Tibbetts Point on the U.S. shore. And a very good read it is.
