Anticosti Island, larger than Prince Edward Island and reminiscent of Corsica, has a rich history beginning as a seigneury granted to explorer Louis Jolliet. Acquired by chocolatier Henri Menier in 1895, it became a private hunting ground. Controversy arose in the 1930s when German investors sought to establish a pulp mill, raising suspicions of military intentions. Today, the island is a UNESCO World Heritage site, known for its ancient fossils, though the historic Menier castle was demolished in 1953.
Exploring Anticosti Island: A Historical Overview
Anticosti Island, a stunning gem of Canada, surpasses the size of Prince Edward Island and is comparable to the French island of Corsica, measuring about a quarter of Belgium’s area. Originally, this island was a seigneury granted by Louis XIV to the renowned explorer Louis Jolliet. In 1895, it was acquired by the famous French chocolatier Henri Menier, who transformed it into his personal hunting and fishing sanctuary. Menier introduced Virginia deer to the island, which have since flourished, with the population exceeding 150,000. He also constructed a “castle” in Port-Menier, which today is home to around 250 residents, the sole village on the island.
Controversial German Interests in Anticosti
In 1926, Consolidated Paper purchased Anticosti from the Menier family. A decade later, a controversial proposal emerged when German investors expressed interest in the island to establish a pulp mill that could potentially generate up to 2,000 jobs. This revelation was brought to public attention by a front-page article in the Montreal Gazette, which emphasized the strategic significance of Anticosti’s location. The Globe and Mail raised suspicions, suggesting that the forest resources were merely a facade for the Nazis’ true intentions.
A pivotal moment occurred when William Glyn, while dining at a Montreal hotel, overheard a group of 13 German men discussing Anticosti. Recognizing the language, he informed the federal government, suspecting these individuals were military personnel, with some connected to Hitler. Among them were Arnold Agatz, a specialist in bunker construction, and Karl Gerhardt, who had previously served as a professor in Canada before accompanying Hitler to significant meetings.
Despite these alarming developments, Prime Minister Mackenzie King, who harbored a fascination for Nazi Germany, played down the situation. His favorable attitude towards Germany included a visit to Berlin, where he met Hitler and attended the opera with Herman Goering.
Meanwhile, in Quebec, Maurice Duplessis rejected the idea of selling Anticosti to foreign entities. Nonetheless, his Ministry of Lands and Forests provided the German expedition with detailed maps of the Lower North Shore and Gaspésie.
Hugues Théorêt, in his work “The German Expedition to Anticosti Island,” highlights that the German U-boats became familiar with the river’s intricacies at the onset of World War II.
In late 1937, the visiting Germans charmed the local population while officially investigating the island’s forest and port facilities. Their presence reignited public interest in Anticosti following Austria’s occupation in 1938. In April of that year, Hermann Goering reached out to King with an informal request, underscoring potential employment benefits for Canada while dismissing any concerns over military ambitions as mere fantasies. However, his overtures did not yield results.
As of 2023, Anticosti Island has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, boasting a rich collection of over 1,400 fossil species, some dating back more than 430 million years. Notably, the once-majestic Menier castle was deliberately destroyed by Consolidated Pulp & Paper in 1953, marking the end of an era for this intriguing island.