Grindstone man wants island to secede

CLAYTON — Fed up with what he says is a lack of services for the taxes he pays, Grindstone Island resident Edward L. Barlow wants to relocate to Canada.

And he wants to take his house, his neighbors' homes and the entire St. Lawrence River island with him.

Mr. Barlow is proposing that the island secede from the United States and become a part of Canada, which controlled the north side of the island until shortly after the War of 1812.

"This is part of an ongoing tax revolt going on around here," Mr. Barlow said.

While the town maintains the island's roads and a public dock on its south side, Mr. Barlow contends there is no law enforcement immediately available, mail service is dependent on the weather, cell phone service is sketchy and the island's one-room schoolhouse was closed 20 years ago.

"They are doing everything they can to make life miserable on the north side," Mr. Barlow said of unspecified government entities. "It seems they're trying to drive people off the north side of Grindstone."

That's where Canada comes into Mr. Barlow's thinking. Gananoque, Ontario, is about a mile by boat from the island's north side, versus about a 10-mile boat trip to Clayton's village dock, which is available only seasonally, Mr. Barlow said.

"They only put out the docks for three months, so the tourists can use them," he said.

He said he makes more frequent trips to Gananoque than to Clayton for supplies and shares a kinship with his neighbors to the north.

"We're already watching 100 percent Canadian television, so why not let us vote in Canadian elections?" he said.

He said he pays about 25 percent of his income toward taxes and has learned from a Canadian friend that Canadians pay a similar amount, but receive, among other things, socialized medicine benefits in return.

"I'm paying the same as them. Why shouldn't I go over there and get all of our medical and dental?" he said.

Mr. Barlow spent 30 years operating a 50-foot fishing schooner in the Pacific Ocean off San Francisco, but is now retired. He and his wife are making gradual improvements to their Grindstone Island residence, which they have owned since 1978. He said his father bought property on the island in 1950.

His family is originally from Canada and he has studied the island's historical ties to that country. He said Canada owned the island's northern half for about 300 years, with the United States owning the southern half.

"At the end of the War of 1812, instead of drawing a line down the middle of Grindstone Island, they just pushed the border up around the island and took the whole thing," he said.

He said Canadians he's spoken with are enthusiastic about having the island returned to their country.

"It's personal to us and it's personal to them," he said. "This was something that was taken by the force of arms, and then neglected."

Whether any governmental or elected official will take up Mr. Barlow's cause remains to be seen. He has contacted the office of Gordon Brown, member of Canadian parliament for Leeds and Grenville, which includes Gananoque, to try to lay a foundation for secession.

Joanne Best, executive assistant for Mr. Brown, confirmed someone in his office had an "informal" conversation with Mr. Barlow, adding that Mr. Barlow was directed to request a meeting with the parliamentary member by first putting his concerns in writing. She said whether a meeting would take place would depend on the nature of the concerns outlined and Mr. Brown's availability. Mr. Brown is the House of Commons's chairman of the Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group, which meets to discuss common issues of concern to both countries.

"All I have to do is convince their Parliament that they should pay attention to this. This is an international situation," Mr. Barlow said. "I've got to get the Canadians to say, or put (U.S. officials) on notice, that either you take care of things or we're going to contest this."

There are only a handful of year-round residents on Grindstone Island, including Mr. Barlow. In the summer, seasonal residents boost the island's population to about 300 people.