Lake Erie's Long Point and the Company that saved it

Long Point, a wilderness in the Canadian waters of Lake Erie, attracts thousands of migrating waterfowl. In the 1800s it was becoming a home for nefarious activities including illegal logging and hunting, drunkenness and prostitution. Seeking to bring the lawlessness under control, the pre-confederation British Government parcelled off the land for auction in 1866 and a group of wealthy businessmen seeking a private duck hunting preserve established the Long Point Company. With the arrival of the Gilded Age in the 1870s, American millionaires came to dominate the membership. The area is designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. citizen Stephen Selk documents the symbiotic relationship that has proven beneficial to both Long Point and the shareholders.