It takes its name from Louis-Simon le Poupet de la Boularderie, who was granted the area as a concession from the King of France.
Two outlets of Bras d'Or Lake run on each side of the island to the Atlantic Ocean: The extreme northeastern end of the island at Point Aconi fronts the Cabot Strait, whereas the extreme southwestern end at Kempt Head fronts the northern basin of Bras d'Or Lake.
The northern end of the island in the community of Point Aconi has been home to several underground coal mines with the last one, the Prince Colliery, closing in November 2001.
There have also been several controversial proposals to strip mine near-surface deposits which is meeting significant opposition from residents in the northern end of Boularderie Island.
The Point Aconi Generating Station is located at the northern end of the island adjacent to the abandoned Prince Colliery brown field.