Evan and Mary Mattice from Seattle, Washington, bought the Island in 1949 as a vacation getaway in the summer with their two sons.

In 1972, Mary and her second husband, Albert W. Palmer, moved to the island and became full-time residents, living there for twenty years.

As soon as his children finished secondary school, the eldest son planned to also continue living on Jedediah Island with his wife.

However, the deal was still uncertain until Mary Palmer got the provincial park service to agree to Class A status for the island, meaning it could not be logged or mined.

The foot that washed up on Jedediah Island was traced back to a man that has been missing since 2004 – foul play is not suspected.