[1] Archaeological evidence suggests the island was first used by nomadic Point Peninsula peoples between 450 BC and 450 AD.

[2] European settlers from Prince Edward County began to settle Main Duck Island in the early 19th century, establishing a fishing station.

When the prohibition of alcoholic beverages came into effect, in 1917, Cole became a notorious smuggler, with commercial fishermen who rented huts` on the island, during fishing season, smuggling booze with their catches.

[4] In 1941, John Foster Dulles, the future secretary of state for Dwight D. Eisenhower, bought much of the island as a summer place.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada purchased this land circa 1976 and then resold it to the Canadian Federal Government.