Nearly everyone of them is a descendant of a shipwreck survivor.
The Magdalen Islands, also known as Iles de la Madeleine, have a long history of shipwrecks.
In those days, there were no lighthouses in the area and charts were less than accurate.
In the heavy winds, fog and choppy waters, navigation became a game of guessing and dexterity.
Many ships along with their passengers perished in the waters.
Those who survived chose to settle down and make the islands their home.
The Captain of the “Miracle”, Master H.H.
Today, there are six lighthouses around the islands.
Many of the Magdalen Islands shipwrecks lie hidden at the bottom of the sea in various states of decay.
Other pieces of wrecks are visible in dry ground in different forms, such as houses.
Many homes in the Magdalen Islands are constructed from wood salvaged from the islands many shipwrecks.
A hundred-year-old church is built from the same material.
Today, the island is made up of mostly French-speaking people, with only about 550 residents speaking English.
They are descendants of people who came from England, Scotland and Ireland.
Their only communication link to the mainland is a wireless telegraph station.
Photo credit: Uladzimir Taukachou
Photo credit:Miville Tremblay/Flickr
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Sources:BBC/magdalenislands.blogspot.in
