August 2019 Issue #32 August 2019 Issue #32 | Page 221

5 & 6 –Melville Island and Deadman’s
Melville Island and Deadman’s Island are situated on the south side of Halifax on the
city’s Northwest Arm, about a 10-minute drive from the downtown core. Historically
linked, these islands are positioned on either side of a small cove known as Dead-
man’s Cove.
The importance of the islands’ history lies in their role as a wartime prison, medical
facility, immigration quarantine centre and a place of rest of nearly 400 individuals, the
islands offer a rare glimpse into the history of the province.
Melville Island entered Canadian military history when prisoners of war were detained
there in the late 1790s. It continued in this capacity throughout the War of 1812, and
again from 1909 until 1939. As a result of Britain’s international agreements with re-
spect to treatment of prisoners, Melville Island also became a medical facility for en-
emy detainees. The island later played a role in early immigration into Canada as a
quarantine centre, and served as a British military prison for soldiers charged with
military offenses.
Today, a plaque can be found on Deadman’s Island which commemorates 195 Ameri-
can servicemen who died in captivity in the former prison on Melville Island during the
War of 1812.
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HALIFAX