Devil's Island is located at the northeast entrance to Halifax Harbour just off of shore of Eastern Passage. The first mention of the island historically can be found in 1711, when it was included in an early French map depicting1 what is now the Province of Nova Scotia.
The island has gone through many name changes, but it is believed that it was first known as Deville's or Duval's Island. Over the years of English habitation in the area the name was eventually anglicized and came to be known as Devil's Island. The first European settlers began a community on the island by 1830, this quickly grew to include at least 20 families, a school, and a general store. At one point there were two lighthouses and a lifesaving station based on the island; today only the southeast lighthouse remains2 along with a later light keep
