Tecumseh is one step closer to acquiring an island from the Municipality of Lakeshore.
Monroe Island is currently in Lakeshore in the area of Old Tecumseh Road and East Pike Road but access to the island is off Brighton Road in Tecumseh.
Tecumseh mayor Gary McNamara says it's a unique island with only one residential property on it.
He says talks between the two municipalities started when Tom Bain was the mayor of Lakeshore and at that time, Lakeshore asked Tecumseh to service the island because there was no access to services on Lakeshore's side.
"The only community that could service the island, fully service was Tecumseh then basically that started the process of us acquiring Monroe Island," he says.
McNamara says Tecumseh, Lakeshore and the County of Essex have all signed an agreement for the island to be transfer to Tecumseh.
He says the agreement is being sent to Ontario's Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for final approval of the transfer..
"The boundary would shift instead of what we'd say to Lakeshore, the back side of the island, it would be on the front side of the island," he says. "There's going to be a little boundary change of the Pike Creek which comprises of Monroe Island."
McNamara says he has visited the island and says it's beautiful.
"I can understand why the owner wanted to build his home there and again we provide all the services from policing, fire because that's the only access to the island is in Tecumseh," says McNamara.
He says there is a bridge that connects the island to Brighton Road near Old Tecumseh Road.
McNamara says the address for the island is a Brighton Road address.
According to Tecumseh, a servicing agreement has been in place since 2021 and the proposed restructuring would officially transfer the property for taxation and governance purposes.
Tecumseh officials say the agreement includes transferring municipal records, updating emergency services mapping, and applying to the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) for a new assessment roll.