Rural island living near the Canadian border
Sailboats float by on the peaceful waters of Lake Champlain, and rolling hills set the backdrop. Residents of Isle La Motte live among this serene landscape, with forests and farmland separating their secluded properties. “People are drawn to it. It’s one of those things – people who live on Isle La Motte intensely love it. They want to be there forever,” says Michael Savage, Vermont native and local broker with RE/MAX North Professionals. With Montreal only 60 miles away, this community is popular among Canadians who live there part-time, and some families have hundreds of years of history living on the island. “Canadians are pretty big players in our real estate market,” Savage says. “The year-round population is 550 to 600 people, but when you get to the warmer months, it quadruples.”
Historic farmhouses and modern homes dot the community
Farmhouses built in the 1800s dot the island, though ranch-style homes, Cape Cods and cabins built throughout the 20th century to today are equally prevalent. “There are some larger homes on the island, but it’s definitely not common. It’s quaint,” Savage says. Houses have historically sold for between $250,000 and $740,000. Many properties are tucked away on several acres of wooded land, and stretches of farmland add to the rural feel of the community. “In the winter months it seems very secluded, because people disappear for the winter,” Savage says. The island has a CAP Index crime score of 1, lower than the national average of 4.
Boating and swimming in Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain's water remains cool year-round. “It will get up to about 70, 71, 72 [degrees Fahrenheit], but most of the time, that’s as warm as it gets,” Savage says. Still, boating, kayaking, water skiing, fishing and swimming are all popular activities, particularly during the summer. From the rocky shoreline, seasonal and year-round residents launch their boats from private docks or the public boat launch onto the deep blue water. On the southern side of the island, Chazy Reef offer hikers unique views of fossil formations dating back hundreds of millions of years among old limestone quarries.
Recreation, worship and community events at Saint Anne’s Shrine
The site of Saint Anne’s Shine has an open-air Catholic church that holds mass in the summertime, as well as several statues honoring religious figures. Visitors can stay in the retreat cabins or visit for the day to enjoy a service or hang out by the water. “Saint Anne’s Shrine has always been a huge draw,” Savage says. “It’s a gorgeous property right on the west shore. The shrine has one of the nicest beaches.” The facility also hosts events like a monthly pancake breakfast in the summer and harvest dinner in the fall. The town also hosts community events like its annual yard sale in June.
Locally owned businesses serve residents
Ruthcliff Lodge & Restaurant, the only restaurant on the island, is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Diners enjoy seafood and pasta dishes while overlooking the peaceful views of Lake Champlain. Isle La Motte Country Store is at the center of the community and has grocery basics, including meats, toiletries and frozen foods. The nearest full-service grocery stores include Price Chopper in Champlain or Hannaford in Swanton. Both are about a 30-minute drive from Isle La Motte. “Other than the little convenience store to pick up the daily necessities, people are used to doing the once-a-week thing to stock up,” Savage says.
Island students have school choice for middle and high school
Isle La Motte no longer has its own school. “Some of the local school districts have consolidated to share longer resources and save money,” Savage says. Today, students are zoned to attend Grand Isle Elementary School in the Champlain Islands Unified Union School District for kindergarten through sixth grade. Located about 15 miles south in Grand Isle, the school receives a C-minus rating from Niche. Students living on the island have school choice for seventh through 12th grades. Savage says that many students attend Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School, which has an A-minus from Niche, and South Burlington High School, which has an A and is rated the second-best public high school in Vermont by Niche. The middle and high schools are both about 45 miles away from Isle La Motte, though Savage notes that South Burlington is among the local schools offering bussing for students on Isle La Motte.
Flooding is rare, but can happen on Isle La Motte
Some of the community is in a flood zone. The most recent major flood event was in 2011, when water levels reach a record high. “The way it flooded, the island was divided in two. People had a little boat to get things from one side to another,” Savage says. “It doesn’t normally flood like that. It was hopefully a once-in-a-lifetime thing.” He notes that, as flooding isn’t very common, many residents whose properties were damaged did not have flood insurance. “That created a real hardship for some people,” he says.
Getting on and off Isle La Motte by car
As residents need to travel for most necessities, and there is no public transportation, most locals will need a car to get around. There is one causeway on the community’s northern side to get off the island. “The causeway is the one way on and one way off Isle La Motte” Savage says. Drivers also cross the nearby Canadian border to get to Montreal, about 60 miles north. For medical care, Chaplain Valley Physicians Hospital is 38 miles away, and Northwestern Medical Center is 30 miles away. Plattsburgh International Airport is about an hour drive away.
Written By
Faith Wakefield
