Nearly two decades after winning a remote Canadian island through a promotional sweepstakes organized by confectionery brand Haribo, the owner has listed the property for sale at 348,000 Canadian dollars, equivalent to roughly 220,000 euros.
In 2005, Matthias Ross participated in the contest hosted by Haribo and secured the grand prize: a private island situated within the natural landscape of Nova Scotia. The presentation of the prize carried the scale of a television production, featuring German television personality Thomas Gottschalk, who served as the brand’s ambassador at the time, traveling to present the award.
Named Back Lake Island, the property encompasses 6.5 hectares—about 16 acres—located in the middle of Back Lake, roughly 30 minutes away from the small town of Shelburne. The island originally featured no structures, but contest terms required the construction of an 85-square-meter wooden chalet by a Canadian firm. The rustic dwelling includes two bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen.
Despite the chalet, utilities remain basic. Water is pumped directly from the lake, while electricity is generated through solar panels and automotive batteries. Facilities such as the shower and dry toilets are housed in a separate adjacent building. The property also includes a storage shed and two boats required to cross the water to the mainland.
Over the years, the island functioned as a vacation retreat for Ross and his family, serving as a setting for fishing, campfires, and chopping firewood. According to reports, Ross traveled to the property at least once a year, occasionally staying for several weeks at a time.
However, maintaining a private island located thousands of kilometers from his permanent residence in Germany introduced significant logistical and financial hurdles. The owner faces annual property taxes of approximately 2,500 euros, alongside ongoing grounds maintenance expenses and the high cost of travel, which involves a transatlantic flight, hours of driving, and a final boat crossing.
Additionally, his elderly parents, who previously traveled to the island to assist with upkeep and stayed for months at a time, are no longer willing to undertake the arduous journey. These compounding responsibilities ultimately prompted Ross to place the secluded property on the market.
