Saltspring Island

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Saltspring Island

Saltspring Island is the largest, most populated, and most visited of the Gulf Islands chain of British Columbia, Canada. It was named by officers of the Hudson's Bay Company for the cold and briny saltwater springs on the north end of the island.

1 History
- 1.1 Note on the Name Saltspring/Salt Spring
2 Geography and Terrain
3 Location and Access
4 Tourism and a Vibrant Artistic Culture
5 Famous Residents
6 References
7 External Links

[edit] History

Salt Spring has been a seasonal home of the First Nations of the Coast Salish language group since the time of European settlement, and evidence suggests that permanent settlements existed for centuries before that, on the south coast of the island where the Tsawout Band Reserve is located today. The Wsanec people of the Saanich Peninsula and the Cowichan people from the Cowichan Valley frequented the island's shores and harvested its resources.

The island was explored by the Spanish and British in the 1700s, and settled in the 1850s by early pioneers who had abandoned their Fraser River gold rush hopes. A group of 9 African-american slaves, who had purchased their liberty in the United States, arrived at Vesuvius in 1857.

Further black settlers, mainly from California, were followed by European immigrants from Portugal and Scandinavia, and British and Hawaiian (Kanakas) settlers originally recruited by the Hudson's Bay Company. As well, many Japanese settlers arrived on the island to fish and there are still islanders who are of this Japanese descent.

In the 60's and 70's many young people moved to the island attracted by the care free artisan lifestyle and the mild climate. During Vietnam, the "hippie" lifestyle attracted many draftdodgers and those opposed to the U.S led war.

In 2001, Salt Spring began a new initiative to promote the island. Salt Spring Dollars were first issued on September 15. Purchased from select stores on the island at par with the Canadian Dollar, they are only valued on the island. A new .999 fine, 1/2 oz. silver coin was minted in November of 2006.

Today Salt Spring is home to many. This includes retired people from all over the world who seek the quiet life and warm winters, and artisans who enjoy the creative environment on the island, fostered by the many galleries and artists.

[edit] Note on the Name Saltspring/Salt Spring

Is the island named Saltspring or Salt Spring? The Oxford Dictionary of Canadian Place Names indicates it was called Salt Spring Island by the Hudson's Bay Company in the early 1800s. In 1910 the name was changed to Saltspring by the Geographic Board of Canada, which often fused multiple-word place names. So, officially it is one word, but local usage tends to prefer two words, although it is not unanimous. Canada Post accepts both spellings of the name.

The town of Ganges was named for HMS Ganges, which was stationed there between 1857 and 1861. HMS Ganges was a 2nd rate, 2,284 tons, 84 gun warship of the British Royal Navy. Similarly the village of Vesuvius Bay was named for HMS Vesuvius. Baynes Peak, on southwestern Saltspring, is named for Admiral Baynes, the commanding military officer during the Governancy of James Douglas, formerly of the Royal Navy base in Callao, Peru.

"Captain Richards when surveying here evidently wished to associate the island with Rear Admiral Baynes, commanding at the time,, the Pacific station, his flagship, staff and officers etc. He therefore named the highest mountain Baynes, after the Admiral; Ganges Harbour after the flagship; Fulford Harbour after the captain; Burgoyne Bay after the commander; Southey Point after the admiral's secretary; Mount Bruce after the previous commander in chief; and Cape Keppel after a friend of Admiral Baynes." from British Columbia Coast Names, by John T. Walbran.

[edit] Geography and Terrain

Saltspring Island, in the Capital Regional District is the most densely populated of the Gulf Islands and is also home to the biggest Gulf Island provincial campground, Ruckle Provincial Park. The island's shoreline is varied and beautiful, offering rocky shores, tidal pools to explore, shell beaches for beachcombing, and a wide variety of sandy beaches. Of the 22 ocean beaches, 4 are designated for swimming.

Many of the beaches which developed thousands of years ago now lie well above sea level and have left Saltspring Island with thick deposits of sand which is often gravelly. Finer-textured soils are more scattered, except in the Fulford Valley where they are dominant. Shallow, stony loams are common over sedimentary rock. Stony sandy loam is the usual soil cover on more mountainous terrain. Brown Podzolic soils dominate the well-drained areas; gleysols and mucks occupy poorly drained sites.

The rugged and mountainous southern end of the island is dominated by Mount Tuam and Mount Bruce, separated from the equally mountainous mid-island region by the Fulford Valley, located between Fulford Harbour and Burgoyne Bay. The north end of the island has a lower elevation, with rolling pastures, deciduous forests and the majority of residential developments, mainly around the village of Ganges.

Saltspring is 18 miles (29 km) long and 9 miles (14 km) wide, with 83 miles (133 km) of shoreline and 182.27 km² (70.37 sq mi) of land area. The island attracts visitors and prospective residents with its mild climate and annual sunshine in excess of 2,000 hours. The population of the island was 9,279 as of the 2001 census.

Saltspring Island is home to the Crow's Nest Ecological Research Area, a 72.7-acre ecological preserve owned by Trinity Western University. The research area, used for natural science study tours and research projects for students of the university, is also home to some of the few remaining Garry oak (Quercus garryana) meadows in British Columbia. These meadows and their associated ecosystems contain more plant species than any other terrestrial ecosystem in coastal B.C., as well as a multitude of other creatures, including many species found nowhere else in Canada.

[edit] Location and Access

Saltspring Island is located in the sheltered waters of the Southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia. Because of its close proximity to Vancouver Island, Saltspring is the most accessible of the Gulf chain of islands, with the most frequent ferry sailings on three routes to three ferry terminals. BC Ferries links Fulford Harbour with Swartz Bay (near Sidney), and also links Vesuvius to Crofton on Vancouver Island. There is a BC Ferries dock in nearby Long Harbour with a link to Tsawwassen, on the BC mainland. Floatplanes also link the village of Ganges to Vancouver and Seattle.

An excellent highly detailed and interactive map of Salt Spring Island can be found at Map of Salt Spring [1]

[edit] Tourism and a Vibrant Artistic Culture

Saltspring Island has many redeeming qualities for the wandering tourist, but arguably its market is one of its biggest draws. Each Saturday the harbourside paths of Centennial Park come alive with 150 local vendors, and the hundreds, if not thousands, of visitors who come to buy unique (mostly organice) foods, crafts and art that symbolize Saltspring's idyllic lifestyle. Begun in 1975, vendors started selling goods out of their cars in a dirt parking lot. But as its popularity increased, the [2]Saturday Art and Farmer's Market became more organized, culminating in 1992 when a move by the island's Parks and Recreation Commission created a system limiting vendor permits to Gulf Islands residents who must "Make it, Bake it, or Grow it." When introduced, the new regulations created resentment and many vendors moved to less regulated venues. Now, most agree that the changes were necessary. (Source: Canadian Geographic Online)