Deas Island

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Burrvilla
Burrvilla

Deas Island is an island in the south arm of the Fraser River between Delta, British Columbia and Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. The island is home to a regional park approximately 300 acres (121 ha) in size. It is home to three historic buildings; Burrvilla, a stately Victorian home, Inverholme, a one-room schoolhouse, and the Delta Agricultural Hall.

The island is also home to many types of birds and is a popular bird watching destination.

The island is notable for being the site of the southern end of the George Massey Tunnel (originally the Deas Island Tunnel). The tunnel is part of Highway 99 and connects Delta to Richmond. The tunnel goes from Deas and Lulu Island (Richmond) to the north. There is a small bridge that completes the connection between Deas Island and the main part of Delta.

The 1909 Inverholme schoolhouse
The 1909 Inverholme schoolhouse

[edit] Origin of the name

The island was named for John Sullivan Deas, a mulatto tinsmith and cannery foreman who worked on the island in the 1870s.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Place names of the Lower Mainland