| Saltspring Island | |
|---|---|
| — Island — | |
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Regional District | |
| Government | |
| - MP | Gary Lunn (Conservative) |
| - MLA | Murray Coell(BC Liberal Party) |
| Area | |
| - Land | 182.7 km2 (70.5 sq mi) |
| Population (2008) | |
| - Total | 10,500 |
| - Density | 57.5/km2 (148.9/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC−8) |
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC−7) |
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Saltspring Island (also known as Salt Spring Island) is one of the Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia between mainland British Columbia, Canada and Vancouver Island. It is the largest, the most populous, and the most frequently visited of the Gulf Islands. The island was initially inhabited by various Salishan peoples before being settled by pioneers in 1859, at which time it was officially called "Admiral Island." It was the first of the Gulf Islands to be settled and the first agricultural settlement on the islands in the Colony of Vancouver Island, as well as the first island in the region to permit settlers to acquire land through pre-emption. The island was retitled to its current name in 1910.
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Located between Mainland British Columbia and Vancouver Island, Saltspring Island is the most frequently visited of the Gulf Islands as well as the most populous, with a population of about 10,500 as of 2008.[1] It is also by area the largest of the islands,[2] with an official measurement of 182.7 square kilometers (70.5 sq mi).[3] The largest village on the island is Ganges. The island is known for its artists.[4][5] In addition to Canadian dollars, island banks and most island businesses accept Saltspring's own local currency, the Salt Spring Dollar.[6][7]
The island is part of the Southern Gulf Islands, (Saltspring Island, Galiano Island, Pender Island, Saturna Island, Mayne Island), which are all part of the Capital Regional District, along with the municipalities of Greater Victoria.
The island, initially inhabited by Salishan peoples of various tribes, became a refuge from racism for African Americans who had resided in California.[8] Settled in 1858 by ex-slaves from Missouri who travelled to California, and then north to British Columbia at the invitation of Governor James Douglas, himself a Guyanese mulatto, the island was not only the first of the Gulf Islands to be settled, but also, according to 1988's A Victorian Missionary and Canadian Indian Policy, the first agricultural settlement established anywhere in the Colony of Vancouver Island not owned by the Hudson's Bay Company or its subsidiary the Pugets Sound Agricultural Company.[9][10]
Saltspring Island was also the first in the Colony of Vancouver Island and British Columbia to allow settlers to acquire land through pre-emption: settlers could occupy and improve the land before purchase, being permitted to buy it at a cost per acre of one dollar after proving they had done so.[11] Before 1871 (when the merged Colony of British Columbia joined Canada), all property acquired on Saltspring Island was purchased in this way; between 1871 and 1881, it was still by far the primary method of land acquisition, accounting for 96% of purchases.[11] As a result, the history of early settlers on Saltspring Island is unusually detailed.[12] Demographically, early settlers of the island included not only African Americans, but also (largely) English and European, as well as Irish, Scottish, aboriginal and Hawaiian.[13] The method of land purchase helped to ensure that the land was used for agricultural purposes and that the settlers were by and large families.[14] Ruth Wells Sandwell in Beyond the City Limit indicates that few of the island's early residents were commercial farmers, with most families maintaining subsistence plots and supplementing through other activities, including fishing, logging and working for the colony's government.[15] Some families abandoned their land altogether as a result of lack of civic services on the island or other factors, such as the livestock-killing cold of the winter of 1862.[16]
During the 1960s the island once again became a refuge for US citizens, this time for draft dodgers during the Vietnam War.[4]
The island was known as "Chuan" or "Chouan" Island in 1854, but it was also called "Saltspring" as early as 1855, in honor of the island's salt springs.[17] In 1859, it was officially named "Admiralty Island" in honor of Rear-Admiral Robert Lambert Baynes by surveyor Captain Richards, who named various points of the island in honor of the Rear-Admiral and his flagship, HMS Ganges.[17] Even while named "Admiralty Island", it was referred to popularly as Saltspring, as in James Richardson's report for the Geological Survey of Canada in 1872.[9][18] According to records of the Geographic Board of Canada, the island was officially retitled Saltspring on March 1, 1910,[17] though the year 1905 is given by unofficial sources.[9] According to the Integrated Land Management Bureau of British Columbia, locals incline equally to Saltspring and Salt Spring for current use.[17] The official chamber of commerce website for the island, which gives a date of 1906 for the renaming, adopts the two word title, stating that the Geographic Board of Canada, in choosing the one word name, "cared nothing for local opinion or Island tradition."[6]
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Salt Spring Island is in Southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia in Canada. Salt Spring (Saltspring, one word, by everyone local) is the largest both in area and population of the Southern Gulf Islands. The population has grown from about 10,000 to 13,000 in the past five years with the influx of baby boomer retirees (many Canadian-American from California) and Alberta oil patch money. There are many more seasonal and part time residents.
Salt Spring Island was first called Saltspring (one word) Island by Governor James Douglas in 1853. He believed that the Salt Springs in the North of the Island would bring great wealth to the Island. It was also known by a few other names during the early years: Klaathem (Cowichan Indian word for Salt), Chuam, Tuam, and Admiral Island. Saltspring was the official name as recorded by the Geographic Board of Canada in 1905. However, Canada Post and many locals used (and still use) the name Salt Spring (2 words) Island . It is frequently abbreviated as SSI.
Salt Spring Island was first settled in 1859, primarily by farmers. In the early years it was settled by many different groups including a number of African-Americans and then a number of Hawaiians and settled on Salt Spring and a number of other gulf islands. In the 1960's and 1970's there was a large influx of back to the landers who lived either in informal communes or squatted. Many of these people have settled and have become a large part of the culture of Salt Spring. Since the 1970's Salt Spring has attracted a large number of artists, and has become more and more of a tourist destination and retirement spot for the wealthy. This dichotomy of large developments for the hordes of people who want to get away from the development of the city has created a certain amount of conflict. However the island is still primarily characterized by the artists and farmers.
The area code for Salt Spring is (250) -- same as Vancouver Island. Cell phone coverage is spotty on the island. Telus (on their CDMA network) provides the best coverage on the island. Rogers provides some coverage on their GSM network.
The most common way to get to Salt Spring Island is by BC Ferries [1]. There are 3 separate routes that serve Salt Spring Island. The ferry from Swartz Bay (1/2 hour drive North of Victoria) to Fulford Harbour runs about every 2 hours from 7AM to 9PM. The route from Crofton (near Duncan) runs approximately hourly from about 7:30AM to about 10PM. The Southern Gulf Island route runs from Tsawwassen (near Vancouver) to various locations of the gulf island that includes a stop at Long Harbour on Saltspring Island. This sails about twice a day.
There is no airport on Salt Spring Island, but float planes fly into Ganges Harbour. This includes regular scheduled service from the Harbour in downtown Vancouver, from Seattle and from the Float plane terminal at the South Terminal of the Vancouver Airport.
Most of these planes are pretty small, so it is not unreasonable to charter a plane to be on your schedule.
Saltspring is a popular destination for private boaters. There are public marinas at Ganges and Fulford (at the southern end of the island), with limited moorage, and two private marinas in Ganges Harbor that allow transient boaters.
* Ganges Marina, [7], closest to town.
To get to the different parts of Salt Spring a car is the easiest way. There is also a shuttle bus that runs from any of the ferry terminals to Ganges or the Hostel. Operated by the Ganges Faerie Mini Shuttle (pager: 250-538-9007, cell: 250-537-6758)
It is popular for visitors to get around Salt Spring on bicycle. The roads on Salt Spring Island tend to be narrow, hilly and quite twisty, so one needs to take care when riding a bicycle on the roads.
It is also quite common for people to hitch-hike around the island and you will probably be picked up in 5-10 minutes anywhere on the island (other than where traffic is exiting a ferry onto Salt Spring).
Most of the eateries on the island are in Ganges. However there are a few restaurants in other parts of the island:
There are Bed and Breakfasts spread throughout the island. There are also a number of vacation homes and cottages.
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