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. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2288x1712, 1719 KB) Saltspring Island File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Saltspring Island Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2288x1712, 1719 KB) Saltspring Island File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Saltspring Island Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Map showing the location of the Southern Gulf Islands The Gulf Islands is the name collectively given to the islands in the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver Island and the mainland Pacific coast of British Columbia, Canada. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Official languages English de facto (none stated in law) Flower Pacific dogwood Tree Western Redcedar Bird Stellers Jay Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 36 6 Area... The Hudsons Bay Company (HBC) is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and is one of the oldest in the world. ...

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. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Coast Salish are a group of Salishan-speaking First Nations/Native American in British Columbia and Washington. ... // Introduction The District of Saanich is a municipality on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. ... Region around the Cowichan River and Cowichan Lake on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. ...

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. Events and trends The Bonneville Slide blocks the Columbia River near the site of present-day Cascade Locks, Oregon with a land bridge 200 feet (60 m) high. ... // Events and Trends Technology Production of steel revolutionised by invention of the Bessemer process Benjamin Silliman fractionates petroleum by distillation for the first time First transatlantic telegraph cable laid First safety elevator installed by Elisha Otis Science Charles Darwin publishes The Origin of Species, putting forward the theory of evolution... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

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. Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Scandinavia is a region in Northern Europe. ... Native Hawaiians (in Hawaiian, kanaka oiwi or kanaka māoli) are the Polynesian peoples of the Hawaiian Islands who trace their ancestry back to Marquesan and possibly Tahitian settlers (starting circa 400 CE), before the arrival of British explorer Captain James Cook in 1778. ...

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. 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... ISO 4217 Code CAD User(s) Canada Inflation 2. ...

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.

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. 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Canada Post logo Canada Post (French: Postes Canada) is a Canadian postal service operated as an independent crown corporation. ...

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. Ganges, British Columbia is the largest town on Saltspring Island in the province of British Columbia, Canada. ... HMS Ganges was an 84-gun 2nd rate of the Royal Navy launched on November 10, 1821 at Bombay Dockyard. ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... This is one of six ratings (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th) in the rating system of the Royal Navy. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... There have been several Royal Navy ships called HMS Vesuvius after the volcano Mount Vesuvius Vesuvius a paddle wheel driven sloop launched in 1839. ... James Douglas Sir James Douglas, K.C.B, ((August 15, 1803 – August 2, 1877), was born of a Scottish father and Creole mother in Demerara. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... For other uses, see Callao (disambiguation). ...

"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.

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. The Capital Regional District (CRD) is a sub-provincial administrative district encompassing the southern tip of Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf Islands: (Saltspring, Galiano, Pender, Saturna, Mayne), and several smaller islands. ... Ruckle Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. ...

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. Patterns in the sand Sand is an example of a class of materials called granular matter. ... Gravel being unloaded from a barge Gravel is rock that is of a certain grain size range. ... Loess field in Germany Soil horizons are formed by combined biological, chemical and physical alterations. ... Loam is soil composed of a relatively even mixture of three mineral particle size groups: sand, silt, and clay. ... Two types of sedimentary rock: limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... Brown podzolic soils are a subdivision of the Podzolic soils in the British soil classification. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Muck can refer to several different things: An Alternative Rock Band From Baltimore Muck(Band) A type of soil: Muck (soil) An island in Scotland: Muck, Scotland The kayak club of NUIM: MUCK, NUIM Kayak Club In gambling, a number of actions both legal and illegal: Muck (gambling) Other meanings...

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. Ganges, British Columbia is the largest town on Saltspring Island in the province of British Columbia, Canada. ...

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. The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. ...

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. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Binomial name Quercus garryana The Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana), also known as Garry Oak, has a range from northern California to British Columbia. ... In ecology, an ecosystem is a community of organisms (plant, animal and other living organisms - also referred as biocenose) together with their environment (or biotope), functioning as a unit. ...

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. Vancouver Island is separated from mainland British Columbia by the Strait of Georgia and the Queen Charlotte Strait, and from Washington by the Juan De Fuca Strait. ... British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. ... Swartz Bay, located on the north end of the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island, is the location of one of BC Ferries main terminals. ... Sidney is a town located at the northern end of the Saanich Peninsula, on Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. ... Crofton, British Columbia, Canada, is a small town that is part of the District of North Cowichan on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. ... Long Harbour is on the North-east end of Salt Spring Island. ... , Tsawwassens BC Ferry terminal. ... This article refers to the city in British Columbia, Canada. ... Nickname: The Emerald City Location of Seattle in King County and Washington Coordinates: Country United States State Washington County King County Incorporated December 2 1869 Mayor Greg Nickels Area    - City 369. ...

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

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) A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ... A market is, as defined in economics, a social arrangement that allows buyers and sellers to discover information and carry out a voluntary exchange. ... A vendor is one who sells something. ... Arts and crafts comprise a whole host of activities and hobbies that are related to making things with ones own hands and skill. ... ART is a three-letter acronym that can mean: Adaptive resonance theory Arlington Transit, a bus service that serves Arlington County, Virginia Advanced Rapid Transit metro technology assisted reproductive technology Anaheim Resort Transit Watertown International Airport (IATA airport code: ART) ISO 639 alpha-3 code for otherwise unassigned artificial languages... Map showing the location of the Southern Gulf Islands The Gulf Islands is the name collectively given to the islands in the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver Island and the mainland Pacific coast of British Columbia, Canada. ...

Famous Residents

• James Monger PhD, award winning geologist

Dr James (Jim) W.H. Monger PhD is an emeritus scientist of the Geological Survey of Canada and a world leader in the application of plate tectonics to the study of mountain chain formation. ... Aquatint of a Doctor in Divinity at the University of Oxford, in the scarlet and black academic robes corresponding to his position. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

References

• Salt Spring Island Trust Area, Capital F Regional District Electoral Area, British Columbia; Statistics Canada

External Links

• an interactive, searchable and highly detailed street map of Salt Spring Island
• Travel and Saturday Market info on Salt Spring Island's friendliest website
• General Tourist Info about Salt Spring
• Local Services Directory
• The "Driftwood", Online edition of Salt Springs only newspaper
• The Salt Spring Organizer
• Official Salt Spring Dollar Website
• Salt Spring Island Paper Money
• Saltspring Island photography by John Cameron
• Mountain Press Publishing Company
• Salt Springs Spa, The only Salt Springs left on the island
• Kmax Multimedia;multimedia production and web site design

Coordinates: 48°50′N 123°30′W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...