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43-656: The Hwlitsum are descendants of the Lamalchi (also called Lamalcha) peoples of Penelakut Island (formerly Kuper Island) in the Gulf Islands. Hwlitsum refers to Canoe Pass , near Steveston in Richmond, British Columbia and means “People of the Cattails”. Hul'qumi'num custom identifies groups of people by the location of their winter village. The Lamalchi's winter home was on Penelakut Island at Lamalcha Bay. Prior to 2010 Penelakut Island

86-501: A Catholic Oblate brother who was employed at the school was sentenced to three years in prison for his historical crimes at the Kuper Island School, including indecent assault on a male, gross indecency, and one count of buggery involving 11 different victims. Those were the laws on the books when the crimes occurred in the 1960s and '70s., and former attendees say the abusive practices were widespread. In July 2021, an announcement

129-601: A chartered band government. The Hwlitsum, being descendants of the Lamalchi, are part of the Hul'qumi'num speaking community, and specifically use the Island dialect. The Lamalchi travelled primarily by canoe. In September 1828, a European fur-trader counted 550 Cowichan canoes returning with fish along the Lower Fraser River. Closely related groups of people occupied villages on Penelakut Island, Galiano Island , Valdez Island and

172-458: A hostile environment for Black residents whose population subsequently dwindled. Much of the youth moved away to Victoria, Vancouver, and on occasion to the United States. The island was the first of the Gulf Islands to be settled by non-First Nations people. According to 1988's A Victorian Missionary and Canadian Indian Policy , it was the first agricultural settlement established anywhere in

215-421: A unique ecosystem and an ideal living environment. The island is in the rain shadow of Vancouver Island , with an annual rainfall of about 850 millimetres (33 in). Unlike most neighbouring Gulf Islands, the topography is subdued with few bluffs or rock outcrops. Poorly drained soils are common. There is a Roman Catholic Church and a longhouse , but no commercial establishments on the island. Because it

258-531: A vital role in protecting the unique environment and vibrant community of Salt Spring Island. The Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Station 25 (RCMSAR25) is volunteer organization operated by the Gulf Island Marine Rescue Society (GIMRS) that maintains a permanent 24/7 marine search and rescue capability in the vicinity of Salt Spring Island BC Canada. The organization responds to marine search and rescue emergencies as well as engaging with

301-542: Is an Indian reserve , property is not available for purchase. (There is one private lot dating from the events of 1863). From 1890 to 1978, the Catholic Church operated a residential school on the island. The present comprehensive school is run by the Penelakut. There is still much bitterness in the community over the violence and sexual abuse suffered by Indigenous children who attended the school. In 2002, Glenn Doughty,

344-553: Is located in the southern Gulf Islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland Pacific coast of British Columbia , Canada. The island has a population of about 300 members of the Penelakut Band . The island has an area of 8.66 square kilometres (3.34 sq mi). There is frequent car and passenger ferry service to Penelakut from Chemainus on Vancouver Island . On its west side sits Telegraph Harbour. A Mediterranean climate of mild winters and warm, dry summers supports

387-585: Is one of the Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia between mainland British Columbia , Canada, and Vancouver Island . The island was initially inhabited by various Salishan peoples before being settled by pioneers in 1859, at which time it was renamed 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

430-636: Is served by the Ganges and Fulford Harbour exchanges. Active Radio Amateurs maintain wireless repeaters located on Mt Bruce. 2 meter band (147.320 MHz). Coverage from Nanaimo, Vancouver and Victoria. Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue (SSIFR) is the primary emergency response agency serving Salt Spring Island,. Established in approximately 1946 to ensure the safety and well-being of the island's residents and visitors, SSIFR provides fire suppression, medical response, technical rescue, and public education services. Responding to approximately 750 calls per year, SSIFR plays

473-480: The Gulf Islands in which three Europeans had been killed in combat. The gunboat fired on the village but, unprepared for a naval landing, withdrew with one casualty after a fierce battle with island warriors. Following the event, the colonial government responded with one of the largest military assaults in British Columbia 's history, which took place on the east coast of Vancouver Island and extended throughout

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516-636: The Lummi Nation , Musqueam Nation , and Katzi Nation. and are part of the larger Cowichan community. The Lamalchi were one of the subtribes of the Cowichan people and had different histories and cultural practices from their ancestral neighbours on Penelakut Island. Penelakut Island was shared between the Penelakut , the Yekaloas and the Lamalchi who all maintained separate and individual villages. The Lamalcha Nation

559-721: The Tsawwassen First Nation on mutual interests in the Fraser Estuary . They lobbied to have those interests included in the Tsawwassen Treaty negotiations but that treaty concluded without them being addressed. A letter of support for their cause was sent to the federal and provincial governments in 2007 by the Union of BC Indian Chiefs . They have standing in the BC Treaty Process towards recognition but are still not

602-617: The Vietnam War . The island was known as "Chuan" or "Chouan" Island in 1854, but it was also called "Salt Spring" as early as 1855, because of the island's salt springs . In 1859, it was officially named "Admiralty Island" in honour of Rear-Admiral Robert Lambert Baynes by surveyor Captain Richards, who named various points of the island in honour of the Rear-Admiral and his flagship, HMS Ganges . Even while named "Admiralty Island", it

645-438: The merged Colony of British Columbia joined Canada), all property acquired on Salt Spring 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. As a result, the history of early settlers on Salt Spring Island is unusually detailed. The method of land purchase helped to ensure that the land was used for agricultural purposes and that

688-669: The British Isles, including English, Irish, and Scots. Black settlers left California in 1858 after the state passed discriminatory legislation targeting African-Americans. Before the emigration, Mifflin Wistar Gibbs travelled with two other men up to the colony to interview Governor James Douglas about what kind of treatment they could expect there. The Governor was a Guyanese man of multi-ethnic birth, and assured them that people of African descent in Canada would be fairly treated and that

731-627: The Colony of Vancouver Island that was not owned by the Hudson's Bay Company or its subsidiary the Pugets Sound Agricultural Company . Salt Spring Island was 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. Before 1871 (when

774-1502: The Lamalchi People. They fished at xegetinas (long beach) by Deas Island at the mouth of the Fraser River and shared the site with other Hul'qumi'num speaking communities. During their stay at the winter camp, they harvested “chum salmon, winter springs, oysters, clams, cockles, mussels, crab, cod, rock-cod, halibut, sole, red snapper, prawns, shrimp, cuttlefish (occasionally), sea urchins, kelp, sea weed, octopus, squid, herring, dogfish, and perch from local waters and beaches.” They also hunted deer, elk, black bear, raccoon, mink, seals, otter and grouse. They gathered salal, ferns, cedar bark, alder, maple, and berries for medicines and food. They were able to store food by smoking or drying it and storing it in boxes or bentwood boxes and caches. Spring, summer, and winter, food consisted of eulachon, spring salmon, coho salmon, sockeye salmon, steelhead, pink salmon, chum salmon, and sturgeon along with clams, crab, shrimp, halibut, ling cod, smelt, flounder, trout, and dogfish. They hunted “deer, mountain goat, black bear, muskrat, red fox, pheasant, mink, marten, ducks, geese, pigeon, widgeon, otter, seal, brant and snow geese.” Plants harvested were “cedar bark, cascara bark, devil's club, huckleberries, salmonberry, strawberry, salal, alder, maple, squasum berry, cattails, rhubarb, plums, crab apples, and wapato.” In 1824 Francis Annance estimated

817-507: The Lamalchi, are working with the Canadian government today to correct this omission in the written records. Prior to and at the time of contact, the Lamalchi were involved in intertribal wars along the coast. Warriors would speak to an approaching canoe in Hul'qumi'num. If the occupants did not respond in Hul'qumi'num they were prevented from travelling in Hul'qumi'num waters. The Lamalcha/Hwlitsum defended themselves against Royal Navy attack in

860-541: The Pacific Station between 1851 and 1853. In 1861 about 300 Bella Bella Indigenous people in 19 large canoes were ordered away from Victoria by Governor James Douglas . On their return journey north, they staged a surprise attack at dawn on the Penelahut natives of Kuper Island, a tribe of about 400 in number. About 225 Penelahuts were murdered in one of the worse massacres recorded. A Nanaimo chief named Winni-win-chin

903-427: The colony had abolished slavery more than 20 years before. Throughout the 1800s, Vesuvius and Ganges were predominantly African-American communities. Racial tensions arose between August 1867 and December 1868, when three Black men were murdered in the community of Vesuvius Bay. The murderers were largely blamed on the local coastal Indigenous community. Many of the murders remained unsolved by authorities, leading to

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946-700: The days of the Colony of Vancouver Island , and in the wake of that, their former territories were taken up by other peoples who did get reserves and status rights, which were denied to the Lamalcha (see the Lamalcha War section on the Hwlitsum article). Their political organization, the Hwlitsum First Nation, is currently seeking legal recognition as a band government under the Indian Act , are in joint action with

989-626: The early 1930s, but officially formed the Salt Spring Island Public Library Association in 1960. The demand for books and resources has only grown since then, requiring constant expansions over the years to accommodate the needs of the island residents. In December 2012, the new Salt Spring Island Public Library was opened. The library is staffed by two librarians, among other paid positions and 87 volunteers. Telecommunications service providers include Telus and Shaw, with most wireless carriers providing coverage. The Island

1032-557: The east coast of Vancouver Island. These groups identify themselves by the names of their winter villages such as Penelakut and Lamalcha among others. “Lamalcha and Penelakut families controlled access to certain lands and resources on both sides of Trincomali Channel from Sqthaqa'l to Kulman, including the north end of Salt Spring Island from stulan on the west side to Shiyahwt on the east, and all of Galiano Island.” The Lamalchi occupied “lands at Brunswick Point, Lamalcha Bay, portions of Salt Spring Island and Galiano Island, and elsewhere” to

1075-547: The exclusion of others. Up until contact in 1849 the Lamalchi usually spent November to March at Lamalcha Bay, and April to October at Hwlitsum (Canoe Pass). They also travelled to the Coquitlam River and Pitt River to harvest plants during the growing season. The Lamalchi and Penelakut were the only people who regularly hunted sea-lions around the south end of the Georgia Strait. Fishing was a central and defining feature of

1118-538: 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. It is named for the salt springs found in the northern part of the island. Salt Spring Island is the largest, most populous, and the most frequently visited of the Southern Gulf Islands . Salt Spring Island, or ĆUÁN ( čuʔén ), was initially inhabited by Salishan peoples of various tribes. Other Saanich placenames on

1161-525: The island include: ȾESNO¸EṈ¸ ( t̕ᶿəsnáʔəŋ̕ ) for Beaver Point, S¸ĆUÁN ( sʔčuʔén ) for Cape Keppel, W̱ENÁ¸NEĆ ( xʷən̕en̕əč ) for Fulford Harbour, SYOW̱T ( syaxʷt ) for Ganges Harbour, and ṮÁȽEṈ ( ƛ̕éɬəŋ ) for Isabella Point. The North side of the island was originally settled mostly by African Americans from California , while the South side was settled by Native Hawaiians known as ' Kanaka '. Other settlers included those from Portugal and

1204-534: The island is Ganges . The island is known for its artists. In addition to Canadian dollars, island banks and some island businesses accept Salt Spring's own local currency, the Salt Spring dollar . The island is part of the Southern Gulf Islands , (Salt Spring Island, Galiano Island , Pender Island , Saturna Island , Mayne Island ), which are all part of the Capital Regional District , along with

1247-842: The island is provided by BC Transit . BC Ferries operates three routes to Salt Spring: between Tsawwassen (on the BC mainland) and Long Harbour (on the east side of Salt Spring), between Swartz Bay (at the north end of Vancouver Island's Saanich Peninsula) and Fulford Harbour (at the south end of Salt Spring), and between Crofton (on the east side of Vancouver Island) and Vesuvius (on the west side of Salt Spring). Salt Spring Air , Seair Seaplanes and Harbour Air Seaplanes operate floatplane services from Ganges Water Aerodrome to Vancouver Harbour Water Airport and Vancouver International Water Airport . Kenmore Air operates between Ganges and Lake Union , Seattle , United States. Library facilities have existed on Salt Spring in one form or another since

1290-559: The island or other factors, such as the livestock-killing cold of the winter of 1862. During World War II , 77 Japanese Canadian families living on Salt Spring Island were forcibly relocated away from the coast due to the Internment of Japanese Canadians . Gavin C. Mouat was appointed Custodian of the properties they left behind. Despite evidence of verbal reassurances given to the families in which Mouat said "when you come back, not one chopstick will be missing from your home," Mouat sold

1333-517: 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." Located between Mainland British Columbia and Vancouver Island, Salt Spring Island is the most frequently visited of the Gulf Islands as well as the most populous, with a 2016 census population of 10,557 inhabitants. The largest village on

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1376-509: The late 1790s. References and maps verify the Lamalchi living and working on Penelakut Island in the early eighteen-hundreds. European explorers had only made brief, and superficial exploration into Hul'qumi'num territories by the early 1850s. At contact and when the British claimed sovereignty in 1846, the Lamalchi “were an autonomous social entity within the larger Coast Salish social network.” The Lamalchi had family ties and marriage connections to

1419-466: The municipalities of Greater Victoria . Salt Spring Island's highest point of elevation is Bruce Peak, which according to topographic data from Natural Resources Canada is just over 700 m (2,300 ft) above sea level. Salt Spring Island has a temperate warm-summer mediterranean climate (Csb) and experiences warm, dry summers and cool winters. Salt Spring Island has many hiking trails. Two of these trails are rough and windy trails that lead to

1462-784: The population to be approximately 1,000. In 1827 George Barnston estimated the collective population of the three largest Cowichan villages as approximately 1,500 people. This figure includes Somenos, and Quamichan of the Cowichan River and the Penelakuts (and Lamalchi) of Penelakut Island. Barnston made this estimation from the deck of a ship while sailing past these communities. In 1849 an HBC employee recorded 122 people living in Lamalchi Bay. The Lamalchi traditionally lived in longhouses. Penelakut Island Penelakut Island (called Kuper Island by most people between 1851–2010 )

1505-477: The properties below market value using his Custodial rights without the consent of the owners. Salt Spring Lands Ltd., of which Mouat was the president, ended up purchasing some of the properties. Only one of the interned families, the Murakami's, purchased property on the island again and returned. During the 1960s, the island became a political refuge for United States citizens, this time for draft evaders during

1548-512: The settlers were mostly families. 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. Some families later abandoned their land as a result of lack of civic services on

1591-614: The summit regions of both Bruce Peak 709 m (2,326 ft) above sea level, and Mount Tuam 602 meters (1,975 feet) above sea level. These two mountain peaks are the tallest points of land on the Southern Gulf Islands. Short hikes can also be found on the island. One of these is the 2 km (1.2 mi) long trek to the summit of Mount Erskine, which is 436 m (1,430 ft) above sea level. Cycling on Saltspring Island may involve large elevation changes and poor road conditions with limited curb space. Local bus transit on

1634-557: The waters and islands of Active Pass , Trincomali Channel and Stuart Channel . Subsequently, having gained control of the region, the government publicly hanged four Indigenous men in Victoria and established colonial governance in the region, ultimately forming the Province of British Columbia. [REDACTED] Media related to Penelakut Island at Wikimedia Commons Salt Spring Island Salt Spring Island or Saltspring Island

1677-486: Was made that 160 unmarked graves were identified near the site of the residential school. Britain's Royal Navy , surveying the area in 1851, cruised into a group of five islands in the Strait of Georgia , declaring the colonial name of the two largest islands to be Kuper and Thetis , after their Captain Augustus Leopold Kuper R.N. (1809–1885) and his frigate , HMS Thetis , a 36-gun Royal Navy frigate on

1720-534: Was named Kuper Island. The Lamalchi shared Penelakut Island with the Penelakut and Yekaloas. The permanent summer villages of the Lamalchi were located in Hwlitsum (Canoe Pass). When the Lamalchi were prevented from returning to winter in Lamalcha Bay in 1892 they wintered in Hwlitsum and, in keeping with Hul'qumi'num custom, changed their name to Hwlitsum at that time. The Hwlitsum Nation's ancestry can be traced back to

1763-424: Was not recognized by the British when the international border between Canada and the United States was drawn in 1846. The Lamalchi were not identified by the British and United States authorities that settled the border dispute by agreeing to use the 49th parallel as the international border. This oversight left the Lamalchi in a position of not being accounted for in any treaty agreements. The Hwlitsum, descendants of

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1806-683: Was referred to popularly as Salt Spring, as in James Richardson's report for the Geological Survey of Canada in 1872. According to records of the Geographic Board of Canada, the island was officially retitled Saltspring on March 1, 1910, though the year 1905 is given by unofficial sources. According to the Integrated Land Management Bureau of British Columbia, locals incline equally to Salt Spring and Saltspring for current use. The official chamber of commerce website for

1849-431: Was visiting Kuper Island. He escaped to Nanaimo and reported the massacre to Mr. A.G. Horne, in charge of the Hudson's Bay Company post. Mr. Horne dispatched canoe men to Victoria to report the act. On April 20, 1863, the British gunboat HMS Forward attacked the native village on Kuper Island. The captain believed that the village harboured individuals of the separate Lamalchi tribe involved in two recent assaults in

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