Saltspring Island was a traditional seasonal hunting and fishing home for several of the Coast Salish Indian Tribes during the time of European settlement (around 1860).
Archaeologist’s evidence establishes that there were several permanent Coast Salish Indian settlements that had existed on Saltspring Island for several centuries prior to European contact.
The Malahat, Snuneymuxw,Tsawout,Tsartlip,Tseycum,Penelakut, and Cowichan Tribes Indian people all traditionally frequented the Island's shores to harvest its natural resources. Walker's Hook is the location of a very old Native Indian burial ground. It is located on the eastern side of the island, bordering on Trincomali Channel.
Saltspring Island is a very tranquil West Coast Canadian Island; its covered with forest, wide meadows, beautiful rugged mountain landscapes, and it’s surrounded by abundant ocean life. The Island's tranquil shoreline offers a mixture of rocky shores, tidal pools, and a wide variety of beautiful sandy beaches.
The Spanish and British explored Saltspring Island in the late 1700s, and then in the 1860s,the Island became occupied by a small group of transient European pioneers that had abandoned their unrewarded Fraser River gold rush attempts. The Cowichan Tribes called the IslandKlaathem(it’s a Halkomelem Indian word for Salt), Saltspring Island received its official name Saltspring from some officers of the Hudson's Bay Company, it was named Salt Spring because of the cold, and briny saltwater springs on the north end of the island.
Saltspring Island’s population is approximately 10,000 people, and is 17 miles (27 km) long and 9 miles (14 km) wide, with 83 miles (133 km) of shoreline (182 square kilometres), and 650 km of road way (410 miles). The island attracts visitors and prospective residents with its mild climate and annual sunshine in excess of 2,004 hours with 84 cm (34”) of annual rainfall.
Saltspring Island’s population is approximately 10,000 people, and is 17 miles (27 km) long and 9 miles (14 km) wide, with 83 miles (133 km) of shoreline (182 square kilometres), and 650 km of road way (410 miles). The island attracts visitors and prospective residents with its mild climate and annual sunshine in excess of 2,004 hours with 84 cm (34”) of annual rainfall.
Saltspring Island is the largest, most populated, and most visited of all the Southern Gulf Islands; it is also home to the tiny stone Roman Catholic St. Paul's Church, built between 1880 and 1883. The church can be viewed from the ferry when sailing into Fulford Harbour. The ferry routes connecting to Salt Spring Island are from terminals at Tsawwassen (Vancouver), Schwartz Bay (Victoria), and Crofton (Vancouver Island). The Schwartz Bay terminal is 10 minutes from the Victoria International Airport.
