Poplar Island (British Columbia)
Encyclopedia
Poplar Island is an uninhabited island
located at the east end of the North Arm
of the Fraser River
in the City of New Westminster, British Columbia
. It is the last large undiked island in the Fraser River's North Arm.
, including 27 acres (109,265.2 m²) on Poplar Island. A smallpox epidemic devastated the local people, known as the Qayqayt after the name of their main village on the east bank of the Fraser, reducing the band members from about 400 people to under 100. Many of the remaining inhabitants of Qayqayt were assimilated into other local reserves, such as the neighbouring Musqueam Indian Band
. Their reserve on Poplar Island was turned into an Aboriginal smallpox victim quarantine area. For decades, the Poplar Island reserve was designated as belonging to "all coast tribes".
In 1916 the remaining land on Poplar Island was turned over to the BC Government. During World War I
the New Westminster Construction and Engineering Company built both a massive shipyard on the island and a bridge connecting it to New Westminster. During the war years, hundreds of workers built, among other things, four warships for the government of France
. Ship launching ways are still visible on the island’s upriver end.
In 1936, the bridge gave out but by then, only fisheries warden William Albert Bowcott and his family lived on the island, and in 1945 the island was bought by New Westminster, which immediately sold it to Rayonier Canada, a forest company that used the island mainly as an anchorage for its log booms. Over the years, the trees grew back.
The B.C. government included the island in its "nature legacy" program in 1995, and it was to be held by the Greater Vancouver Regional District's park department as a strictly protected nature reserve, in perpetuity. The Qayqayt First Nation, a "revived" band government, is trying to regain control of the island to reinstate it as a landbase (it currently is the only chartered First Nations government in Canada with no land base).
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
located at the east end of the North Arm
North Arm
North Arm is a settlement in Lafonia, the southern part of East Falkland, in the Falkland Islands, . It is on the south coast, on the shore of the Bay of Harbours, and overlooks Sea Lion Island in the distance. About 25 people live in or around the settlement. It is the largest settlement on East...
of the Fraser River
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
in the City of New Westminster, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. It is the last large undiked island in the Fraser River's North Arm.
History
In 1879, the federal government allocated three reserves to the New Westminster Indian BandQayqayt First Nation
The Qayqayt First Nation , also known as the New Westminster Indian Band, is a band government located at New Westminster, British Columbia. The Qayqayt First Nation historically spoke the Hun'qumi'num dialect of Halkomelem, a Coast Salish language. The Qayqayt reserve used to exist on the...
, including 27 acres (109,265.2 m²) on Poplar Island. A smallpox epidemic devastated the local people, known as the Qayqayt after the name of their main village on the east bank of the Fraser, reducing the band members from about 400 people to under 100. Many of the remaining inhabitants of Qayqayt were assimilated into other local reserves, such as the neighbouring Musqueam Indian Band
Musqueam Indian Band
The Musqueam Indian Band is a First Nations government in the Canadian province of British Columbia, and is the only Indian band whose reserve community lies within the boundaries of the City of Vancouver....
. Their reserve on Poplar Island was turned into an Aboriginal smallpox victim quarantine area. For decades, the Poplar Island reserve was designated as belonging to "all coast tribes".
In 1916 the remaining land on Poplar Island was turned over to the BC Government. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the New Westminster Construction and Engineering Company built both a massive shipyard on the island and a bridge connecting it to New Westminster. During the war years, hundreds of workers built, among other things, four warships for the government of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Ship launching ways are still visible on the island’s upriver end.
In 1936, the bridge gave out but by then, only fisheries warden William Albert Bowcott and his family lived on the island, and in 1945 the island was bought by New Westminster, which immediately sold it to Rayonier Canada, a forest company that used the island mainly as an anchorage for its log booms. Over the years, the trees grew back.
The B.C. government included the island in its "nature legacy" program in 1995, and it was to be held by the Greater Vancouver Regional District's park department as a strictly protected nature reserve, in perpetuity. The Qayqayt First Nation, a "revived" band government, is trying to regain control of the island to reinstate it as a landbase (it currently is the only chartered First Nations government in Canada with no land base).