Valdes Island
Encyclopedia
Valdes Island is one of the Gulf Islands
Gulf Islands
The Gulf Islands are the islands in the Strait of Georgia , between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada....
located in the Strait of Georgia
Strait of Georgia
The Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait is a strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is approximately long and varies in width from...
, 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...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is across Porlier Pass from Galiano Island
Galiano Island
Galiano Island is one of the Southern Gulf Islands between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Located on the west side of the Strait of Georgia, it is 27.5 km long, 6 km at its widest point, and 1.6 km across at its narrowest point and is separated...
, which lies to the southeast. It has an area of 23 km2, and is 1.6 km wide by 16 km in length. The island is popular with kayakers, boaters and has historically been the site of several human settlements.
Naming and Early Exploration
It is named for Spanish explorer Cayetano Valdés y FloresCayetano Valdés y Flores
Cayetano Valdés y Flores Bazán was a commander of the Spanish Navy, explorer, and captain general who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, fighting for both sides at different times due to the changing fortunes of Spain in the conflict...
, who first came to the region in 1791 as a lieutenant serving under Captain Alexandro Malaspina
Alessandro Malaspina
Alessandro Malaspina was an Italian nobleman who spent most of his life as a Spanish naval officer and explorer...
on the Descubierta
Descubierta and Atrevida
The Descubierta and Atrevida were twin corvettes of the Spanish Navy, custom-designed as identical special exploration and scientific research vessels . Both ships were built at the same time for the Malaspina Expedition...
. Valdes returned later in 1792 as captain of the Mexicana
Mexicana (ship)
The Mexicana was a topsail schooner built in 1791 by the Spanish Navy at San Blas, New Spain. It was nearly identical to the Sutil, also built at San Blas later in 1791...
to explore the area with Dionisio Alcalá Galiano
Dionisio Alcalá Galiano
Dionisio Alcalá Galiano was a Spanish naval officer, cartographer, and explorer. He mapped various coastlines in Europe and the Americas with unprecedented accuracy, using new technology such as chronometers...
who captained the Sutil
Sutil (ship)
The Sutil was a brig-rigged schooner built in 1791 by the Spanish Navy at San Blas, New Spain. It was nearly identical to the Mexicana, also built at San Blas in 1791...
. The island was given its name in 1859 by George Henry Richards
George Henry Richards
Admiral Sir George Henry Richards was Hydrographer to the British Admiralty from 1864 to 1874.-Early life:Richards was born in Anthony, Cornwall, the son of Captain G S Richards, and joined the navy in 1832....
, captain of HMS Plumper.
Settlement
There is currently a small community of permanent residents on Valdes Island, located at Starvation Bay. One third of the island is set aside as three Indian Reserves of the Lyackson First NationLyackson First Nation
The Lyackson First Nation is a First Nations band government located at Chemainus, British Columbia, Canada, on Vancouver Island. -Chief and Councillors:-Indian Reserves:The band has three Indian Reserves, all on Valdes Island:...
. At Shingle Point, which is the location of one of those reserves, the island shows evidence of human habitation from at least 5,000 years ago in the form of approximately 60 archeological sites.
Brother XII
Valdes Island was one of the locations of the colonies of the Aquarian Foundation, the BC-based cult run by Brother XIIBrother XII
Edward Arthur Wilson, better known as Brother XII, was a notorious English mystic who founded a spiritual community in the Pacific Northwest near Canada's Nanaimo region in the late 1920s.-History:...
in the late 1920's and early 1930's The organization had several buildings on the island, of which little trace remains today. There were also rumours that money was buried on the island, however these have never been proven.
Cave
There is a large cave in the middle of the island. According to legend, it runs under the sea to emerge on Thetis IslandThetis Island
Thetis Island is an island off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is one of the Gulf Islands. The island was named in 1851 after HMS Thetis, a 36-gun Royal Navy frigate commanded by Captain Augustus Leopold Kuper . The ship was named after the Nereid Thetis from Greek mythology...
, but recent explorers have found that rockfalls have made remote parts too narrow for human passage.
Recreational Activities
Wakes Cove Provincial ParkWakes Cove Provincial Park
Wakes Cove Provincial Park is a provincial park in the northeast corner of Valdes Island, located in the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, Canada. The park was created in June 2002. Currently the park has no facilities for overnight camping, and its intended use, as stated by BC parks, is...
and the Blackberry Point Campsite are located on the island. These two campsites, as well as an abundance of wildlife and unusual sandstone geology make this island a popular destination for recreational kayaking and camping. The Blackberry Point Campsite was the first campsite established as part of the BC Marine Trails Network by Peter McGee in the early 1990s. The site at Wakes Cove is still undeveloped, lacking any facilities for campers, however there is an abandoned well along an overgrown road in the area. The Blackberry Point site has defined cooking and tenting spaces, trails from the beach as well as a composting toilet.