D'Arcy Island facts for kids
D'Arcy Island is a beautiful island in British Columbia, Canada. It is about 83 hectares in size. You can find it in the Haro Strait, which is a body of water south of Sidney Island and east of the Saanich Peninsula (part of Vancouver Island). D'Arcy Island is the most southern island in the Gulf Islands group. The entire island is part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, which means it's protected for everyone to enjoy.
Contents
Island History
A Special Place for Care
From 1891 to 1924, D'Arcy Island was used as a special place for Chinese immigrants who had a serious skin illness. It was a kind of care center for them. Later, in 1924, the people living there moved to Bentinck Island, which is closer to Victoria. You can still see some old ruins of the buildings from that time on D'Arcy Island.
Smuggling Stories
D'Arcy Island is very close to the border with the United States. Because of this, it was once used by a famous American smuggler named Roy Olmstead. He used the island to hide Canadian drinks, mostly whisky, before secretly moving them into Washington State. His group would bring the drinks from Victoria, British Columbia, to islands like D'Arcy. Smaller boats would then pick up the hidden goods when the weather was bad. This made it harder for the Coast Guard to spot them.
Becoming a Park
In 1961, D'Arcy Island was made a marine park. This helped protect its natural beauty. Then, in 2003, it became a part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. This means it's now a protected area for nature and visitors.
How to Visit D'Arcy Island
You can only get to D'Arcy Island by using your own boat or other private watercraft. There are no ferries or public transportation options to the island.
Camping on D'Arcy Island
The Gulf Islands National Park Reserve offers 7 places where you can set up a tent on D'Arcy Island. These campsites are only reachable by boat. The facilities are simple. You will find pit toilets and picnic tables. It is very important to know that there is no drinking water available on the island. Also, you are not allowed to have campfires here. You can find out about camping fees in the Current Map and Hiking and Camping Information brochure. This brochure is available online [1].
