Poplar Island (British Columbia) facts for kids

Poplar Island is an empty island found at the east end of the North Arm of the Fraser River in New Westminster, British Columbia. It is the last big island in this part of the Fraser River that doesn't have walls built around it to control the water.

Island History

The War Kitimat was built on Poplar Island in 1918.

Poplar Island has a long and interesting history. It has been home to First Nations people, a place for building ships, and a nature reserve.

First Nations Land

In 1879, the Canadian government set aside some land on Poplar Island for the Qayqayt First Nation, also known as the New Westminster Indian Band. This was about 27 acres (11 hectares) of land.

Sadly, a serious illness affected the Qayqayt people. Many of them joined other nearby First Nations groups, like the Musqueam Indian Band. For a long time, the land on Poplar Island was used as a special area for people who were sick. Later, this land was meant for "all coast tribes."

Building Ships for War

In 1916, the rest of Poplar Island was given to the government of British Columbia. During World War I, a company called New Westminster Construction and Engineering built a huge shipyard on the island. They also built a bridge to connect the island to New Westminster.

Hundreds of workers came to the island during the war. They built many ships, including four warships for the country of France. Some of the cargo ships built here were the War Kitimat, War Comox, War Edensaw, and the War Ewen. You can still see the places where ships were launched into the water on the island today.

Changing Owners

The bridge to Poplar Island broke down in 1936. By then, only a family named Bowcott lived on the island. In 1945, the city of New Westminster bought the island. They quickly sold it to Rayonier Canada, a company that works with forests. This company used the island to hold large rafts of logs in the water. Over the years, new trees grew back on the island.

A Protected Nature Spot

In 1995, the B.C. government included Poplar Island in its "nature legacy" program. This means the island is now managed by Metro Vancouver's park department. It is meant to be a strictly protected nature reserve forever.

The Qayqayt First Nation is a "revived" band government. They are working to get control of the island back. This is because they are the only First Nations government in Canada that doesn't have its own land. They hope to make Poplar Island their land base again.