Valdes Island facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Valdes Island
|
|
|---|---|
|
Island
|
|
A kayak and a sunset on Valdes Island.
|
|
The Southern Gulf Islands, including Valdes.
|
|
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Land district | Cedar Land District |
| Region | Southern Gulf Islands |
| Area | |
| • Total | 23 km2 (9 sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| Area code(s) | 250, 778 |
Valdes Island is one of the beautiful Gulf Islands in British Columbia, Canada. It is located in the Strait of Georgia. The island is found across Porlier Pass from Galiano Island, which is to its southeast.
Valdes Island is about 23 square kilometres (9 square miles) in size. It is 1.6 kilometres (1.0 mile) wide and 16 kilometres (9.9 miles) long. This island is a popular spot for people who enjoy kayaking and boating. It has also been home to different groups of people throughout history.
Contents
Exploring Valdes Island: Its Name and Early Visits
Valdes Island is named after a Spanish explorer named Cayetano Valdés y Flores. He first visited this area in 1791. At that time, he was a lieutenant serving on a ship called the Descubierta.
Valdés came back in 1792 as the captain of his own ship, the Mexicana. He explored the area with Dionisio Alcalá Galiano, who was captain of the Sutil. The island was officially given its name in 1859 by George Henry Richards. He was the captain of a ship called HMS Plumper.
Who Lives on Valdes Island?
Today, only a few people live permanently on Valdes Island. A large part of the island is set aside as three Indian reserves for the Lyackson First Nation.
At a place called Shingle Point, which is one of these reserves, there are signs that people lived on the island at least 5,000 years ago. About 60 old archeological sites have been found there. These sites show us how people lived long ago.
A Historical Community: Brother XII's Aquarian Foundation
Valdes Island was once home to a group called the Aquarian Foundation. This group was led by a person known as Brother XII. They had several buildings on the island in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Not much of these buildings remains today. There were also stories that money was hidden on the island, but no one has ever found it.
Discovering the Valdes Island Cave
There is a cave located in the middle of Valdes Island. People used to say that this cave went all the way under the sea to Thetis Island. However, recent explorers have found that parts of the cave are now too narrow for people to pass through because of fallen rocks.
Fun Activities on Valdes Island
Valdes Island is a great place for outdoor adventures! You can find Wakes Cove Provincial Park and the Blackberry Point Campsite here. These spots, along with lots of wildlife and cool sandstone rock formations, make the island a popular place for kayaking and camping.
The Blackberry Point Campsite was one of the first campsites created for the BC Marine Trails Network. It was started by Peter McGee in the early 1990s. This site has clear areas for cooking and setting up tents. It also has trails leading from the beach and a special composting toilet.
The Wakes Cove site is still undeveloped, meaning it doesn't have many facilities for campers. However, there is an old well along an overgrown road nearby.
You might also see Killer whales swimming around the island. They are often found in the waters here.
