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Salt Spring
Island in beautiful BC is the largest of the Gulf Islands, which lie tucked up against Vancouver Island in the
Straight of Georgia. Victoria, the capital of BC, it is only a half hour ferry ride followed by a 45 minute drive.
Vesuvius to Crofton is a very short 20 minute ride on the ferry, and Duncan is only a 20 minute drive from
there. Going north from Crofton, Nanaimo is a 45 minutes away. Sailing from Long Harbour, Vancouver is 1.5 to 3
hours away depending on how many stops the ferry makes.
There are two ferry routes to Vancouver Island, and one to Vancouver. Visit
BC Ferries to check the ferry schedule. Look for the Southern Gulf
Islands schedule. The three ferry terminals on Salt Spring Island are:
- Long Harbour with sailings to Pender, Mayne and Galiano Islands, and onwards to the Vancouver,
docking at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal
- Vesuvius with sailings to Crofton on Vancouver Island
- Fulford Harbour with sailings to Victoria at the Swartz Bay terminal
Salt Spring Island enjoys a moderate Mediterranean-style climate.
Ganges is a harbour town, and the largest on Salt Spring Island. Most Island businesses are clustered here.
There is a Government dock, and several private docks. There are two large grocery stores - one right by the dock,
and the other two minutes away. Right in Ganges, there are three gas stations. There are a number of places to
eat, with fare ranging from snack food to fine dining.
Fulford Harbour is towards the southern end of the Island, and is the ferry terminal for sailings to Swartz Bay
and Victoria. There is a grocery store, gas station and restaurant right beside the terminal.
Ruckle Park is at Beaver Point, the southern-most part of Salt Spring Island. Maxwell Park with its sheer drop
from its 1975 foot (602m) top is always popular. The highest point on Salt Spring Island is on Mount Bruce
at 2300 feet (701m.) Visit Michael's Music Page to view
pictures of Salt Spring Island, or to hear a sample of this well known classical pianist's work.
While living on Salt Spring Island is a bit like living in Paradise, not all is completely well. A large tract
of private land that recently changed hands has been subjected to full scale logging. While much of Salt Spring
Island was logged in the early days, it was nothing like the scale and speed of what is going on now. Money has
been raised to buy back some of the more sensitive areas before being completely stripped of trees. Some of the
subject areas are home to some of the oldest trees on Salt Spring Island with large stands of Gary Oak, and even
some rare plants. Fortunately, a large stand of
Gary Oak
has been saved, and part of the Maxwell Lake water shed has been
purchased, but other areas are still at risk. More compromises need to be
reached somewhere between not using the land at all and completely raping
it. |
"Listen to the quiet…"
 For a real getaway vacation on Salt Spring Island, visit
Cusheon Lake Resort.
Angel Cottage B&B
Quiet and private on the north end of Salt Spring Island.
Seido-En -
Japanese
Forest House Retreat
Official Salt Spring Island web site:
Salt Spring Island
Map of Salt Spring Island
www.islandpathways.ca
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