Valdes Island is one of the

Gulf Islands The Gulf Islands are a group of islands in the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia. Etymology The name "Gulf Islands" comes from "Gulf of Georgia," the original term used by George Vancouver in his ma ...

located in the

Strait of Georgia The Strait of Georgia (french: Détroit de Géorgie) or the Georgia Strait is an arm of the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the extreme southwestern mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada and the extreme northwestern mainland coast ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. It is across Porlier Pass from

Galiano Island Galiano Island (Hul'qumi'num: ''Swiikw'') is one of the Southern Gulf Islands located between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Located on the west side of the Strait of Georgia, the island is bordered by Mayne I ...

, which lies to the southeast. It has an area of , and is wide by 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 Flores Cayetano Valdés y Flores Bazán (1767–1835) 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 fortu ...

, who first came to the region in 1791 as a lieutenant serving under Captain Alessandro Malaspina on the ''Descubierta''. Valdes returned later in 1792 as captain of the '' Mexicana'' to explore the area with

Dionisio Alcalá Galiano Dionisio Alcalá Galiano (8 October 1760 – 21 October 1805) 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 chronomete ...

who captained the '' Sutil''. The island was given its name in 1859 by

George Henry Richards Sir George Henry Richards (13 January 1820 –14 November 1896) was Hydrographer of the Royal Navy from 1863 to 1874. Biography Richards was born in Antony, Cornwall, the son of Captain G. S. Richards, and joined the Royal Navy in 1832. ...

, captain of .

Settlement

Currently there are few permanent residents on Valdes Island. One third of the island is set aside as three

Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." Ind ...

s of the

Lyackson First Nation The Lyackson First Nation is a First Nations band government located at Chemainus, British Columbia, Canada, on Vancouver Island. Chief and Councillors Demographics The Lyackson First Nation has 196 members. Indian Reserves The band has thre ...

. 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 Aquarian may refer to: * Aquarius (astrology), a sign of the zodiac *Aquarian Tabernacle Church, a Wiccan church in Index, Washington, U.S. *'' The Aquarian Weekly'', a weekly newspaper in New Jersey, U.S. *Aquarii, Christians who substituted water ...

, the BC-based cult run by

Brother XII Edward Arthur Wilson (25 July 1878 - 7 November 1934), better known as Brother XII, was an English mystic who, in the late 1920s, founded a spiritual community located just south of the city of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, off the west coast of B ...

in the late 1920s and early 1930s 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, but these have never been proven. Valdes Island Sandstone Formations

Cave

There is a cave in the middle of the island. According to legend, it runs under the sea to emerge on

Thetis Island Thetis Island (population: 379) is an island and unincorporated community off the coast of British Columbia, Canada, lying between Vancouver Island, which is to the west across Stuart Channel, and the west from the north tip of Galiano Islan ...

, but recent explorers have found that rockfalls have made remote parts too narrow for human passage. Cave on Valdes Island

Recreational activities

Wakes Cove Provincial Park 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.

Killer whale The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black-and-white pa ...

s are abundant around the island.

References

External links

Land-use map of Valdes Island, Lyackson First Nation
{{Authority control Islands of the Gulf Islands Unincorporated settlements in British Columbia Spanish history in the Pacific Northwest Caves of British Columbia