Texada Island: Van Anda, Gillies Bay, Shelter Point, Lasqueti Island
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Texada Island Events
Sandcastle Days
A popular annual event, Texada Island's Sandcastle Days attract competitors from across the Pacific Northwest to beautiful Shelter Point and Gillies Bay Beach. This three day festival starts on a Friday night with a talent contest and a fireworks display sure to get everyone in the mood for Saturday's variety of eclectic events. By Sunday morning, everyone is ready for the ultimate cap of the festival with the building of the sand sculptures. For a look at past year's contest entries, visit this great Sandcastle link.
WHEN: JULY 21-23, 2006
Web Site: http://www.texada.org/sandcastle.html
Jazz on the Rocks Festival
Jazz on the Rocks brings a number of jazz groups to beautiful TEXADA ISLANDfor a weekend of great music. The Tree Frog Bistro offers dinner while the JazzMine in historical Blubber Bay is the main stage venue. The Jazz Lovers Lounge hosts a gathering and dance on July 29, and on July 30 a Blues Brunch will be held at the Texada Island.
When: July 28-30
Web Site: http://www.jazzontherocks.org
Diversity New Music Festival Weekend
WHEN: JULY 14-17
Web Site: http://www.coastalconscious.com/diversity.htm
Check the Powell River festivals page for more dates
About Texada Island
Texada Island, the largest of the Gulf Islands, is located about 50 miles north of Vancouver at its southernmost tip and about 5 miles southwest of Powell River. It is 32 miles long and six miles wide at its widest and is separated from the mainland by Malaspina Strait. Surviving middens and fish weirs show that First Nation People spent time on Texada long before Europeans discovered North America. These People didn't have permanent settlements on the island, because an ancient legend says the island rose from the sea and will sink again one day.
The Annual Texada Island Sandcastle Competition
The
Sliammon name for Texada Island is Si'yi yen. Don Jose Navarez,
a Spanish seaman sighted and charted the island in 1791. Spanish
explorers also named the small island just west from Texada (Lasqueti).
While Spain did not have much interest in this area, Britain became
a dominant force in the Pacific Northwest. At this time there was
little activity along the coast, apart from fur trading, whaling,
and cutting a few spars for sailing ships. Blubber Bay, which is
now the site of the BC Ferry terminal was so named because it was
used by whalers for the processing of their catches. Texada's modern
history began in 1871, when iron ore was discovered on the northwest
coast at Welcome Bay. That precipitated the boom of exploration
on Texada .
Some time after 1877 marble was found, then in 1880 gold was discovered,
where Van Anda is now and The Little Billie Mine began producing
gold and copper. Logging has also been prevalent in this area during
the late 1800s and 1900s. By 1898 Van Anda had become a boom town!
People came from everywhere to live, work and spend their leisure
time here. It boasted the only opera house north of San Francisco,
had three hotels with saloons, a hospital, several stores and businesses,
and an illegal distillery flourished in Pocahontas Bay supplying
liquor to the United States during prohibition.
In 1910 the first of three serious fires completely destroyed the
major buildings of Van Anda in only forty minutes. The optimism
of the boom town led to rebuilding larger, more imposing structures
- only to be destroyed by fire again in 1912. The third fire struck
in 1917 leaving only Al Deighton's store which was saved by a bucket
brigade. The building remains a fixture on the Van Anda waterfront
today. Mining continued through the 20th century and today there
are still a number of working limestone quarries on the island.
The largest, located near the airport, ships out three million tonnes
of limestone a year.
Today, Texada Island is largely a place where people come to to
get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and there are a variety of vacation rentals available. Many visitors spend
their vacations here, returning in later years to retire in this
peaceful community. The area boasts many lakes and hiking trails
and most are accessible by car or 4 wheel drive.
There are many beaches accessible by land or water and beachfronts
vary from large rocks to fine sand. You may also find a rock which
can only be seen on Texada, " the flower rock" , If you find one
please enjoy its beauty but leave it behind for the next person
to enjoy.
Although much of the old logging roads have been reclaimed by nature
you will still see signs of this history everywhere. Shelter point,
located on the west side of the islands, still displays the remains
of a once thriving logging area. There are 2 major population areas
on the island, Van Anda on the east side and Gillies Bay on the
west side. While not all services may be available on the island,
most major amenities such as foodstuffs, hardware & gas can be purchased
here.
A medical clinic is located in Gillies Bay as well as a detachment
of the RCMP. A regular car ferry service operates between Powell
River and Texada daily with numerous sailings. Boat Moorage is available
at Marble bay on the Van Anda side of the island but space is limited.
Many boaters choose anchorage in the many bays around the island.
Texada Links of Interest
Mining History
1871 iron ore discovered on the northwest coast at Welcome
Bay (by Harry Trim)
1875 Puget Sound Iron Company acquired the iron property
1876 Captain Stuart discovered iron ore on the north end after 1877 marble deposits were found
1880 gold was discovered, where Van Anda is now
1880 Little Billie Mine began producing gold and copper
1883 Company began shipping ore to Irondale, Wash.
1886 first iron mine
1890 copper was found
1898 copper and gold were mined at Marble Bay
1898 Van Anda boom town
Texada Wildlife
If nature viewing is for you, you'll enjoy a visit to the island. Animal life abounds year round and you'll be sure to see something of interest. Here of some of the animal facts about Texada.
- No predators like bear or cougar
- ample black-tailed deer, racoons, fish, Bald Eagles, seals, sea lions and sea birds
- The Great Blue Heron and Kingfisher frequent the bays of the island and Brant geese use the area as as resting point before flying north.
- Rufous Hummingbirds abound from April to August
- 148 different birds have been recorded in the area
- waters
around Texada, especially near Shelter Point, offer possible sightings
of wolf eel, octopus, otter, seal and sea lion and a variety of
other sea life for scuba divers
Recorded Facts from the Powell River Libary
- Geography: 32 miles long; 6 miles wide at its widest
- Southernmost tip about 50 miles from Vancouver; northern end about 5 miles southwest of PR - separated from the mainland by Malaspina Strait (named after an Italian seaman employed by the Spanish Crown)
- Wildlife:
Most of the BC coast sank some 300 feet since the last ice age
and rose again, but because Texada and Lasqueti did twice, you'll
find some species of wildlife on Texada, only found there, like
certain kind of fishes, turtles etc.
- Lakes are also different from typical coastal lakes. Higher pH values allow rich weed growth and dense aquatic invertebrates, small, but brilliantly coloured trouts, in superb condition
- History: First Nations people were familiar with Texada Island long before Europeans found North America The Sliammon People have different names for areas of the Island.
