Salt Spring Island
Fulford Dock
POPULATION: 10,500
FERRY TERMINALS: Fulford, Vesuvius, Long Harbour
TOURIST INFO: 121 Lower Ganges Road; 537-5252;
and next to Fulford Pub
ATM MACHINES: At the three financial institutions & numerous stores
Video introduction
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Why do people move to Salt Spring?
Whether it was 40 years ago or last month, the answer is usually, “We vacationed here and didn’t want to leave.” So don’t say you weren’t warned.
Boasting the mildest climate in Canada — along with the rest of the Southern Gulf Islands — Salt Spring offers a variety of vistas, from mountain to sea to rolling pastures. Hiking, kayaking, swimming, sailing, boating, golfing, scuba diving, horseback riding, beachcombing and bird watching fulfill an outdoor enthusiast’s dream.
Sublime West Coast scenery inspires, whether on guided tours provided by commercial outfits or solo meanders on well-constructed trails and wild beach walks.
Ocean swimming, especially at the island’s warmest beach in Vesuvius, beckons, but the island’s eight lakes — St. Mary in the north and Stowell Lake in the south, to name two — distinguish us from the other Gulf Islands with the variety of swimming and paddling choices they provide.
Journeying over the 180 square kilometres (70 square miles), a myriad of farms dot the landscape. Fluffy sheep and the odd llama peacefully graze, with nary a feedlot in sight.
To sample the organic vegetables and fruit, cow, goat and sheep cheeses, chocolate, gelato, coffee, wine, beer, and seafood products, which are all either grown or produced here, is to know nirvana. Check the menu at our exemplary restaurants for Salt Spring Island lamb, famous world-wide but freshest right here.
Of the 10,500 year-round residents, a substantial number are artists. Numerous galleries, studios and other venues feature art from Gulf Islands painters, sculptors, potters, weavers, jewellers, metal and wood workers, and glass artists. Visitors are often surprised that such a small place produces such high-calibre work.
April Curtis, manager of ArtCraft, a summer-long exhibit and sale in historic Mahon Hall in Ganges, suggests that “many artists have chosen to live here because they’re drawn to the nature and life-nurturing qualities. It’s inspiring as a wholesome place to live and that’s reflected in the work.”
Grab your Studio Tour brochure and explore all the sheep-signed nooks and crannies where artisans offer not only charming gifts and products but conversation with local characters.
And make no mistake, Salt Spring is filled with characters. Whether dread-locked or salt and peppered, they’re always up for a kind word, a big smile and a passionate opinion. The person serving you in a fine dining room, pub or greasy spoon may have a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature or has actually seen a UFO. You might even meet a local whose family goes back five generations.
The best place to meet and greet is at the Saturday Market, running from April through October in Centennial Park. From the most luscious organic tomatoes to unique jewellery, strolling the aisles is an adventure. Live music often plays on the green space with the sounds of children adding counterpoint from the nearby playground. The view of boats docked at the government wharf draws the eye, while tours of the town can be taken via horsedrawn carriage.
Observing the night sky bereft of city lights is inviting, but Salt Spring boasts fine musicians in every genre serenading nightly in the summer at pubs, restaurants and halls. The ArtSpring arts centre offers a “Sizzling Summer Nights” series of international musical acts through July and August. Independent theatre groups and Graffitti Theatre produce experiences that entertain and edify.
The Fritz movie theatre at Central Hall resists showing endless commercial trailers and starts the experience with slides of local spots, and also shows alternative films.
Long regarded as a healing place, health and wellness facilities abound on Salt Spring. Yoga, chi quong, tai chi, dance, Nia, and a variety of counselling, massage and bodywork services, often using Salt Spring-made products, ensures visitors find the balance often missing in their everyday lives.
From private campgrounds or camping at Ruckle Provincial Park, to bed and breakfasts, hotels, motels and resorts, Salt Spring can provide a comfortable stay. Book early to ensure you’re not disappointed.
The Visitor Info Centre, run by the Chamber of Commerce on Lower Ganges Road in the centre of Ganges, is open year-round. Ganges is always bustling in the summer — it’s best to park and walk — the shops, restaurants, pubs and galleries of Ganges are enjoyable, while the hospital, pharmacies, supermarkets, service stations, library and banks offer the security of not being totally off the grid. Follow Lower Ganges Road north and find a second shopping complex with convenient parking.
In the south end of Salt Spring, Fulford is the funky little village with a pub and tourist info stop at the head of the harbour, plus unique restaurants, shops, post office and general store by the ferry terminal. A laid-back place, you can almost feel what the largest and most populated of the Gulf Islands used to be like when the hippies moved here years ago.
Drummond Park at the head of the harbour offers a great place for a family picnic, and Stowe Lake is a popular swimming spot just a ways up Beaver Point Road.