Ganges, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
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History
Ganges Harbour, from which Ganges takes its name, was originally called Admiralty Bay but was renamed by Captain RichardsGeorge Henry Richards
Admiral Sir George Henry Richards was Hydrographer to the British Admiralty from 1864 to 1874.-Early life:Richards was born in Anthony, Cornwall, the son of Captain G S Richards, and joined the navy in 1832....
in 1859 for the , which was at the Pacific Station
Pacific Station
The Pacific Station, often referred to as the Pacific Squadron, was one of the geographical divisions into which the Royal Navy divided its worldwide responsibilities...
from 1857 to 1860 under the command of Captain John Fulford as flagship of Rear Admiral Robert L. Baynes
Robert Lambert Baynes
Admiral Sir Robert Lambert Baynes KCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Station.-Naval career:...
. The Ganges was the last sailing line-of-battle ship in foreign service. The first house on Salt Spring Island was built here in 1859 by the first group of 20 settlers that arrived on the island that summer. On 4 July 1860 the harbour was the scene of the killing of 8 Bella Bella
Heiltsuk
The Heiltsuk are an Indigenous First Nations of the Central Coast region of the Canadian province of British Columbia, centred on the island communities of Bella Bella and Klemtu. The government of the Heiltsuk people is the Heiltsuk Nation...
(Heiltsuk) people and the capture of 3 women and 2 boys for slaves by the Cowichans
Cowichan Tribes
The Cowichan Tribes First Nations government, located in and around the Cowichan Valley and Duncan, British Columbia, it is the single largest band government in British Columbia....
. A few days later, two Cowichans were beheaded, by a band from Fort Rupert
Kwakwaka'wakw
The Kwakwaka'wakw are an Indigenous group of First Nations peoples, numbering about 5,500, who live in British Columbia on northern Vancouver Island and the adjoining mainland and islands.Kwakwaka'wakw translates as "Those who speak Kwak'wala", describing the collective nations within the area that...
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Attractions and services
Ganges is the main service centre on the island, with several grocery stores, numerous restaurants and art galleries, banks and a variety of other services. The main fire hall for the island, the local Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceRoyal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
detachment, and the hospital are all located in Ganges. Ganges is the home of the Salt Spring Coffee Co.
Salt Spring Coffee Co.
The Salt Spring Coffee Company is a business that produces roasted coffee beans and operates several cafés. The company was founded in 1996 by Mickey McLeod and his wife Robbyn Scott who operated an organic market garden on the island. They had been roasting coffee beans for their own consumption...
, which also sells its coffee on BC Ferries.
The harbour has several marinas, and is the home base for a Canadian Coast Guard
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
cutter. It is also a busy seaplane aerodrome, with several scheduled flights a day to Vancouver. Because of Ganges' relatively central location in the Gulf Islands, it is a popular stop for recreational boaters.
One of the major tourist attractions in Ganges is the market that takes place on Saturdays during the summer months. At this market, many of the island's crafters and farmers offer goods and produce ranging from homemade honey to clothing and art.
See videos of Salt Spring Farmers Market in Ganges' Centennial Park, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBi-2jPbYj8
and a performance by young drummers in the market, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaiN_MF6V8g&feature=related
Access
- BC FerriesBC FerriesBritish Columbia Ferry Services Inc. or BC Ferries is a de facto Crown Corporation that provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia...
offers service to Swartz BaySwartz Bay, British ColumbiaSwartz Bay, located on the north end of the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island, is primarily known for being the location of one of BC Ferries' main terminals, the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. Swartz Bay was named after a man named Swart - i.e. it was meant to be Swart's Bay.-External links:...
, CroftonCrofton, British ColumbiaCrofton, British Columbia, Canada, is a small coastal town that is part of the District of North Cowichan on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The population is estimated at 2,500 people...
, TsawwassenTsawwassen, British ColumbiaTsawwassen is a suburban, mostly residential community located on a peninsula in the southwestern corner of the Corporation of Delta, British Columbia, Canada. Tsawwassen provides the only road access to the community of Point Roberts, Washington via 56th Street...
and the South Gulf Islands, via three ferry terminals within 20 minutes drive of Ganges. - Seaplane service to Ganges Harbour is via Harbour AirHarbour AirHarbour Air is a scheduled service, tour and charter airline based in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. The airline specializes in routes between Vancouver, Nanaimo, Victoria, Sechelt, Comox and the Gulf Islands, primarily with de Havilland Canada floatplanes...
, Salt Spring AirSalt Spring AirSalt Spring Air is the only floatplane company based on Saltspring Island, British Columbia, Canada. It operates scheduled flights, charter air service and tours based in Ganges and specializes in routes between the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island...
, and Seair SeaplanesSeair SeaplanesSeair Seaplanes is a scheduled and charter Canadian airline based in Richmond, British Columbia. The airline flies routes between the Vancouver International Water Airport and the Nanaimo Harbour Water Airport, as well as other Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia, primarily with float...
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