While the written history of Salt Spring begins in the 1850’s, archaeological evidence traces aboriginal activity on the island back several thousand years. Aboriginal settlement fluctuated through the millennia, with the main areas of habitation being Fulford Harbour, Ganges, Long Harbour and the east coast of the island from Walker Hook to Southey Point.

A smallpox epidemic devastated the aboriginal population in the 1780’s, and subsequent warfare with the northern tribes caused most of the survivors on Salt Spring to move to larger villages on Vancouver Island and Kuper Island, from which the various families continued to access their lands and resources on Salt Spring.

Following establishment of the colony of Vancouver Island in 1849, Governor James Douglas was unable to conclude a treaty regarding aboriginal lands on Salt Spring. Nevertheless, in 1859 he opened the island to settlement. About half the settlers were free Black people who had come to Victoria from San Francisco in 1858 seeking a more tolerant social environment. Other settlers included a number of former Hudson Bay Company employees, including several Hawaiians, as well as immigrants from Europe, America and Australia.

The first settlers had enormous problems to overcome. They found the land heavily forested, no roads, no wharves, no regular transportation to and from the island, no stores, no mail service, and nobody to ask or hire for help. Many lacked farming experience, money, and the equipment needed to hack homes and farms out of the forest. They also had to worry about cougars, wolves, bears, and the hostility of come of the aboriginal people who saw them as trespassers.

A number of the single men took native wives, who toiled alongside them in the arduous work of clearing the dense forest and plowing the ground for planting and pasture. However, native resentment of the growing intrusion into their traditional territory led to several attacks on the settlers and on miners travelling to the Fraser River goldfields, and a brief colonial war culminated in the destruction of the village on nearby Kuper Island by cannon fire from a Royal Navy ship. Active resistance to the settlement ended in 1863, but the legacy of unresolved aboriginal land claims remains to this day as government and First Nations continues to negotiate an arrangement for compensation.

Initially, settlement developed from the principal coastal landing points around the perimeter of the island. The first store was established at Fernwood in 1859, and others followed at Vesuvius and at Beaver Point (now part of Ruckle Park) at the south end of the island. As more settlers arrived, chiefly from the British Isles, teams of oxen were employed to construct roads opening up more land and linking the settlements, and Ganges emerged as the natural hub of commerce.

By 1900 the islands’ population was about 500, and along with the other Gulf Islands, Salt Spring was famous for its large harvests of fruit. Later, dairying became important. The butter produced by the Salt Spring Creamery from its opening in 1904 enjoyed a wide and illustrious reputation. Around the same time Japanese immigrants established the local commercial fishery. Poultry and sheep farming were also important, the island becoming known for its flavourful lamb.

Commercial logging commenced before World War I, and by the 1920’s had become the island’s largest employer. Regular car ferry service between Ganges, Fulford and Vancouver Island was established in 1930, and vacationers began discovering the island. However, the difficult years of the Great Depression and the subsequent departure of many young people during World War II suspended further growth until the 1950’s, when islanders began to experience the effects of British Columbia’s post-war boom.

In the 1960’s two events brought major changes to island society. The first, introduction of BC Ferries service between Long Harbour and the mainland, opened the island to a steady influx of city dwellers seeking to acquire property for recreation and retirement. Then came the first wave in a large migration of young people seeking a lifestyle centered around closeness to nature, spiritual fulfillment and personal creativity. Among them were musicians, artists, writers and craftspeople – potters, musical instrument, stained glass and jewelry makers, woodworkers, weavers, quilters and papermakers – and others interested in organic farming and alternate approaches to health and wellness.

The infusion of creative energy attracted a growing tourist trade and led to establishment of the popular Saturday market, which remains the most important venue for many artists and craftsmen.

Today Salt Spring enjoys an international reputation as a laid-back holiday retreat with a diverse and vibrant culture. Popular visitor activities include hiking, cycling, kayaking, swimming and golf, visiting the famous Saturday market, scenic country drives, and pausing to enjoy the many visual reminders of the island’s rich and colorful past.