Sunny Savary

The doubleheaded sea serpent island is warm and welcoming

WHO ARE THESE WOMEN ON THE WHARF?: The above photo, courtesy of the Powell River Historical Museum & Archives, has no information attached: no year, and no names. Do you know who these women are? And what year this might be? Contact pieta@prliving.ca. Left, a postcard of Savary Island. No date.

Laying in the sun on the shores of Savary Island, have you ever wondered why the island is so wonderfully sandy and its waters warmer than anywhere else on the coast?

These features, which make Savary such an attractive summer destination, come from the island’s interesting geological past. It’s sandy beaches are a result of multiple glacial retreats; water melting from glaciers as thick as 2,000 meters, dropped large amounts of sand and sediment as the ice retreated into the mountains.

A first retreat created deposits we now call Cowichan Head and Semiahmoo Drifts and a second glacial retreat, created the deposit known as Quadra sands. This deposit forms many of the islands in the Georgia Strait: Quadra, Cortes, Hernando, Hardwood, and more, including Savary.

Savary Island also lies close to the meeting point of the tides moving around the northern and southern tips of Vancouver Island.

At this meeting point of opposing tides, the water

BLAST FROM THE PAST

JOËLLE SÉVIGNY

remains somewhat undisturbed and lies warming in the sunlight. Localized tidal action further heats the water as it passes over the warm sand.

The outline of the island itself resembles a ʔayhos (Ay hos) meaning a double-headed sea serpent and is one of the names given to the island by the Tla’amin First Nation. Another traditional name place for Savary is qayɛ qʷən (Qaye qwun) which means fresh water spring.

The island, inhabited by Coast Salish peoples, provided an abundant source of food, one of which was clam harvesting.

Nearly 100 years after European contact on Savary in 1792, European settlers arrived to the island and applied to the province for pre-emptions. In the early 1900’s, the island hosted two hotels “The Savary Inn” and “The Royal RAZZLE DAZZLE IN THE WOODS: Left, the Royal Savary Hotel, completed in 1928. Below, the Jungle Theatre, which opened in 1930 (across the water, the Patricia Theatre’s building opened in 1928). Admission was 25 cents, and it could seat 75-100 people. The white canvas “walls” came from the Powell River Paper Mill. Photos courtesy of the Powell River Historical Museum & Archives

Savary Hotel,” a theater “The Jungle Theater,” a school, and a newspaper called “Savary Island News.”

The end of the steamship era affected the island in many ways. With no direct boat service to the island, visitors declined, and over the years, the population of permanent residents decreased as well. Today the island is mostly composed of summer residences and chosen as a day-trip destination for those looking for a warm beachy getaway.

It’s time to hustle, at last

Tell August’s tourists about you. Ask locals to bring their visitors to you. Make your summer sizzle!

August’s qathet Living booking deadline: July 16.

Suzi Wiebe suzi@prliving.ca 604-344-0208

Sean Percy sean@prliving.ca 604-485-0003

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Rachel Blaney, MP

4697 Marine Ave 604 489 2286 Rachel.Blaney@parl.bc.ca YOUR POWELL RIVER REPRESENTATIVES

Nicholas Simons, MLA

#109 - 4675 Marine Ave 604 485 1249 Nicholas.Simons.MLA@leg.bc.ca