Ganges, British Columbia is an unincorporated community on Salt Spring Island in the province of

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

History

Throughout the 1800s, Ganges as well as much of the North side of Saltspring Island was predominantly African-American. Ganges Harbour, from which Ganges takes its name, was originally called Admiralty Bay but was renamed by Captain Richards in 1859 after , and indirectly after the

Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...

river in

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

. The ship was at the

Pacific Station The Pacific Station was created in 1837 as one of the geographical military formations into which the Royal Navy divided its worldwide responsibilities. The South America Station was split into the Pacific Station and the South East Coast o ...

from 1857 to 1860 under the command of Captain John Fulford as

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

of Rear Admiral Robert L. Baynes. ''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 eight Bella Bella (Heiltsuk) people and the capture of three women and two boys for slaves by the Cowichans. A few days later, two Cowichans were beheaded, by a band from Fort Rupert.

Climate

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 Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...

detachment, and the hospital are all located in Ganges. Ganges is the home of Salt Spring Coffee, which also sells its coffee on BC Ferries. The harbour has several marinas, and is the home base for a Canadian Coast Guard 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. Gulf Islands Secondary School is the senior secondary school serving Salt Spring Island, Pender Island, Galiano Island, Mayne Island and Saturna Island
Gulf Islands Water Taxi
transports over 100 students to Ganges from the other islands to attend class.

Ganges Market

The Ganges Market runs every Saturday from 8:30 to 4:00, from April to October. Over hundreds of vendors sell produce, baked goods, soaps, lotions, art, jewelry, pottery, and other crafts under the rule that you must: "Make it, bake it, or grow it". Attractions include local buskers, SPCA dog care, the nearby playground, and neighboring shops. It is located in Centennial Park, Ganges and the surrounding area.

Access

BC Ferries British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., Trade name, operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former provincial Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, State-owned enterprise, publicly owned Canadian c ...

offers service to Swartz Bay, Crofton, Tsawwassen and the South Gulf Islands, via three ferry terminals within 20 minutes drive of Ganges. * Seaplane service to Ganges Harbour is via Harbour Air, Salt Spring Air, and Seair Seaplanes.

References

External links

* {{coord, 48, 51, N, 123, 31, W, region:CA_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title Unincorporated settlements in British Columbia Populated places in the Capital Regional District Salt Spring Island