Thetis Island
Etymology
The island was named in 1851 after HMS Thetis, a 36-gun Royal Navy frigate commanded by Captain Augustus Leopold Kuper (after whom Kuper Island was formerly named). The ship was named after the Nereid Thetis from Greek mythology.
History
Before contact, two Cowichan tribes inhabited Thetis Island, the Yekolaos and the Lilmalche.
Thetis was first settled by Europeans in 1874 but permanent settlement took hold in the 1890s and 1900s. One of the early families on Thetis Island was the Hunter family. In 1891 Peter & Joseph Hunter purchased lot 27 from Mr. Walls, and then a couple of years later, lot 18 from Olaf Gustafson. Descendants of Peter Hunter continue to live on the northern coast of the island.
Services
Among the homes and seasonal cabins of Thetis Island are two Christian organizations: Capernwray Harbour Bible School and Pioneer Pacific Camp. In the summer, various art- and science-based educational events are run by the Thetis Island Nature Conservancy (ThINC) through the Nature House program, located at The Portal, a 70-acre waterfront property dedicated to nature education, stewardship, conservation and local food production. There are also two marinas, Telegraph Harbour with a bistro and Thetis Island marina with a restaurant/pub, a small convenience store with post office, and several bed and breakfast on the island. Thetis Island also operates one of the few one-room schoolhouses left in Canada.
Climate
Thetis Island has a mild climate experiencing less rainfall than the western coast of Vancouver Island as it lies in the rain shadow of Vancouver Island. Vegetation on the island includes many arbutus, Douglas fir and western red cedar. Pilkey Point offers islanders and visitors a great view of the ocean and is a popular attraction.
See also
References
- ^ Population calculated by combining the 2016 Census populations of Dissemination blocks 59190305010 (39), 59190305011 (335) and 59190305004 (5)
- ^ BC Names "Thetis Island (community)"
- ^ BC Names/GeoBC entry "Thetis Island (island)"
- ^ Direct measurement using a Paulin precision altimiter.
- ^ Hodge, Frederick Webb (1910). Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico. Vol. 2. The Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology. p. 996.
- ^ Hodge, Frederick Webb (1911). Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico. Vol. 1. The Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology. p. 766.
- ^ "Nature House". ThINC. Retrieved July 13, 2024.