Salt Spring Island
Fulford valley from Mount Maxwell
Ganges village
POPULATION: 10,500
FERRY TERMINALS: Fulford, Vesuvius, Long Harbour
TOURIST INFO: 121 Lower Ganges Road; 537-5252; summer booth next to the Fulford Inn
It's Saturday afternoon on Salt Spring Island and it looks like there's a party going on.
At the island's Centennial Park, fiddlers strike up a tune while shoppers browse the wares: everything from delicate silver jewellery and hand-painted ceramics to organic veggies and fresh-baked bread look tempting under multi-hued umbrellas.
"It's a very festive occasion," observes market vendor Joanne Stuart, as she offers herbal products at the Sacred Mountain Lavender booth. "It's also very diverse, uplifting and friendly. The vendors are passionate about what they are doing, growing and sharing, and that shows in the quality of the products."
In fact all of the vendors - as many as 150 of them on a busy weekend - are selling goods they have nurtured or created themselves. The market rule - "make it, bake it or grow it" - means that everything sold in the market, from hand-painted silk scarves to blackberry fruitsicles, is locally produced.
The market is the star attraction on Salt Spring - itself something of a prom queen among the islands. The biggest, busiest and best known of the Southern Gulf Islands, Salt Spring has more accommodation, people and services than the other islands combined.
It also has the archipelago's only town. Ganges (called "the village" by visitors and "downtown" by residents) is a pedestrian-friendly cluster of cafes, bookstores and so many art galleries and craft shops it's been named one of the 100 best small art towns in America in John Villani's book of the same name.
The "art town" label actually applies to the whole island, which could well have more artists per capita than anywhere else in Canada. The best way to grasp the sheer variety of creative work happening here is to visit some of the island's artisans at their studios. Just grab a copy of the Salt Spring Studio Tour Map (it's available free at the Visitor Information Centre) and hit the road. The map, and little black sheep symbols on roadside signs, will lead you to about three dozen galleries and studios around the island, where artisans produce everything from pottery and ceramics to basketry and eco-conscious fashion designs.
Finding the studios, which might be tucked down country roads or perched on ocean view bluffs, is all part of the adventure - and a great way to see some of the less-visited corners of the island.
The studio tour map also leads to many of the island's wineries, bakeries, cheese makers and herb farms, which together help make Salt Spring a leader in the burgeoning local food movement. Locally raised and produced goods are also available at island shops and restaurants, and each summer Tuesday, at the farmers' market in Ganges' United Church meadow. Of course, any random drive around the island will take you past roadside stands, most of which operate on the honour system - as in "Take your eggs, jam or arugula, and leave the money in the box."
Perhaps random drives are the best way to get a feel for the island. Salt Spring, despite its growing popularity, still has plenty of countryside to go around, with dozens of seaside coves, serene Garry oak meadows, and hiking trails up mountainsides and along the coastline where, chances are, you won't meet another soul. Watch for fairies though: on some island hills, including Mount Erskine, tiny bright fairy doors have mysteriously appeared at the bases of rocks and trees.
Another magical part of the island, delightfully blending art and scenery, is the Hastings House Sculpture Trail. On the grounds of the famous country inn, a public trail winds through woods past an array of intriguing sculptural works.
Still feeling active? How about a sunset kayak paddle to Chocolate Island, a hike around a historic farm at Ruckle Provincial Park, or nine holes at Blackburn Meadows, one of Canada's first organic golf courses, or a dip in any of the island's five swimming lakes? Salt Spring, being the biggest island, has more places to hike, paddle, golf and swim than its neighbours, and plenty of local outfitters to show the way.
Salt Spring also has a wealth of places to just be - to rest and recuperate. Some hold that Salt Spring lies along powerful ley lines, creating a healing energy that permeates the island. Not surprisingly, a wealth of healing arts, from yoga and bodywork to counselling and acupuncture, are offered here. Healing and renewal are often the focus of a visit, whether for a pampering spa treatment or an in-depth spiritual retreat.
Come evening, you can head back to Ganges, where every summer evening local musicians play for pass-the-hat takings at the outdoor Tree House Cafe. Diners fill the restaurant patios, boaters listen in from the marina, kids play tag on the waterfront and, on up-tempo nights, you might even catch some dancing in the streets.
- Sue Kernaghan
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