Quick Search
|
2440 Sidney Avenue |
British Columbia Tourism Region : Vancouver Island
Description From Owner:
Roberts Point
- Coles Bay after John Coles, who first came to British Columbia in 1851 as a midshipman on HMS Thetis.
- He left the navy after the Crimean War and returned to British Columbia, living on his farm near Coles Bay from 1857 to 1866 and representing Saanich in the first Legislative Assembly.
- Back in England he was the curator of the Royal Geographical Society for many years. The name of the Saanich Indian reserve at Coles Bay, Paquechin, means 'drop off.'
- Gooch Island - After Thomas Sherlock Gooch, second lieutenant on HMS Satellite when she was on this coast from 1857 to 1860.
- Patricia Bay - In September 1912, when the Duke of Connaught, then Governor-General of Canada, visited Victoria, he was accompanied by his daughter, the attractive young Princess Patricia or 'Princess Pat.'
- Shortly thereafter nearby Union Bay was renamed Patricia Bay in her honour. Today it is commonly called Pat Bay.
- Piers Island - Named after Henry Piers, RN, surgeon on HMS Satellite, on the Pacific Station 1857-60. The Saanich Indians knew this as 'Crow Island' because of the great number of crows here.
- Portland Island - After HMS Portland, the flagship of Rear-Admiral Fairfax Moresby, Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Station 1850-3.
- The whole of the island comes within Princess Margaret Marine Park. (When the Princess visited British Columbia in 1958, she was presented with Portland Island but returned it to the province for use as a park.)
- Roberts Point - Also ROBERTS BANK. Point Roberts was named by Captain Vancouver after his 'esteemed friend' Lieutenant Henry Roberts, RN, who had been his comrade on Captain Cook's second and third voyages of discovery.
- Roberts was a cartographer and prepared the maps for the published account of Cook's three voyages. He was originally designated to command the expedition sent to the Pacific Northwest coast in 1791.
- However, by the time the ships were ready, another commission was in prospect for Roberts and the position was given to Vancouver, who was originally intended to be only the second-in-command.
- Sidney - The town of Sidney takes its name from nearby Sidney Island, originally known as Sallas Island but renamed Sidney Island in 1859 by Captain Richards of the survey ship Plumper.
- Apparently the Sidney he had in mind was Frederick W. Sidney, who entered the Royal Navy only a few months after Richards and like him joined the surveying branch.
- The Saanich Indians knew the site of Sidney as 'Tseteenus,' meaning 'sticking out.'
- With permission from G.P.V and Helen B. Akrigg 1997 British Columbia Place Names. UBC Press.
Address of this page: http://bc.ruralroutes.com/Sidney
