Salt Spring Place Names
Compiled by Charles Kahn and Sue Mouat

 

Introduction

 

The Aboriginal people had several names for Salt Spring Island. The Cowichan called it Klaathem, which in their language means “salt” (Margaret Shaw Walter, Early Days Among the Gulf Islands of British Columbia). The Saanich called it ÇUÁN, which means “each end,” referring to mountains at each end of the island (Dave Elliott Sr., Saltwater People). Variations of this information have been passed on by word of mouth from generation to generation of Coast Salish people.

The first written mention of Salt Spring Island appeared in a letter written by Governor James Douglas in 1853, a year after he explored the east coast of Vancouver Island by canoe. Douglas believed that his discovery of salt springs on the island “would be of the greatest importance and become a wealth to the country” (Douglas to Barclay, May 16, 1853, ms., Archives of BC). His report was published with a map of the area, on which Salt Spring is labelled Chuan. This name, which means “facing the sea,” had been given to Mt. Tuam on the south end of the island by the Cowichan. Over time, Chuan became Tuan and eventually Tuam, which it remains today. Meanwhile, the salt springs were sufficiently intriguing for Captain Walter Colquhoun Grant (in 1849 the first settler to purchase land on Vancouver Island) to label the island Saltspring Island on a map included in his 1856 “Description of Vancouver Island.”

Not to be outdone by Douglas, Captain George Henry Richards, who charted much of the northwest coast between 1857 and 1863, also attempted to impose a name on the island, renaming it Admiral Island in honour of Rear Admiral Robert Lambert Baynes, commander-in-chief of the Pacific station at Esquimalt between 1857 and 1860. Post-Richards maps referred to the island as Admiral Island and to Ganges Harbour as Admiralty Bay.

In the end, however, the salt springs captured the popular imagination, and the island became known locally as Salt Spring (two words) Island, in spite of Grant’s 1856 one-word spelling. Saltspring became the island’s official name when it was adopted by the Geographic Board of Canada in 1905, although Canada Post—with the support of many residents—still prefers it spelled as two words.

One can make a good case for the idea that the seeds of Salt Spring islanders’ contentious natures were planted with the debate over the island’s name. To this day, islanders fiercely argue about whether the name should be spelled as two words or one, with the Ministry of Highways taking the good Canadian middle ground by placing one sign reading “Salt Spring Way” on the west side of the Fulford-Ganges Road and another sign reading “Saltspring Way” on the east side of the road.

Names continue to plague the well-intentioned chronicler of Salt Spring history. Some problems are relatively minor—Walker Hook or Walker’s Hook, Maxwell Lake or Lake Maxwell. Others bring out the quarrelsomeness of those in the know. We’re told, for example, that Duck Bay is a corruption of Dock Bay and that Stowell Lake developed from Mr. Stowe’s name and the addition of two of the l’s that maps use to designate the word “lake”—Stowe L. became Stowel L., which then became Stowell L. Early references to Cusheon (both the lake and the road) used variant spellings such as Cushion or Cuicheon.

Salt Spring’s community names can also be confusing. For example, in the past, Vesuvius and Central were often used to refer to the same geographic area. Similarly, the Burgoyne (or Fulford) Valley extends from Fulford Harbour to Burgoyne Bay. Perhaps we should call it the Fulford-Burgoyne Valley.

Another problem with names is that they sometimes change. For example, Ford Lake (named after Frederick Foord) started as Ford’s but was changed first to Mollet’s and then to Price’s Lake before returning to its current name. Stowell Lake was first Fisher’s and then Emsley’s. Roberts Lake was once Allen’s. Blackburn Lake was first Conery’s and then Brown’s. Weston Lake was once Olsen’s and later Stewart’s. Maxwell Lake was once deMaines’. Tripp Road was once Mouat’s. And Upper Ganges Road was once Bullock’s. If you’re still following, you might like to know that Bruce Peak was once the summit of Musgrave Mountain and Baynes Peak is still the top of Mount Maxwell.

Even the names of individuals can be problematic. In the past, some people had their names changed for them—with or without their approval—perhaps because an immigration officer preferred an Anglicized name or thought that the new arrival would assimilate more easily with a simpler name. For example, Joseph King came to Salt Spring in the 1880s from Smyrna (now Izmir), Turkey, with another name, possibly Basilio (information courtesy of Jean Barman), which was changed to the straightforward King. John Stevens, the husband of King’s stepdaughter, had the original Greek name Yjanaris, according to his gravestone (information courtesy of Joan Ingram).

Sometimes our sources themselves have caused the confusion. For example, many writers have told the story of Salt Spring’s “squire,” Henry Wright Bullock whose gravestone clearly identifies the man as Harry Wright Bullock. Then there’s the relatively minor confusion when individuals change the spelling of their names—like William Patterson, who thought that his name looked better with two t’s (the English spelling) rather than the original Scottish Paterson.

 

This directory contains two lists: the first contains most but not all Salt Spring street names, since new names are continually being created for new streets; the second contains general geographical features.

Many of the geographical features around Salt Spring have been named after people or ships from the Spanish or British Navy. For example, Ganges is named after H.M.S. Ganges, the flagship (1857–60) of Rear Admiral Robert L. Baynes, whose name is remembered in Baynes Peak at the top of Mt. Maxwell. Similarly, Fulford Harbour is named after Captain John Fulford, the master of the H.M.S. Ganges, or Porlier Pass, which was named by the Spanish captain Jose M. Narvaez. Most of these names are explained in other references, most notably in British Columbia Coast Names: Their Origin and History by Captain John T. Walbran (Douglas & McIntyre, 1971), which was first published in 1909. Please try sources like Walbran for any names not included in the second list of geographical names included here.

            Readers are encouraged to send additions and corrections to the Archives website so that this directory can be continually improved and expanded.

 

Street Names

 

Most of the following names are road names on Salt Spring Island. While some names such as Arbutus Place and Wildwood Crescent are merely descriptive, most others commemorate some islander who lived nearby or developed the land. Often a developer wanted to remember someone in his or her family (e.g., Heidi Place), perhaps even a favourite pet. Sometimes the names are thematic, such as the plethora of waterbirds (e.g., Canvasback, Cormorant, Tern, Teal, Murrelet, Sandpiper, Oystercatcher) in Channel Ridge, or the maritime names in Maracaibo (e.g., Mariners Way, Fishermans Lane, Kingfisher Lane). In some cases, background information was not available; any additional information would be welcome.

 

Acheson Road            Miles and Hannah Acheson lived in a large house, which is still called Acheson House today. Acheson started a Gestetner-style newspaper called the Spotlight. Miles Acheson had been a prisoner of war of the Japanese during World War II.

Acland Road              In 1947, Bevil and Marjorie Acland opened Acland’s Resort on Baker Road in a home originally built by Ernest Crofton. The resort’s names was changed to the Booth Bay Resort in 1960, when it was bought by Thomas and Frances Portlock.

Agar Road                  Named after a Major Agar who lived at the end of the road.

Akerman Road           Joseph Akerman came to Salt Spring in 1862 and farmed in the Burgoyne-Fulford Valley. His wife, Martha Clay, arrived in Victoria on a bride ship from England in 1863 and agreed to become his wife. The couple raised eight children, and many of their descendants continue to live on Salt Spring.

Alders Avenue            Captain Victor and Winifred Best lived on a property called The Alders.

Aldous Road               Aldous was an early surveyor on the island.

Amblewood Drive       descriptive name

Andrew Place             Andrew Stevens, who owned land nearby, was the son of John N. Stevens (1858–1939), who came to Salt Spring in 1885. Originally Greek (his original name was Yjanaris), Stevens was given his name on his arrival by an immigration official.

Anna Drive                 The name of developer Chris Gossett’s nanny.

Arbutus Place             descriptive name

Arbutus Road             descriptive name

Arletta Place

Armand Way              Named after Joseph Armand Lucien Quesnel.

Arnell Way                 Peter Arnell was a surveyor who died accidentally on Galiano Island.

Atkins Road                H. Atkins arrived in 1907. His sister married Thomas Frank Speed, and their farm stretched along Atkins Road from Rainbow Road to Lower Ganges Road.

 

Baker Road                 Dr. Gerald Ramsay “Paddy” Baker lived on Salt Spring from 1897 to 1908 in Percy Browne’s house near Booth Canal. He left the island in 1904 for the Yukon gold fields and returned for only a brief period.

Barker’s Place            Possibly named after Jake Barker, an employee of the BC Telephone Company. Jake was a gladiola grower of some note, and his wife sang in the Anglican Church choir. The Barkers lived off Stewart Road.

Bayridge Place           descriptive name

Bayview Road             descriptive name

Beachside Drive         descriptive name

Beaver Point Road     The Beaver was a Hudson’s Bay Company paddle steamer used for surveying in the Strait of Georgia from 1863 to 1867. It was the first steam vessel on the west coast. It is thought that the Beaver went on the rocks at Beaver Point.

Becky Way                  Becky Acheson, whose father, Chris, was involved in the subdivision.

Beddis Road               Samuel (1850–93) and Emily Beddis arrived on Salt Spring in 1884.

Belvedere Drive          descriptive name

Benton Place

Betsy Lane                  Named after Betty Greer (husband Tom).

Biggely Road              The name of developer Chris Gossett’s Jack Russell spaniel.

Bittancourt Road        Estalon José Bittancourt (1845–1917) and his brother Manoel Antoine Bittancourt arrived on the island in1860. This road is probably named after Manoel’s son, Abraham Reid Bittancourt, who ran a store on Ganges Hill from 1900 until it was purchased by Mouat’s in 1907.

Blackburn Road         Alan Blackburn arrived in 1907 and bought the Conery farm on Blackburn Road. In 1911, Blackburn brought the first automobile to Salt Spring.

Blain Road                 Walter Blain owned a dairy farm, which he bought from the King brothers (see Kings Lane).

Bonnet Road              Named afer Laura Ruth (née Bonnet) Cudmore, long-time islander Gordon Cudmore’s wife.

Booth Road                John Patton Booth (1838–1902) arrived on Salt Spring in 1859 and farmed in this area. He was elected as a member of the BC legislature in 1871 and again in 1890, and was Speaker of the legislature at the time of his death.

Bradbury Road           Brian Bradbury from Victoria subdivided land in this area.

Bradley Road              Possibly named after developer Hart Bradley, who with Pete Frattinger was developing the Scott Point area in the mid-1960s.

Bridgman Road          Weaver Bridgman was a Victoria realtor who bought the Beaver Point property belonging to Theodore Trage in 1902.

Brinkworthy Road      descriptive name

Broadwell Road         Joel and Mary Amanda Broadwell settled on Salt Spring in 1882.

Brookwood Road        descriptive name

Bullock Creek Road   Harry Bullock moved to Salt Spring from Bristol, England, in 1892 and established a large farm estate on Upper Ganges Road. Bullock wanted people to think of him as the “squire of Salt Spring.”

Bulman Road             William Bulman bought 2,455 acres from Cusheon Lake to Cusheon Cove in 1909 and built a large sawmill at the cove.

Burgoyne Bay Road   Commander Hugh Talbot Burgoyne (1833–70) commanded the

H.M.S. Ganges in 1857.

Byron Road                Jessie and Elizabeth Byron and their five sons moved to the island from Saskatchewan in 1934.

 

Canal Road                This road leads to Booth Canal.

Canvasback Road       descriptive name

Caprice Heights          descriptive name

Carlin Road               Howard Carlin was a school bus driver and later worked as an insurance agent from his home. Howard’s wife, Molly, was an Akerman.

Castillou Way             Henry Castillou was a BC judge who holidayed on Salt Spring.

Castle Cross Road       From the crossroads of Castle Cross and Salt Spring Way, you have a good view of Castle (First Sister) Island. See also Channel Islands.

Cedar Lane                 descriptive name

Central Avenue          Central was originally going to be the road to the prospective ferry at Long Harbour. However, when the road to the terminal was eventually built, it was decided to use the current Long Harbour route instead. This involved blasting a great deal of rock to straighten the new road.

Channel Ridge Dr.    The ridge offers views over Trincomali Channel.

Charlesworth Road    Named after Elsie (Price) and Tom Charlesworth, who died in 1918 during World War I.

Chock Road                Named by logger-developer Gordon Cudmore, possibly after the wedge used by loggers.

Chu-An Drive            Indian name for Salt Spring (“facing the sea”).

Churchill Road          A.N.H. Churchill settled here. He was killed during World War I.

Clarinda Road           Named after Constance Clarinda Goodall. See also Goodall Road.

Clipper Road              descriptive name

Collins Road              John T. Collins settled on the east side of St. Mary Lake in 1895.

Corbett Road               Major Frank H. Corbett, M.C. was killed in action in World War I. His widow married Desmond Crofton.

Cormorant Crescent    descriptive name

Cottonwood Road       descriptive name

Cranberry Road          A cranberry marsh in this area was drained before 1900.

Crane Road                Possibly named after Jacob Crook Crane, a councilor with the early Municipality of Salt Spring (1872–1882).

Creekside Drive          Cusheon Creek flows here.

Crofton Road              Named after Fred Crofton who came to the island in 1898 with his brothers Frank and Ernest.

Cross Road                 

Cudmore Heights       Gordon Cudmore, whose family settled on Salt Spring in 1927, subdivided a large acreage off Charlesworth Road.

Cusheon Lake Road   John Ducie Cusheon came to Salt Spring in 1860, but left soon after when the government refused to let him pre-empt 1,000 acres of land.

Cusheon Place           See above.

 

David Crescent           David Bruce Barnes is the son of Bruce and Jean Barnes who subdivided this area. David’s sister is Leslee Quesnel.

Dean Road                 Rev. George W. Dean was a Methodist minister, c. 1914.

Deer Park Road          descriptive name

Delia Crescent            Named after Annie Adelia Sandford Eyres, the grandmother of Leslee Barnes Quesnel, whose father developed the land here.

Dellcliffe Road          possibly a descriptive name

Demetri Way               Demetri Stevens is the son of Peter Stevens, the youngest son of John Stevens (1858–1939), whose original name was Yjanaris.

Desiree Drive

Desmond Crescent      Colonel Desmond Crofton, a son of Fred Crofton, served in the Canadian Scottish Regiment during World War II. For many years he helped run the Harbour House Hotel (started by his parents) and was also one of the partners of the Gulf Islands Ferry Company, which provided the island with its first ferry service.

Devine Drive              Isabella (“Bella”) Devine worked at the main counter in Mouat’s for many years.

Dodds Road                A.J.W. Dodds arrived in 1905 and taught at Central/Vesuvius School.

Dogwood Lane           descriptive name

Dogwood Road           descriptive name

Don Ore Road            Donore was the estate of the Barnes family. It was the first grant of land given by the English king to a family in Ireland. Bruce Barnes, who developed this area, was of Irish descent.

Douglas Road Named after a homesteader who lived at the bottom of the road.

Dover Place

Drake Road                Arthur Drake was the butter maker at the Salt Spring creamery from 1912 to 1949.

Duck Creek Drive       This is a corruption of the original Dock Creek; a dock once existed in Dock Bay into which the creek flows.

Dukes Road                Walter and George Dukes came to the island in 1887 and

1906. They lived at the end of Dukes Road.

Dupuis Road              Alternately spelled “Depuis” and “Dupuis”, this is a misspelling of Dupuy, as Patrick and Rosamonde Dupuy have lived nearby on Mountain Road since the 1970s. Originally named Lumley Road after a Kanaka (Hawaiian) family who settled here in the late-1800s, it was arbitrarily renamed by the highways department and misspelled at the same time.

 

Eagle Ridge Drive      descriptive name

Eagles Road               descriptive name

Elizabeth Drive          Named by Mac Mouat after his wife, Elizabeth (Betty) Mouat, in the late 1960s.

Ensilwood Road         Bill Ensilwood, retired from the army, lived at the corner of Ensilwood and LePage Roads in a mobile home.

Epron Road                Named after a farmer who pre-empted land here.

 

Fairview Road            descriptive name

Fairway Crescent        descriptive name

Fairway Drive            descriptive name

Farm Court                 descriptive name

Fer-de-Lance Road    Possibly named by someone who missed these large South American snakes.       

Fernwood Road          descriptive name

Forest Hill Place        descriptive name

Forest Ridge Road      descriptive name

Fort Street                   Perhaps named for the Hudson’s Bay Company fort in Victoria by the developers of this area (Grantville) in 1891, who included Victoria Mayor John Grant and Captain Edward Walker.

Fraser Road                The family name of Lotus Ruckle. Her brother Donald Fraser developed this area. The family of five children came to the island in 1921 with their mother, Frances Imogene Fraser Menhinick, and her husband, John Cory Menhinick.

Frazier Road              George Quesnel and Peter Thompson subdivided land here. Their company name was Frazier Farm.

Fruitvale Road           Fruit Vale was the name of W. E. Scott’s estate and orchard, one of the island’s largest producers of fruit. See also Scott Point Drive.

Fulford-Ganges Rd.   descriptive name

Furness Road             George ( –1898) and Kate (1849–1932) Furness settled in this area in 1880.

 

Garner Road               Lona and Oland Garner settled in this area in 1905. Their son Joe is well known on the island for his autobiographical books about Salt Spring and logging.

Geigrich Road            H. C. Giegerich was chair of the Lady Minto Gulf Islands Hospital Board in 1959. Despite the spelling difference, the road is likely named after him.

Goodall Road             Raymond and Constance Goodall bought the property here in 1958. The road was put in about 1970 when Ray subdivided some lots.

Goodrich Road           Clarence Albert “Jock” and Phyllis Goodrich arrived on Salt Spring in 1919. Their daughter Ruth married George Heinekey and the property at the end of the road is still owned by the family.

Graham Drive            Graham was the name of Daphne Bradley’s first husband, who was killed in World War II. Daphne’s husband, Hart, developed many pieces of land on Salt Spring.

Gransview Place         descriptive name

Grantville Road         This was the name of the ambitious 1891 development by Edward Mallandaine, Captain John Walker, and others. The developers hoped that it would become the commercial centre of Salt Spring, but it failed to attract buyers.

 

Hamilton-Norne Rd. Lyle Hamilton-Horne and his family lived here in the 1980s.

Hammond Road

Harbourside Place      descriptive name

Harrison Avenue        Chuck Harrison settled on Salt Spring in 1959; his land was developed after he sold it.

Head Road                  descriptive name

Hedger Road               Arthur and Amy Hedger, originally from England, came to Salt Spring with their five children in 1922 and used a Soldier Settlement grant to buy the old Whims farm at the end of present-day Hedger Road.

Heidi Place                 Named after Norman Twa’s daughter.

Hereford Avenue        Named after the English county.

High Hill Road          descriptive name

Highwood Place         descriptive name

Hillcrest Drive            descriptive name

Hillgrove Road           descriptive name

Hilltop Road              descriptive name

Hillview Place                        descriptive name

Holmes Road              Marc and Jean Holmes settled on a large property at the bottom of Holmes Road (off Isabella Point Road) in the early 1960s. They planted an orchard, specializing in peaches.

Hope Hill Road          This private road leads into a large estate. The name has nothing to do with Hope Hill located east of here.

Horel Road                 Charles Horel came to the island in 1878. He was a devout Methodist and had a reputation as a fire-and-brimstone lay preacher. His grandson Chuck Horel was trained as a journalist, but worked in logging and later, as a realtor, developed many areas of the island.

Howard Road             Probably named after Howard Byron who had a small development in this area.

Howell Lane               Named after Howard and Ellen Byron.

Humphreys Hill Rd.   Gilbert Humphreys developed land here.

 

Isabella Point Rd.      Isabella was a daughter of the captain of one of the British survey ships in the late-1800s.

Isle View Drive           Descriptive name. The view of the islands in Ganges Harbour is very fine from here.

 

Jacalan Drive

Jackson Avenue         Probably named after later arrival Vic Jackson.

Jasper Road

Jenkins Road             Named after Don and Hattie Jenkins.

Jennifer Way              Named after developer Larry Bader’s daughter.

Jones Road                 According to Bob Akerman, a logger named Jones had a farm at the end of the road in the 1950s. Earlier the road was known as Bird Road after a family who lived here.

Juniper Place             descriptive name

 

Kanaka Road             The Kanakas were people of Hawaiian descent who came to Salt Spring in the late-nineteenth century.

Kangro Court

Kilner Road

King Road                  Named after the King family, either Joseph King, who arrived in the 1880s, or Joseph’s nephew Leon King.

Kings Lane                 The King brothers (Colin and Ronald) had a dairy farm on the land here in the 1930s. The farm was later sold to Walter Blain.

Kitchen Road             Wilfrid Kitchen settled here with his wife, a granddaughter of Theodore Trage, in the early 1900s.

Kitchener Road          Perhaps a tribute to the renowned English aristocratic family.

Knott Road                 Simon Knott, a lawyer, developed the land here.

Lakefair Crescent       descriptive name

Lakeview Drive           descriptive name

Langley Road             Named after A. A. Langley who lived here in the early 1900s. Mrs. Langley was a member of the Guild of Sunshine, which was highly involved in establishing and funding the Lady Minto Gulf Islands Hospital in 1914. Mr. Langley served on the hospital’s board of administration.

Lang's Road               John Charles Lang arrived on Salt Spring in 1910 and bought the Fernwood Farm, which then extended to Lang’s Road.

Last Road                    descriptive name

Lautman Drive           Joe Lautman was a logger and the second husband of Winnie Horel Lautman Watmough.

Lawn Hill Drive         descriptive name

Layard Road               Colonel Brownlow Villiers Layard arrived on Salt Spring in 1906. He followed his sons Cam and Togie Layard, whom he’d sent out to buy land for the family. Brownlow’s wife, Clara, was president of the Sunshine Guild, which worked to establish the Lady Minto Gulf Islands Hospital.

Lee Ann Road           

Lee Road                     Hudson Tom Lee arrived on the island in 1891.

Leisure Lane               descriptive name

LePage Road              Theodore LePage moved from the Island of Guernsey and pre-empted 160 acres on Salt Spring in the 1870s or 1880s.

Leslee Drive                Named after Leslee Joy Barnes Quesnel. Leslee’s father, Armand, subdivided land in this area.

Liberty Hall Lane       Named by Tom Toynbee after the log house of the same name owned by his uncles Charles and Bert Toynbee near Toynbee Road. They named their log house Liberty Hall because they thought they’d reached “the promised land.”

Lionel Crescent          Named after Lionel Beddis.

Little Mountain Rd.   descriptive name

Long Harbour Road   descriptive name

Lord Mike's Road       There are two stories about the origin of this name. One has it that Michael Horel was helping his father, Chuck, build the road when Chuck said “Lor, Mike, we’ll never get this road built!” The second story involves another Mike who refused to give Chuck Horel a right-of-way through his land; according to this version, when asked why he was building the road, Chuck replied, “Because the Lord Mike said no!”

Lower Ganges Road   descriptive name

 

McAllister Road        

McGill Road              Henry J. McGill ran a large bakery in Ganges for twenty-one years starting in 1939.

McGoldrick Place      Andy McGoldrick developed this land in the 1980s.

McLennan Drive        Elizabeth and Alexander McLennan settled on Salt Spring in 1882.

McPhillips Avenue    A resident of Victoria, Albert Edward McPhillips represented the Gulf Islands in the provincial legislature from 1907 to 1913.

Madrona Road           The American name for the arbutus tree.

Main Street                 descriptive name

Maliview Drive          Descriptive name for the view over Trincomali Channel.

Malladine Street        Edward Mallandaine came to Salt Spring in 1859 and claimed land in the Walker Hook area.

Mansell Road             Thomas and Priscilla Mansell came to the island in 1884.

Manson Road             Manson was the maiden name of Jane Mouat. The name reappears often in the Mouat clan (e.g., Manson Toynbee).

Maple Ridge Road     descriptive name

Maracaibo Lane         According to Charles and Sally Bazzard (The Magic of Maracaibo, p. 49), this strata development was named after Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela, a freshwater lake connected by a river to the sea. The Long Harbour lagoon reminded the Moats, one of the families who started Maracaibo of this lake.

Margaret Avenue        Margaret Richardson was the wife of Ed Richardson who developed the subdivision here.

Margoline Drive        Stewart Margolin, a Canadian actor, lived on this street for many years.

Mariko Place

Marina Crescent         descriptive name

Mariners Lane            descriptive name

Maxam Road              John Maxam subdivided land here in the 1980s. Maxam never lived on Salt Spring.

Maycock Road

Meadow Drive            descriptive name

Meadow Lane             descriptive name

Menhinick Drive       Cory Menhinick; his wife, Frances Imogene Fraser Menhinick; and her five children settled in this area in 1921. Cory was Lotus Fraser Ruckle’s stepfather.

Mereside Road            Named by John Carter Mollet after his English home. Mollet and his family settled on land on Ford Lake in 1887. Later they moved to the Fulford-Ganges Road where Mollet was well known for his amazing garden.

Merganser Place         descriptive name

Meyer Road                A Victoria lawyer who developed land on this road.

Miles Avenue             Named after Miles Beddis.

Mobrae Avenue          Short for Mouat-Bradley, Mac Mouat, his brothers, and Hart Bradley developed the land here.

Monteith Drive           Monteith was the maiden name of Margaret Richardson, the wife of Ed Richardson who developed the subdivision here.

Morningside Drive     descriptive name

Mountain Road         descriptive name

Mountain Park Dr.    descriptive name

Mountain View Rd.   descriptive name

Mount Baker Cres.    Joseph Baker, R.N. was third lieutenant of the Discovery, a ship commanded by George Vancouver in 1792. Residents of this street have a view of Mount Baker in Washington State.

Mount Belcher Hts.   Captain Sir Edward Belcher (1799–1877) was a British surveying officer and Arctic explorer.

Mount Erskine Rd.    Mount Erskine as well as Erskine Pt. just below it were possibly named for James A. Erskine, an admiral in the Royal Navy. Erskine was born in 1838, became a sub-lieutenant in 1858, a lieutenant and then a commander in 1862, and later a full admiral. Alternatively, the road and point may have been named by Captain Richards in 1863 after Admiral Elphinstone Erskine, Commander-in-Chief of the North American Squadron.

Mount Maxwell Rd.  John Maxwell settled at the head of Burgoyne Bay in 1860. Maxwell and his partner, James Lunney, eventually developed a 1,000-acre ranch specializing in Texas longhorns. They also donated land for a wharf in Burgoyne Bay. The Maxwells ran the local post office from 1883 to 1900.

Mount Tuam Road    “Chuan” is a Cowichan word meaning “facing the sea.” Over time, “Chuan” became “Tuan” and eventually “Tuam.”

Murrelet Place            descriptive name

Musgrave Road          Edward Musgrave, the fourth son of an Irish aristocrat, bought a 7,000-acre farm from the Pimbury brothers in 1885. Musgrave sold to Clive and Edward Trench only seven years later.

 

Natalie Lane              Named by logger, writer, and developer-realtor Chuck Horel after his wife Natalie Jameski Horel.

Nobbs Road                Harry Nobbs, his wife, and children; Frieda and Charles Nobbs and their five children; and Fred Nobbs, his wife, and four children moved to the Cranberry in 1904.

North Beach Road     descriptive name

Northeast Road           descriptive name

North End Road         descriptive name

North View Road        descriptive name

Norton Road               Portuguese-born John Norton and his brother Delarvo settled on Salt Spring around 1860.

Nose Point Road        Perhaps named for the shape of the point.

 

Oakspring Road         descriptive name

Old Divide Road        Descriptive name identifying the rugged, hilly division between the north and south ends of island.

Old Scott Road           The Scott Brothers (William E., Geoffrey, Frank, and Harold) arrived c. 1880. W. E. Scott established one of the island’s largest orchards at his estate called Fruit Vale off Long Harbour Road. He became Deputy Minister of Agriculture for British Columbia from 1910 to 1916. Brother Frank Scott sold just enough land to build Mahon Hall to the Islands Agricultural and Fruit Growers Association in 1900. (The price was $40.)

Old Smith Road         See Smith Road.

Ontario Place             Presumably named after the Province of Ontario.

Orchard Avenue         descriptive name

Ouelette Road

Oystercatch Place       descriptive name

 

Pallot Way                  Dave Pallot lived on the corner of Pallot and Rainbow Roads.

Park Drive                  descriptive name

Parminter Road          Rev. Henry Parminter was the chaplain on the H.M.S. Ganges. He died in 1899.

Pattella Way               Named after the Pattella family in the early 1980s.

Patterson Road           Named after the Patterson family of Beaver Point and Fulford. William and Emily Patterson came to Salt Spring in the early 1900s. William was Polly Ruckle’s sister. (Polly was the wife of Daniel Henry Ruckle.) This road is also known as Tahouney, the name of a Hawaiian family who moved to Salt Spring in the late-1800s.

Perdue Road                                    

Peregrine Way            descriptive name

Pine Place                  descriptive name

Portlock Park              Thomas and Frances Portlock bought the Booth Bay Resort in 1961. Thomas was the president of the Lions Club when it bought 10 acres in 1974 to develop Portlock Park.

Price Road                  Patley Lloyd Augustus Price arrived on the island in 1909 and bought John Mollet’s Mereside property.

Primrose Lane descriptive name

Pringle Farm Road    This subdivision was put in by the Pringle family, whose farm is adjacent to the development.

Purdy Road                 Raffles Purdy, the brother of Emily Beddis, arrived on the island with the Beddises in 1884. He eventually built his own home on Beddis Road near Rourke Road.

Purvis Road                In 1904, Percy Purvis and his partner Joe Malcolm opened a general store in Ganges that was eventually bought by Gilbert Mouat and his mother, Jane, in 1907. This store is now over 100 years old. Malcolm and Purvis came to Salt Spring in 1889.

 

Quail Crescent           descriptive name

Quarry Drive              Named for Estalon Bittancourt’s stone quarry north of Booth Bay, which opened in 1886. Sandstone from here reputedly went into the Esquimalt graving dock, the seawall of Victoria’s Inner Harbour, and the San Francisco mint.

Quebec Drive              Named after the Province of Quebec.

Quebec Lane              Named after the Province of Quebec.

 

Rainbow Road           When the road was surveyed (1910–11), the H.M.C.S. Rainbow was docked at the wharf, so the surveyor, a man named Gillespie, named the road after the vessel.

Reginald Hill Road  

Reid Road                  

Reynolds Road           Frank and Pearl Reynolds settled on Salt Spring in 1911.

Richard Flack Road  Named by Dunbar Developments (two brothers).

Robinson Road          Henry William Robinson came to the island in 1885.

Roland Road              Peter George Roland was the second husband of Matilda Naukana Harris of Hawaiian heritage.

Ross Road                   Fred Ross worked in men’s clothing at Mouat’s in the 1950s.

Rourke Road             

Russell Road              Named after Jack and Migs Russell, who, together with Mary and Charles Moat, developed the strata subdivision called Maracaibo.

 

Salt Spring Way         This one is obvious, if uninspired.

Saltair Lane               descriptive name

Samson Road             Henry Sampson (1830–1919) arrived 1859, pre-empted property in the Fernwood area, and became the island’s first constable.

Samuel Crescent         Named after Lionel Beddis’s son Samuel Beddis, who died during World War II.

Sandpiper Place         descriptive name

Sarah Way                  Named after developer Bob Adair’s daughter.

Scarff Lane                 Named after Gordon Scarff, who developed land here.

Scott Point Drive        Scott Point was named after William Ernest Scott, member of the Provincial Board of Horticulture and justice of the peace, by Captain John F. Parry, master of the H.M.S. Egeria, on resurveying Ganges Harbour in 1905. The Scott Brothers (W. E., Geoffrey, Frank, and Harold) settled on Salt Spring about 1880. W. E. Scott established one of the island’s largest orchards at his estate called Fruit Vale off Long Harbour Road. He became Deputy Minister of Agriculture for British Columbia from 1910 to 1916. His brother Frank Scott sold just enough land to build Mahon Hall to the Islands Agricultural and Fruit Growers Association in 1900. (The price was $40.)

Scott Road                  See Scott Point Drive.

Scotton Place              Bill and Marie Scotton came to the island in the late 1960s. Bill Scotton was a logger who developed land here.

Seabright Road          descriptive name

Seaview Avenue         descriptive name

Seymour Heights        Possibly name after the Seymour family.

Sharp Road               

Shepherd Hills Rd.    Named by John Stepaniuk.    

Simson Road              Margaret and Harry Simson came to Salt Spring from Saturna Island in 1927 and purchased the 157-acre Roberts farm at Stonecutters Bay.

Singer Road               Possibly named after F. M. Singer who ran portable sawmills on Salt Spring in the early 1900s.

Sir Echo’s Way          Sir Echo was Norman Mouat’s favourite horse.

Sky Valley Road         descriptive name

Smith Road                Frank, Arnold, and Walter Smith, arrived c. 1919 and settled near Musgrave Landing. Arnold Smith’s 160-acre property is now the Mill Farm Park Reserve. His brothers pre-empted adjoining properties.

Solitt Road                 Wayne and Yvonne Solitt moved to Salt Spring from Alberta.

South Road                descriptive name

South Bank Drive      descriptive name

Southey Point Road   James Lowther Southey, R.N. was secretary to Rear Admiral Sir R. L. Baynes whose flagship was the H.M.S. Ganges and who was in Georgia Strait from 1857 to 1860.

South Ridge Road      descriptive name

Stark Road                  Sylvia and Louis Stark settled on Salt Spring in 1860.

Stevens Road              John Stevens, whose real name was Yjanaris, was the husband of Emma King. Stevens was probably given his name by an immigration officer who found Yjanaris too difficult to pronounce.

Stewart Road              Bill and Winnifred Stewart lived here in the 1930s.              

Stonecutter Way         Named to commemorate the stonecutters who worked in the Vesuvius quarries.

Suffolk Road              Named after the English county.

Sun Eagle Drive        descriptive name

Sunnyside Drive         descriptive name

Sunset Drive               descriptive name (This road faces west and would be a great place to watch sunsets.)

Swan Point Road       descriptive name

Swanson Road           Bill Swanson developed this area in the 1950s.

 

Tahouney Road          The Tahouney family were Kanakas or Hawaiians who settled on Isabella Point Road. They are descended from William Nawana, who settled on Salt Spring in 1874.

Tantramar Drive         Named after the Tantramar Marsh in New Brunswick by Emily Smith who developed the area.

Teal Place                   descriptive name

Terminus Street          The name of this road and its proximity to the ferry terminal suggest that at some time it was considered to be the access road to the terminal.

Tern Road                   descriptive name

Thomas Road            

Toynbee Road             Named after Charlie and Bert Toynbee whose log house was at the end of the road.

Trincomali Heights    Named after H.M.S. Trincomalee, a British sailing frigate stationed in the Pacific from 1853 to 1956.

Tripp Road                 H. W. Tripp pre-empted land on the road that bears his name in about 1902.

Twinflower Lane        descriptive name

 

Uplands Road            descriptive name

Upper Ganges Road   descriptive name

 

Valhalla Road                        descriptive name

Vesuvius Bay Road     Vesuvius Bay was named for the paddle sloop H.M. Vesuvius by Captain George Henry Richards in 1859.

Victoria Street             Named for the city of Victoria. See Fort Street.

Village Terrace           This small development sits on a terrace overlooking the village of Ganges.

                       

Walker's Hook Road  Captain Edward Walker pre-empted land here in 1859. Walker was the master of a schooner that plied the waters between Victoria and Nanaimo. He was also involved in the abortive attempt to establish a community at Grantville.

Webster Drive             Named after Gerard “Jordi” Webster.

Welbury Point Drive  Welbury Point was named after Welbury House, Bradford, Yorkshire, the residence of William E. Scott. It was named by Captain John F. Parry of the H.M.S. Egeria in 1905.

West Eagle Drive        descriptive name

Westcott Road             Frank Westcott, a nephew of Ann and Henry Stevens (proprietors of Stevens’s Boarding House), came to the island in 1903.