SEE ALSO:

Working or running a business

Recreation

Local transportation

Accommodation

2 Hotels
2 Motels
8 Resorts
40+ Bed & Breakfasts
60+ Self Contained Cottages/Suites

Transportation

3 Taxis
5 Water Taxi Boats
3 Airlines - all with several float planes
There are no Bus facilities or public transit services.

The Island is 27 km long and 14 km wide. The perimeter is 78 km (48 miles), and the shoreline is 134 km (83 miles).

The Coast Guard
Two boats, six permanent and five temporary staff, plus sixteen or more auxiliary volunteers.

Medical care
Ambulance services --- one station, two Vehicles, one manager and 32 volunteer paramedics
Lady Minto Hospital --- 19 acute- and 31 extended-care beds
Ten general practitioners, and five Specialists

The Greenwoods Intermediate Care Facility
49 regular, one respite, and one overnight respite-beds.

The local RCMP detachment
One Sergeant-in-charge, two corporals, five constables.

Fire Department
Three stations, Eight trucks, one emergency response vehicle, four on-staff firefighters, and 31 volunteers.

Farms include: sheep and lamb products, orchards, poultry, certified organic Growers, llamas, and cheese.

Ferry Terminals
Long Harbour to the Mainland, Fulford and Vesuvius to Vancouver Island.

Churches
Anglican, Baha'i, Buddhist, Mormon, Community Gospel, Eckankar, Jehovah's Witness, Quaker, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal, Unitarian Fellowship, United Church.

Salt Spring Island is the largest and most populated of the Canadian Gulf Islands at seventeen miles long and nine miles wide. Salt Spring lies in the sheltered waters off the east coast of Vancouver Island, midway between Victoria and Vancouver BC. Salt Spring Island is accessible by three ferry routes and three scheduled airlines from Vancouver.

Population 10,000
Roads 650 km/410 miles
Annual sunshine 2,000 + hours
Annual rainfall 84 cm / 34 inches
Mean Temp. July 17 C / 64 F
Frost free season 8 months +
Highest point Mount Bruce 709m 2326ft
Schools 1 high, 1 middle, 4 elem.
Library 1
Farms 225
Public Docks 7
Commercial Marinas 4
Post Offices 3
Movie Theatre 1
Golf Courses 2 Nine-hole courses
Fairgrounds 1
Community Halls 7
Beaches 22

GANGES

Ganges Post Office is located at Latitude 48° 51'N Longitude 123° 30'W. Vancouver PO North and Victoria PO South are both 30 (nautical) miles from the Ganges PO - as the Bald Eagle flies.

The largest concentration of population and ammenities on the island is Ganges. There are two shopping areas, one by the ocean, a second just a few blocks away. There are small townhome clusters, a Lions and a Kiwanis Village for the elderly, and a retirement modular home development.

Ganges is the largest community, located near the geographic centre of the Island. There are other communities with stores and restaurants: Fulford in Fulford Harbour to the south, Vesuvius near Vesuvius Bay to the west and Fernwood on the east coast.

Ganges includes...

Royal LePage Office
Many art galleries and speciality stores
Two large grocery stores
Two banks
Credit union
Pharmasave drugstore
Several restaurants of a wide variety
Three gas stations
Two bookstores
Stationery
Video rental
Public library
Cafés
A hardware store
Car rental
Drycleaners
Two marinas
Government dock
Fields Department Store
Take-out pizza
Lady Minto Hospital
Extended care facility
Chamber of Commerce
The Legion
R.C.M.P.
Several medical offices
Newspaper
Gym
Cablevision office
Clothing stores
Photo developer

And many other facilities.

ANNUAL COMMUNITY EVENTS

January
Polar Bear Swim

February
Eros Festival

May
Sailing Around Salt Spring
Soccer Tournament
Artcraft until September

June
ArtSpring Gala Event
Sea Capers

July
Canada Day
Build a Boat Contest
Festival of the Arts

August
Garlic Festival
Fulford Days
Street Dance

September
Terry Fox Run
Fall Fair
Apple Festival

December
Guilds of Christmas
Salt Spring Singers
Santa Ship

More Community information

Chamber of Commerce

Gulfislands.net