D'Arcy Island

Gulf Islands, including D'Arcy Island to the south.

D'Arcy Island from the west by kayak.

D'Arcy Island is an 83-ha island in Haro Strait, south of Sidney Island and east of the Saanich Peninsula (Vancouver Island). It is the southernmost of the Gulf Islands and is included in its entirety in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.

History

The island was used as a leper colony for Chinese immigrants from 1891 to 1924, when the inhabitants were moved to Bentinck Island, closer to Victoria. Ruins of the buildings built during that time are still visible.^[1][2][3][4]

Chinese lepers on D'Arcy Island in the 1890s

D'Arcy Island's proximity to the United States border was exploited by famous American bootlegger Roy Olmstead in the smuggling of Canadian liquor, primarily whisky, to Washington State.^[5] His operation would transport the liquor from Victoria, British Columbia, to islands in Haro Strait, including D'Arcy, for later pickup by smaller craft that would move the contraband during rough weather, making it more difficult for the Coast Guard to detect them.^[6]

D'Arcy was declared a marine park in 1961, and included as part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve in 2003.^{[citation needed]}

Access

D'Arcy is accessible by private watercraft only.^{[citation needed]}

Camping

Gulf Islands National Park Reserve offers 7 marine-accessible backcountry campsites on D'Arcy. Facilities are limited to pit toilets and picnic tables. There is no potable water available, and no campfires are permitted.

The Current Map and Hiking and Camping Information brochure provided updated camping fees.^[7] It is now available as a webpage.^[8]

References

1. "D'Arcy Island Marine Park". VancouverIsland.com: Vancouver Island News, Events, Travel, Accommodation, Adventure, Vacations. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
2. "Gulf Islands National Park Reserve of Canada : D'Arcy Island". Parks Canada. 2005-08-11. Archived from the original on 2007-02-21.
3. "THE CITY : A visit to the leper colony on Darcey [...]". The Victoria Daily Colonist. Vol. LXX, no. 45. Victoria, British Columbia. August 2, 1893. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
4. Bondoreff, Andrei (21 June 2009). "Victoria banished Chinese lepers to island colony". Victoria Times Colonist. Glacier Media Group. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
5. Burns, Ken; Novick, Lynn (October 2011). Prohibition; Episode 2: A Nation of Scofflaws; Good Bootlegger (Video). PBS. ISBN 978-1-60883-430-3. OCLC 738476083.^{[time needed]}
6. McClary, Daryl C. (November 13, 2002). "Olmstead, Roy (1886–1966) — King of King County Bootleggers". HistoryLink.org Essay 4015. HistoryLink: The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. Archived from the original on 2008-12-09. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
7. "Gulf Islands National Park Reserve of Canada - Brochures". Parks Canada. 2012-06-05. Archived from the original on 2012-09-12.
8. "Fees - Gulf Islands National Park Reserve". Parks Canada. 2024-07-30. Retrieved 2024-12-13.

External links

• Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
• Ruttan, Stephen (November 4, 2012). "Tales from the Vault: The lepers of D'Arcy Island". Times Colonist. p. C4. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2012.

48°34′00″N 123°17′00″W