Скачать или смотреть Thormanby Islands - Sunshine Coast

One of our favourite sailing destinations (except when the wind is blowing strong from the Northwest !), Thornmanby Islands are a magical combination of expansive sandy beaches for relaxing in the sun and swimming to cool off, beautiful rocky islands and secluded coves to explore, and close proximity to full services - including water taxi - at Secret Cove.

The islands offer two different provincial parks:
(1) Buccaneer Bay Provincial Park - occupies the sandy spit linking the two islands, and so is just a smidge of foreshore and beach, especially at high tide.
(2) Simson Provincial Park - established in 1986 and named after pioneer Calvert Simson, occupies the eastern half of South Thormanby Island.

The other half of the South island - and almost all of the North island - is predominately private property, with a concentration of seasonal cottages along beautiful Buccaneer Bay. But one can almost walk around both islands on the sandy beaches exposed at low tide (since private property ends at the high water line, everything below which is considered federal land).

History (extracted from Wikipedia): South and North Thormanby Islands (together known as "sx̱welap" in she shashishalhem) are located within the shared territories of the Tla'amin Nation and the shíshálh Nation. The village of klayahkwohss, in what is today known as Buccaneer Bay, served as a primary location for winter dances and ceremonies along with the nearby village of sex̱wʔamin (Garden Bay) to the north. There are at least five known archaeological shell middens on South Thormanby Island.

Spanish naval officer José María Narváez was the first European to visit the islands, which he named "Isla de San Ignacio," on July 12, 1791. The name "Thormanby" was later given to the islands in 1860 by Captain George Henry Richards. This name commemorates the racehorse who won the Epsom Derby that year. Several other place names on the island also commemorate Richards' interest in horse racing. For example, the name Buccaneer Bay honours another race horse who won the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot in 1861.

In 1892, rights to the majority of land on the south island was secured by Calvert Simson, a shopkeeper of the Hastings Mill Store in Gastown, through a crown grant. Around 1912, he cleared the swamp on the southern part of the island to establish a farm and orchard. The farm was later abandoned in 1948 and the original buildings were demolished in the 1960s and 1970s. Some semi-wild apple and cherry trees, remnants of the old orchard, can still be found in this area.

During the 1920s and 1930s, the Union Steamship Company constructed a float in Buccaneer Bay and made regular trips to the island from Vancouver. At this time, trails were constructed throughout the island and the various bays were named.

From 1951 until 1981, South Thormanby Island was subject to selective logging. Approximately 75% of the trees harvested were Coastal Douglas-fir and 25% were Western red cedar and balsam poplar. Most of the old trees that remain today were not harvested as they were not suitable for merchantable timber. Today, a second-growth forest has established itself throughout the island.

Beavers were introduced to the island in 1984 and 1985. They dammed part of the meadow at the former Simson Farm, creating the lake that currently exists there.

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