Saturna’s Story

WwI – WWII ERA

^
1911
  • The SS Iroquois is wrecked off Sidney, killing at least 21 people
^
1911
  • On March 14, the Princess Mary made her first trip on the Nanaimo-Comox-Vancouver service
^
1914
  • Telephones come to Saturna
^
1916
  • During the big snow of 1916, Boot Cove freezes over and is thick enough to walk on. Over 6 feet of snow falls on Saturna in January and February
^
1919
  • The first school on Saturna opens at Narvaez Bay Road on the property that is now the cemetery
^
1919
  • The Soldier Settlement Act provides returned First World War veterans who wish to farm with a loan to purchase land, stock, and equipment. They have a certain amount of time to develop the land enough to pay back their loan. Many returned men move to Saturna around this time to take advantage of the program. Farming is difficult for a lot of them as the land is rocky with very few pockets of arable land. Among them are Bavis, Ralph and other current
    island families
^
1920
  • The store is in Lyall Harbour near Sunset Beach
^
1930
  • Both Pike’s house near Saturna Beach and George Taylor’s stone house burn down in about 1930
^
1932
  • Saturna Community Association is formed in January and becomes the Saturna Community Club in July
^
1933
  • The Community Hall is completed, and the first meeting is held in the new
    building on March 10
^
1935
  • Gerald Payne sells his land to Jim Money
^
1935
  • Dr. Andrew Rutherford Thomson (Lorraine Campbell’s father) buys the property that includes the land from Saturna Beach to Taylor Point from the
    Bradley-Dynes
^
1937
  • The Fog Alarm Building that is now home to the Saturna Heritage Centre is built
^
1941
  • The first school closes
^
1944