| 1891 - 1924 |
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| This beautiful island in the Gulf of Georgia, such a favorite of boaters and hikers, has a very unbeautiful past.
A Victoria news paper once called it "The Island of Death". It all started with the Victoria heath authorities, discovery in a shack of 5 men in china town. These men had such big dreams and high hopes for their future as to travel half way around the world to advance their lot in life. But fait took a unfriendly look at these men and inflicted them with one of humanities most dreaded diseases, "Leprosy" They would be taken to D'Arcy Island and for approximately 30 men this would be, FOR EVER ! These men did not sit ideally by waiting for death. They carried their water back from a bog, cleared land and planted and watered a garden & fruit trees. They kept the little group of cabins neat and tidy in sharp contrast to Victoria’s China Town. A supply ship came with all the staples need or requested four months earlier, maybe a little opium processed legally in Victoria. They were told to raise a flag in case of emergency. They did a few times but no one ever came. The men were to inter their dead. This was very difficult when you are weak & have no toes or fingers and no feeling in ether... Often the supply ship came with doctors who did not help but would simply access the advancement of the disease, take some skin samples and note the deaths since the last visit. It all came to a stop in the early 20's But still at rest are about 30 men of oriental decent and one caucasian man… For the 33 years it was our, “leper colony” some GRAVES, old fruit trees and building foundations are all that remain on this Island … It is now Marine Park. A SAD but honest chapter... A book written by Chris Yorath, “A Measure of Value” C 2000 Information available on Wikapedia, http://kateiredale.typepad.com/thru_my_lens_lightly/2007/07/index.html More information available on the net. |
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