Shack Island

[islandgal]

Can anyone tell me the history of what I think is called "Shack Island"?
The area you can see from Piper's Lagoon?

I've heard two different stories...one that said these cottages were inhabited by the Japanese during the internment camp years and another that said they were just individually owned cabins?

They seem to be boarded up/run down...does anyone own them now?

Carol

[TH2008]

Can anyone tell me the history of what I think is called "Shack Island"?
The area you can see from Piper's Lagoon?

I've heard two different stories...one that said these cottages were inhabited by the Japanese during the internment camp years and another that said they were just individually owned cabins?

They seem to be boarded up/run down...does anyone own them now?

Carol

Hi, Carol. Apparently there is a book about Shack Island called "A Nanaimo Riddle". See below:

http://isbndb.com/d/publisher/rual_press.html

[islandgal]

Thanks TH...sounds interesting. I'll have to see if i can find that anywhere.

Carol

[John Cooper]

Did you ever find the book Island Gal? Ive am always fascinated by the history of those shacks when my wife and I hike at Pipers Lagoon.

[riverrat]

As far as I know (and it ain't much, or very dependable):

Before there were roads north of Departure Bay, Pipers Lagoon was a bit of a journey from Nanaimo (which was restricted to what we'd call "downtown" now).

Fishermen wanting to take advantage of the good fishing north of Departure Bay, could save themselves a daily trip by shackin' up in those cabins (and there were probably other cabins, too, on the shore?).

I don't know to what extent they were all Japanese fishermen who used those cabins...I would also love to hear anything about the shacks' relation to the internment, if any exists. Maybe they were built by Japanese fishermen, and taken from them in the '40's...

Today, the descendants of some of the cabin people still use the shacks as summer retreats and fishing camps.

[TH2008]

Thanks TH...sounds interesting. I'll have to see if i can find that anywhere.

Carol

Jeeze, I'll have to ask my mom about this too. I remember her telling me about her father taking them (her and other kids) by rowboat from the Chase River slough and over to Piper's Lagoon for day trips on the weekends. This was back in the early 1930's. My mom may know more about the shacks at Shack island.


EDIT: Well, I just spoke with my mother on this. She says she doesn't know of the history of the shacks. But she does say that back in the 1930's they used to refer to Piper's Lagoon as just "the lagoon". And her and her father would set up a huge tent there and camp out with other family members. You cannot do that now, not without people raising a stink about it.
--
TH

[alas]

A Nanaimo Riddle is available at the Library:
Very long url included in here

I love the online library 'request' renewals and catalogue - and after 5 years have started using the library again!!

[islandgal]

Sorry, I haven't had a chance to look for the book yet. Thanks for the history info TH...interesting!

Carol

[emilyb]

Hi,

I'm doing a research project (for a class at UVic) on Shack Island. I would love to talk to anyone who owns a cabin there, has stories about the island, has spent time at the island, or who feel that the island is an important place to them. Please feel free to contact me at ebenson@uvic.ca. Thanks!

[riverrat]

There's a book for sale at Literacy Nanaimo right now (at least, it was there four days ago). It's in the "Local Interest" section on your right as you enter. It's less than $20 if I recall correctly, in good shape, and it's about Shack Island.