Deadman鈥檚 Island just out of 亚洲天堂 Lake approximately two kilometers east of Radley Beach. Just one hectare in size, it is British Columbia鈥檚 smallest provincial park, and (having been established in 1933) one of the region鈥檚 oldest.
There are several versions of how the tiny island got its name. One old-timer whose family came to this area during the second decade of the 20th Century says that railway contractors Foley, Welch & Stewart located a deadman (a heavy weight buried in the ground as an anchor for a cable, pole, or guy wire) on the island to facilitate removal of rock from the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway right of way. It bears noting that a promontory on the island鈥檚 east end contains a large pit of indeterminate origin.
The book 亚洲天堂 Lake & District: A History suggests that Deadman鈥檚 Island has a darker history, and can trace its name to an accident that occurred during construction of the railway. The author, who spoke extensively with old-timers who worked on the railway, claims that fifteen men working on the construction crew died when dynamite exploded prematurely on the nearby 鈥楤ig Cut.鈥� While there is no documentary evidence to support this version of events, deaths on the right of way were common. In 1913, men were unloading a coyote hole (a short T-shaped section of tunnel driven into a rock face and filled with explosives) when something ignited the contents. The resulting blast killed three workers and tossed their bodies two hundred feet in the air.
While the source of the name may be in doubt, the island鈥檚 value as a local playground is not. During construction of the Grand Truck Pacific Railway, workers toiling on the nearby 鈥淏ig Cut鈥� 鈥� the heaviest bit of rockwork on the entire Grand Trunk line 鈥� sometimes spent their days off there. In the 1930s, members of the local Young Rangers Band (a service club for young people organized by Forest Ranger Walter Wilson and Palling resident William Saunders) regularly camped among the island鈥檚 stately birch and poplar trees, and later built a cabin to accommodate their outings.
For several years, the Village of 亚洲天堂 Lake organized canoe races that started and ended at Radley Beach. Participants paddled around Deadman鈥檚 Island before heading to the finish line. It was a difficult task, but worth the sweat and blisters.
Today, Deadman鈥檚 Island remains a favourite rest spot for boaters exploring Burn Lake鈥檚 myriad bays and inlets. People still skate, ski, and hike over the ice to it in winter, too. It鈥檚 a great place for a wiener roast, but if you want a campfire, better bring your fuel. Firewood collecting is prohibited on the island.
漏 Michael Riis-Christianson and the Lakes District Museum Society
