Octopus Point is a headland on the western shore of Sansum Narrows, between Maple Bay on Vancouver Island and Burgoyne Bay on Salt Spring Island, about 27 miles (44 km) north-northwest of Victoria and 2.5 miles (4 km) southeast of Maple Bay, British Columbia. In 1858, Captain George H. Richards, commanding HMS Plumper during the coastal survey, reportedly named it Burial Point, reputedly after a First Nations burial ground. Canadian Hydrographic Charts from 1926 onward label the feature Octopus Point. The name may refer to the Pacific octopus found in local waters. Geologically, the point exposes sandstone and conglomerate of the Nanaimo Group, sedimentary rocks deposited during the Late Cretaceous. These rocks form part of the region’s folded and faulted sedimentary bedrock, shaped by tectonic forces and subsequent erosion.
Sansum Narrows is known for strong tidal currents and turbulent water, which can create hazardous conditions for small craft. In Quw’utsun (Cowichan) oral tradition, Sheshuq’um is a supernatural being associated with Octopus Point. Described as having an enormous head, a toothed mouth and a long tongue, the creature was said to pull passing canoeists underwater. Some elders interpret its name as meaning “open mouth.” In a story shared by Quw’utsun storyteller Jared Qwustenuxun Williams, the legendary strongman Smakw’uts, associated with present-day Point Roberts, hurled great stones toward the creature and broke its mouth. The Transformer Xeel’s subsequently turned the creature to stone. The story connects the narrows, surrounding landmarks and traditional travel routes, reflecting the deep relationship between Quw’utsun oral history and the landscape.
A family-history account states that Lauri and Rosa May Newman moved to Octopus Point with their nine children before the Second World War. Lauri, a former engineer on steamships and tugboats, turned to fishing and in 1939 built the Elrose, a 34-foot (10-m) steam-powered boat fueled by beach-gathered wood. He reportedly caught mainly lingcod, keeping them alive in tanks supplied with circulating seawater, and delivered the catch to Sidney for sale in Victoria. Five additional boats were built in the property’s boathouse and launched down its ways to fish Sansum Narrows, including the Rosa May. Their varnished wheelhouses became a Newman family hallmark. The reported remains of the family home and boathouse connect the point to this mid-20th-century fishing history. The Elrose and Rosa May are still in use today. Read more here and here. Explore more of Octopus Point and Sansum Narrows here: