A Do Nothing Day

Fraser River at Steveston

Nancy and I have had a 'Do nothing day' so there's not really anything to report so I thought I'd tell you something about where I am. Richmond is actually an island in the delta of the Fraser River. It's name is Lulu Island. to the north of us is Sea Island and this is where Vancouver International airport is located

Lulu Island is composed partly of glacial silt brought down by the Fraser River, The first inhabitants of this island were the First Nations People, who thrived and lived close to the shore to harvest the abundance of fish. The first white settlers realized the great opportunities for farming due to the richness of the soil in the region. Before the first roads were built, the easiest form of transportation in the Fraser Estuary was by canoe and boat.

The Island was named in 1862 after Lulu Sweet, a popular showgirl, possibly of Hawaiian origin, who was dating the mayor of New Westminster.

Early European and Asian settlers in the Fraser River Estuary quickly learned the importance of dyke building to hold back both the ocean's high tides and the river's annual floodwaters. Much time and energy had to be spent maintaining dykes and draining the low-lying land.

The southwestern corner of Lulu Island is home to Steveston, a fishing port and now-busy tourist centre that has a history interconnected with that of the Japanese-Canadians prior to their Internment to the Interior during World War 11.

The Island, the largest in the Fraser delta and home to the city of Richmond, is embraced by all three arms of the Fraser River. Seven bridges and the George Massey Tunnel connect it to the rest of the Lower Mainland. Lulu Island is ringed by 48 miles (77 km) of dikes topped by easygoing walking and cycling trails. One of the first dike trails constructed in the Fraser Estuary was on Lulu's south shore at London's Landing. As these trails are level, you can cover a lot of ground in an outing while soaking up the island scenery.