New Westminster Environmental Almanac (2917 ... - Douglas College

costs of providing the Island with road access, water, electricity and
sewer have kept it undeveloped for over 80 years. Through the late
1960s the future use of the island as industrial or conservation land
continued to be debated.
New Westminster Public Library
Due to the fact that the island has not been dyked, it regularly floods
during spring freshet, creating a rich floodplain habitat. The island
supports significant populations of Canadian Geese and Great Blue
Heron. The Fraser River Estuary Management Progam has identified the
foreshore around the island as valuable fish habitat. Because of this the
future of the island as a natural conservation area is promising. The
island is currently property of the provincial government.
The Sapperton Middle Grounds are a set of islands in the Fraser River
off of Sapperton. These islands are similar to Poplar Island in that they
are covered by cottonwood trees and flood regularly. As with Poplar
Island, the Sapperton Middle Grounds have been labelled as a valuable
conservation area with limited log storage use along their foreshores.
37
Parks and Greenspaces
Launching of the War
Comox from the
Poplar Island shipyards,
1918.