Come take a walk around our island park and discover a heritage of human and natural history unique within the Columbia River valley.

Your visit will take you back several thousands of years when the Lakes Salish Indian people first fished and built their winter pit houses here; almost 200 years ago when David Thompson canoed down the Columbia past this island; and 60 years ago when Alexander Zuckerberg built his unique Russian Orthodox Chapel House.

For the young there are over five acres of open woods and a variety of paths to explore. You may select from many picnic tables and benches for lunch and relaxation

PARK HISTORY

After Alexander Zuckerberg's death in 1961, the island and its buildings deteriorated for 20 years until it was purchased by the city in 1981. In the spring of 1983 the Castlegar Rotary Club began developing it as a park. They dedicated it in September 1983 and continue to maintain an interest in it. At the end of 1983, the Heritage Advisory Committee; a volunteer group, was established to restore the buildings and island environs. The Castlegar and District Heritage Society is now responsible for ongoing island maintenance and operations.

STORY OF THE ISLAND

Long ago the Columbia River carved through the Selkirk Mountains forming a major valley. The ice age buried the river and mountain tops with glaciers. As the ice melted into the valley the Columbia River had, at times, many river channels. Zuckerberg Island may have been formed as a lag deposit within this channeling.

The island formation and unveiling after the ice age invited rich and diverse vegetation and wildlife communities. The relatively wet and mild climate supported this rich environment which attracted native inhabitants who prospered by the local bounty. These Indians settled on the island during the winter using their stored food reserves of salmon. Even as explorer David Thompson surveyed this area of the Columbia River in 1811, the Indians were still inhabiting the island during spring fishing and winter camp.

The attraction of the island drew Alexander Zuckerberg to establish his special island home. And even today, as a unique river front park, Zuckerberg Island remains not only a place of beauty but also a legacy to its historical past.

ZUCKERBERG, THE MAN

exander Feodorovitch Zuckerberg was trained as a civil engineer. He taught mathematics in a Russian high school until the Revolution of 1917, then immigrated to Canada in 1921 with his wife, Alicia and son and daughter, Gilbert and Asta. In 1931 he came to Castlegar at the request of Peter Verigin II to teach the Doukhobor children. Shortly afterwards, he settled on the island and began building the Chapel House. He was a Tolstoyan and his lifestyle reflected his admiration for the great Russian writer, humanitarian, and pacifist.

Zuckerberg was as unique as his work, and is greatly admired to this day by many people, particularly the Doukhobors of the region.

FEATURES

A. Suspension Bridge

Built as a field exercise project in 1984 by the 44th Field Engineer Squadron, the bridge was allowed to remain in place as a connection to the island. The 473 foot bridge was erected that spring with donated materials and won the coveted Canadian Militia Hertzberg Award.

B. Hiroshima Memorial

On August 6, 1985 this garden memorial was placed in remembrance of the 40th anniversary of the atomic bomb drop on Hiroshima, Japan. The Japanese maple tree is the focus of the peace garden.

C. Kekuli

The island served as a winter base to a Lakes band of Interior Salishan people from at least 3500 years ago to recent times. This is a reconstructed version of one of their small pit houses ('Kekuli'). A single entrance was through the rectangular smoke hole in the center of the roof. A pit house was warm in the winter, but in spite of cedar bark lining it had uncomfortable water seepage from the ground. Remains of pits can be found on the south slope of the island and near the Chapel House.

D. Stump Woman

An unusual sculpture of a seated woman carved from a tree stump is one of Zuckerberg's best known works. He had many sculptures lining the pathways of the island.

E. Chapel House

Zuckerberg's house was influenced by Russian Orthodox country chapel architecture and is built like his home in Russia. Its style and setting is a reflection of the painting 'Beyond Eternal Peace' by the Russian mystic and painter Isaac Levitan. 1951 to 1961 saw Zuckerberg use the house as an art studio, classroom, and home. Restoration of the house reflects its 1951 appearance.

F. Cemetery

Alicia Zuckerberg (1896-1960). Zuckerberg's second wife. She is portrayed in a World War I nurse's uniform on the plaster monument sculpted by Zuckerberg. Alexander Zuckerberg (1880-1961). An Estonian, educated in Czarist Russia as a civil engineer, a self-taught cabinet maker and sculptor.

G. Salmon Fishing River

Salish and Kutenai Indians caught up to 1000 pounds of salmon a day with basket traps which were placed at the base of a river cascade. It is thought that they also constructed a weir , or dike of round stones extending across the river to trap fish. This beach area was used for drying and storing fish reserves. Beginning in 1934 with the Grand Coulee, a series of dams was built on the Columbia River preventing the Pacific salmon migration.

CIRCLE WALK

Enjoy the pleasant 15 minute walk around the island. Take a moment to stop at the points of interest and learn about its natural and human history. You may begin at the bridge.

1. Poison Ivy

A large patch of poison ivy is growing in the woods above the path. This plant may cause a serious skin rash, so avoid touching it.

2. A Yew-nique Tree

On your left the short needled, shrub-like tree is the Pacific Yew in an unusually dense growth. The strong, but flexible yew wood was prized for making bows, gun stocks, and resonant musical instruments. The best yew wood came from the rare straight-stemmed hundreds-year-old trees found here in the Kootenays.

3. Red Dot Tree

Look up the slope along the path for the tree with the red dot. It is a Basswood tree, probably planted by Mr. Zuckerberg for use in wood sculpting.

4. Water Wheel Site

Mr. Zuckerberg built an ingenious, floating water wheel near here to irrigate his orchard. Many similar devices were built in this area in early days to raise irrigation water above the riverbanks.

5. Deepness of the River

From the park bench look downstream of the rivers' junction. Here the channel is very deep due to the great volume of scouring water. During the last major ice age about 15,000 years ago only mountain peaks above 7000 feet projected. Every mountain you see here was beneath the ice. As the ice melted, sand and gravel benches were formed on the mountain sides. These are called kame terraces.

6. A New Beginning

When dam construction ended river flooding these beach areas opened to vegetative growth. First grasses and shrubs grew here. Now Lodgepole pines growing over the beaches are forming a new forest. Eventually Douglas fir will replace the pine.

7. Bird Habitat

On the west side of the island and near the water's edge you may see blue heron, sandpipers, ducks, osprey and Canada geese. Look in the woods for unusual evidence of woodpecker activity.

Ask a park guide for further information about the park. The guide will be pleased to be of assistance.