Our History

The first settler on the island was an Irishman known as Hugh McRoberts. As he was the first settler in the early 1860s, even before Canada was officially established, the island was initially known locally as McRobert’s Island. However, since the name “Sea Island” was used on the British Admiralty charts of the time, this is the “official“ name that ended up being legally assigned to the island.

Fast forward to near the end of WWII and shortly after the creation of Burkeville, the Sea Island Community and Ratepayers Association was formed. The first President was Mr. Milton Windrim.

“The Sea Island Community Council was an original idea of the Wartime Housing Company to develop and foster a healthy community spirit in their brand new "villages." First elected in 1945, the Sea Island Community Council had already worked towards an elementary school, better health facilities, and improving the streets. One of the first actions by the Community and Ratepayers Association was to create a kindergarten class in the Community Hall.” (excerpt from page 41(37) of Mary Keen’s book: “A Bridge to the World: The Life and Times of Sea Island“)

Despite existing as a Federal entity since 1945, the “modern” version of the Association was officially incorporated with a shorter name as a non-profit society under the BC Societies Act in 1990 as the Sea Island Community Association (SICA) which we know today.

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For more historical information, you are always welcome to contact us here. Alternatively, if you have non SICA-related questions about Sea Island, please feel free to contact our friends at the Sea Island Heritage Society directly.