By Steve Bergsman

Back in the 1950s and into the 1960s, Jules Feiffer, the cartoonist with the Village Voice alternative newspaper in New York, had a recurrent character he would draw, a female ballet dancer who, over six panels, would illustrate the dancer's "ode to spring" or something equally as innocuous. My mind flashed on the Feiffer cartoon as I was sitting in the Ganges Activity Center on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, watching a multimedia dance performance condemning the pollution of the waterways that included the actual scattering of discarded beer and soda cans.

I was told that a number of artistic types semiretire to Salt Spring Island and when called upon lend their efforts to local performances. Indeed, the two dancers had illustrious careers in ballet, including the London Ballet, before coming to the island.

Other creative Canadians who sojourn on the island include Robert Bateman, the naturalist and painter; Eckhart Tolle, the writer of New Age bestseller "The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment"; and my personal favorite, Randy Bachman, the rock 'n' roller who founded the groups Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Now that's a pretty diverse group of creative types.

Until recently, Salt Spring Island was one of the best vacation spots that no one had ever heard of. Then in the past year it was discovered. The New York Times included the island on its list of 52 places to visit in 2016.

Past the imaginary border north of the San Juan Islands sit the Canadian Southern Gulf Islands, which break up the flowing waters between the city of Vancouver and the immense Vancouver Island, which is one of the 50 largest isles on the globe.

There are seven major Southern Gulf Islands, the most populous of which is Salt Spring, with a permanent population of about 10,500 souls. However, the population doubles in the summer, and the island is dotted with seasonal residences, bed and breakfasts, locally owned hotels and even a few timeshares. You won't find a Marriott or Hilton on the island — or even a McDonald's or Starbucks. There are no chains of any type on the island.

Don't get the idea that Salt Spring Island is some sort of backwater. The quality of food — much of it either grown locally or pulled from the surrounding waters — is amazing. The coffee shops and bakeries, all locally owned, are as good as anything you would find in a big city.

Why is the food so good? I'll just give one example. Sitting next to me at the dance performance was a woman who owned a garlic farm on the island. I was told she grows four types of garlic and every bulb she grows, which is in the thousands, sells out quickly because the flavor of the garlic is extraordinary — something to do with the soil on the island.

I don't want to single out any one eatery as being better than the others, but I'll just mention a few places I particularly enjoyed. The village of Ganges is not only the central harbor for yachters and boaters but the main commercial center, as well. It's a funky little place with interesting stores and restaurants. Probably the most popular spot is the Treehouse Restaurant because it is built around an ancient plum tree. The food is ample, delicious and fresh. Across the main drag is the TJ Coffee House, run by a couple of guys who used to be in the television industry. Want to go upscale? Try the Hastings House Country House Hotel.

While walking around the downtown center I wandered into a rarity, a beautiful, bookstore that focused on old books. It was the kind of store one used to find in big cities before the advent of the Internet. As I looked at the first editions and signed books I pulled up something from Clifford Odets, the New York playwright popular in the 1930s for his leftist-leaning plays. The book was signed. How did a signed Clifford Odets book end up on Salt Spring Island? That is, indeed, a mystery.

So what do people do on Salt Spring Island? The island is surprisingly mountainous and very lush as it technically is a rainforest. My wife and I visited in the winter, when there were no crowds. It snows on the island about once or twice a year, but mostly the weather at that time of year is drippy with moderate temperatures. There were no whale-watching boats going out, but we saw a whole group of kayakers heading out from the northernmost point of the island. The water was like glass.

In the winter the weather can be capricious. The next day we decided to hike in the Ruckle Provincial Park to the south. No one would be kayaking here as the water in the channel was turbulent with small whitecaps kicking up and nasty waves pounding the shore. When we started our walk, which paralleled the shore, the weather was pleasant. By the time we rounded toward the east the sky turned black, the wind blew in and we were suddenly being splattered with large raindrops. I told my wife we needed to head back to the car. "Nah," she said, "let's keep going." Ten minutes later the sun broke through the clouds.

Obviously one can hike anywhere, but what we found special about Salt Spring were the views of the channel and islands beyond, not to mention the rugged beaches spotted with logs and driftwood. In addition, the forests are rainforests with big ferns, mossy covers and towering trees. It's a unique hiking experience and not at all difficult.

The island's area is only 70 square miles, so it's not very large and everywhere is just a short ride. But everywhere is a different experience, so every hike is very different from the one you did before. If by chance you get bored with nature, you can always walk through the village of Ganges. You'll find shops here that you've never seen before.

WHEN YOU GO

For general information: www.saltspringtourism.com

We stayed at the Vesuvius Villas, a modern timeshare near the Crofton Ferry Terminal, www.vesuviusvillas.com, and at an inn called the Hedgerow House, www.hedgerowhouse.ca, which served a wonderful breakfast — both of which I would highly recommend.

Boats wait out a winter day in the harbor on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Photo courtesy of Steve Bergsman.

Salt Spring Island in British Columbia is technically a rainforest. Photo courtesy of Steve Bergsman.

Kayakers brave a wintery day off the northern coast of Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Photo courtesy of Steve Bergsman.

Steve Bergsman is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.