| Feature Type: | Village (1) - A populated place with legally defined boundaries, incorporated as a village municipality under the provincial Municipal Act. |
| Status: | Official |
| Name Authority: | BC Geographical Names Office |
| Relative Location: | SW side of Salmon Bay Johnstone Strait, NW of Campbell River (city), Sayward Land District |
| Latitude-Longitude: | 50°22'43"N, 125°57'33"W at the approximate location of the Municipal Hall. |
| Datum: | WGS84 |
| NTS Map: | 92K/5 |
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Origin Notes and History:
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Sayward (Post Office, farm, settlement) adopted in the 1930 BC Gazetteer at 50 21 30 - 125 55 00, as labelled on BC Map 2C, 1919. Form of name changed to Sayward (Settlement) 6 April 1950 on 92 NW. Identified as Sayward (Post Office & Steamer Landing) in 1953 BC Gazetteer. Identified as Sayward (Post Office) in 1966 BC Gazetteer. Incorporated as a Village Municipality 27 June 1968, centred 2+ miles north at 50 23 - 125 58 and excluding the original settlement area. Sayward (Village) confirmed 4 January 1972. Municipal boundaries extended 27 December 1979 to include Kelsey Bay area and area to the south. Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |
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Port Kusam Post Office opened 1 March 1899 at L495, Sayward District. Renamed Sayward Post Office 1 December 1911, taking the name of the surrounding Land District, and relocated to the more populated valley Sec 29, Tp3. Sayward Post Office relocated into the village at L305, June 1970. Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |
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Land District originally named after William Parsons Sayward (1818 - 1905), pioneer lumberman and prominent lumber merchant of Victoria. Sawyard was born and educated in Maine, and learned the carpenters' trade. Went to Key West, Florida, and there engaged in the lumber business until 1849 when he moved to California. Came to Victoria in 1858, where he opened a lumber yard on Wharf Street on the site of the old customs house. In 1861 he aquired from Henry Shepard his sawmill at Mill Bay. Married Mrs. Ann Chambers 1861; one son, Joseph Austen Sayward born July 1862. In 1878 Sayward built a mill at Rock Bay in Victoria Harbour, which developed into an extensive undertaking, and for a number of years he had a logging camp at Chemainus. Retired from business in 1896 and moved to California; died there 1 February 1905. (information from M. Wolfenden, Assistant Archivist, Provincial Library, October 1938). Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |
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Some controversy about the name of BC's seventh "instant town"; possibly a petition will be started for "Kelsey Bay" (CBC TV News, 25 August 1968) See also the municipality's own website. Source: included with note |