Brooks Peninsula Provincial Park

Last updated
Mquqʷin/Brooks Peninsula Provincial Park
Brooks peninsula.JPG
A deserted beach on southern coast of the Brooks Peninsula
Location British Columbia, Canada
Nearest city Port Alice
Coordinates 50°08′23″N127°47′00″W / 50.13972°N 127.78333°W / 50.13972; -127.78333 Coordinates: 50°08′23″N127°47′00″W / 50.13972°N 127.78333°W / 50.13972; -127.78333
Area51,631 ha (127,583 acres)
EstablishedDecember 10, 1995
Governing body BC Parks
Satellite picture of the Brooks Peninsula Brooks Peninsula.png
Satellite picture of the Brooks Peninsula

Parts of this article have been adapted from the BC Parks website.

Contents

Mquqʷin/Brooks Peninsula Provincial Park is a provincial park located on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.

History

As a result of land-use planning for Vancouver Island, this former 28,780  hectare (71,117  acre) recreation area (established in 1986) was upgraded in 1995 to a Class 'A' Provincial Park. In addition to this upgrade, 22,851 hectares (56,466 acres) known as the Brooks-Nasparti area, has been added to the park. On July 13, 2009, the park was renamed Brooks Peninsula Provincial Park (a.k.a. Mquqʷin) [1] [2] and, in 2018, Mquqʷin/Brooks Peninsula Provincial Park under the guidance of the Che:k'tles7et'h' peoples. [3] [4] [5]

Geography

The park is 51,631 hectares (127,583 acres) in size. Brooks Peninsula is located about 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of Port Alice, British Columbia. Access to the park is by boat or float plane.

Brooks Peninsula juts 20 kilometres (12 mi) into the Pacific Ocean and has a rugged and varied coastline, with long fjords and sandy beaches. The inland is seldom-explored and densely wooded with mostly old growth forest.

The highest point is a sub-peak of Snowsaddle Mountain at 1143 m (3,750 ft) elevation. Mountains in the park, known as the Refugium Range, include Klaskish (963m or 3,159 ft), Nunatak (930m or 3,051 ft), and Doom (787m or 2,582 ft). Peaks in the area higher than 700 m (2,300 ft) were above the glaciers during the last ice age and are therefore a refugium with unique plants. [6]

Conservation

Fallen totem pole near Battle Bay Battle Bay totem.JPG
Fallen totem pole near Battle Bay

Unaffected by the last ice age, Brooks Peninsula is considered a unique geologic feature. As a result, the geology of the peninsula is different from that of the rest of Vancouver Island and many rare plant communities exist, providing unparalleled opportunities for scientific study. This remote wilderness area includes an extensive, wild ocean coastline, long sheltered inlets, rugged mountains, pristine estuaries with high waterfowl and fishery values and high biodiversity values associated with old-growth forests. The Brooks-Nasparti addition encompasses the entire watershed of the Nasparti River and streams draining into Johnson Lagoon, the west-facing slopes along Nasparti Inlet, the Power River and Battle Creek watersheds and the Mount Seaton area

The park preserves the peninsula's pristine wilderness landscape, which contains the Refugium Range of the Vancouver Island Ranges and Coastal Western Hemlock biogeoclimatic zone.

Cultural Heritage

Solander Island Ecological Preserve, as seen from the western tip of Brooks Peninsula Solander Island.jpg
Solander Island Ecological Preserve, as seen from the western tip of Brooks Peninsula

The park is located within the traditional territory of the peoples comprising today's Kyuquot/Cheklesahht and Quatsino First Nations band governments. Battle Bay in the southern portion of the park is rich in First Nations cultural history. Many battles were fought at this location in order to retain control of this prosperous area. First Nations reserves located adjacent to the southern portion of Brooks Peninsula Provincial Park are not for recreational use. Visitors are encouraged to contact the Kyuquot/Cheklesahht First Nation band office in Kyuquot prior to exploring Brooks Peninsula.

Recreation

Brooks Peninsula is infrequently visited; its surrounding waters however provide superb kayaking and canoeing. It is entirely undeveloped and has no marked trails and no facilities, although in some locations ocean debris is placed at known trail heads.

Camping is permitted anywhere in the park, but made complicated due to the remoteness, difficulty of access, and lack of facilities.

Nearby Solander Island is an Ecological Reserve and access is prohibited.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clayoquot Sound</span> Body of water on the west side of Vancouver Island, Canada

Clayoquot Sound is located on the west coast of Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is bordered by the Esowista Peninsula to the south, and the Hesquiaht Peninsula to the North. It is a body of water with many inlets and islands. Major inlets include Sydney Inlet, Shelter Inlet, Herbert Inlet, Bedwell Inlet, Lemmens Inlet, and Tofino Inlet. Major islands include Flores Island, Vargas Island, and Meares Island. The name is also used for the larger region of land around the waterbody.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burrard Inlet</span> Coastal fjord in southwestern British Columbia, Canada

Burrard Inlet is a relatively shallow-sided fjord in northwestern Lower Mainland, British Columbia, Canada. Formed during the last Ice Age, it separates the City of Vancouver and the rest of the lowland Burrard Peninsula to the south from the coastal slopes of the North Shore Mountains, which span West Vancouver and the City and District of North Vancouver to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bowron Lake Provincial Park</span> Wilderness park in British Columbia, Canada

Bowron Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park located in northern British Columbia, Canada, roughly 117 km (73 mi) east of the city of Quesnel. Other nearby towns include Wells and the historic destination of Barkerville. Once a popular hunting and fishing destination, today the park is protected and known for its abundant wildlife, rugged glaciated mountains, and numerous freshwater lakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artlish Caves Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in British Columbia, Canada

Artlish Caves Provincial Park is a provincial park on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Bunsby Marine Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in British Columbia, Canada

Big Bunsby Marine Provincial Park is a provincial park on the west coast of northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, to the southeast of the Brooks Peninsula in Checleset Bay. It is accessible only by boat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vargas Island Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in British Columbia, Canada

Vargas Island Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, comprising the west side of the island of the same name, which is located west of Meares Island and northwest of the resort community of Tofino in the Clayoquot Sound region of the West Coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The park was created as part of the Clayoquot Land-Use Decision on July 13, 1995 and contains 5,805 hectares, 1,543 hectares of it being upland and 4,262 hectares being foreshore. Also located on Vargas Island, on its north side, is Epper Passage Provincial Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gibson Marine Provincial Park</span> Park on Flores Island, Canada

Gibson Marine Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located on the southeast end of Flores Island in the central Clayoquot Sound region of Vancouver Island. The park was created on 13 November 1967. It contains approximately 143 hectares and is adjacent to Flores Island Provincial Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miracle Beach Provincial Park</span> Provincial park on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada

Miracle Beach Provincial Park is a provincial park on the eastern shore of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Located between Comox and Campbell River, the park includes a foreshore area in the Strait of Georgia, much of the Black Creek estuary, and a forested area. According to its Master Plan, it fulfills primarily a recreational role with a focus on beach play, picnicking, nature appreciation, and camping, and a secondary conservation role with a focus on the natural shoreline and estuary. I support of its recreational focus the park is developed with a day-use parking area with accessible trails leading to the shoreline and a camping area with 200 drive-in sites. The park is also hosts a nature centre building and a sheltered group picnic shelter. Vegetation in the park is typical for the region's second-growth forests with Douglas-fir most prominent. Common associates include Western hemlock, Sitka spruce, red alder and bigleaf maple. Salal and sword fern are the most abundant shrub. Black Creek, which flows through the park, is a spawning area for coho salmon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raft Cove Provincial Park</span> Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada

Raft Cove Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located south of San Josef Bay on northwestern Vancouver Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugged Point Marine Provincial Park</span> Canadian provincial park

Rugged Point Marine Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located at the southeast entrance to Kyuquot Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island. It is remote and largely visited by kayakers.

Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park is a provincial park covering parts of the eastern Kitimat Ranges, northern Pacific Ranges, and the Rainbow Range in British Columbia, Canada. It was established on May 21, 1938 in the western interior of the province, to protect its important natural features. Tweedsmuir Provincial Park is located on the unceded ancestral territory of the Nuxalk Nation. The park hosts a variety of recreation activities for visitors. This park encompasses a range of diverse species in this park including bears, moose, and various fish. There are also a few at risk species in this park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BC Parks</span> Government agency that manages the British Columbia Parks and Protected Areas System

BC Parks is an agency of the British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy that manages all of the, as of 2020, 1,035 provincial parks and other conservation and historical properties of various title designations within the province's Parks oversaw of the British Columbia Parks and Protected Areas System. The Lieutenant Governor-in-Council created the agency on March 1, 1911, through the Strathcona Park Act. The agency is charged with a dual role of preserving the ecological and historical integrity of the places entrusted to its management, while also making them available and accessible for public use and enjoyment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buttle Lake</span> Body of water

Buttle Lake is a lake on Vancouver Island in Strathcona Regional District, British Columbia, Canada. It is about 23 kilometres (14 mi) long and 1.5 kilometres (0.9 mi) wide, has an area of 28 square kilometres (11 sq mi), is up to 120 metres (394 ft) deep, and lies at an elevation of 221 metres (725 ft). The lake is located between Campbell River and Gold River in Strathcona Provincial Park. The lake is the headwaters of the Campbell River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insular Mountains</span> Mountain range in Canada

The Insular Mountains are a range of mountains in the Pacific Coast Ranges on the Coast of British Columbia, Canada, comprising the Vancouver Island Ranges and Queen Charlotte Mountains. The Insular Mountains are rugged, particularly on Vancouver Island where peaks in Strathcona Provincial Park rise to elevations of more than 2,000 m (6,562 ft). The highest of these mountains is Golden Hinde on Vancouver Island, which rises to 2,196.818 m (7,207 ft).

Kyuquot Sound is a complex of coastal inlets, bays and islands on northwestern Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refugium Range</span> Mountain range in Canada

The Refugium Range is a low, small mountain range comprising the mountains/hills of the Brooks Peninsula on northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It has an area of 239 km2 (92 sq mi) and is a subrange of the Vancouver Island Ranges which in turn form part of the Insular Mountains. The range was named in 1981 by an expedition which found that peaks higher than 700 m (2,300 ft) were above the glaciers during the last ice age and are therefore a refugium with unique plants.

Kyuquot is an unincorporated settlement and First Nations community located on Kyuquot Sound on northwestern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Meaning people of Kayukw in the Nuu-chah-nulth language, it is partly the community of the Kyuquot and Cheklesahht peoples, whose band government is the Kyuquot/Cheklesahht First Nation. The site of Kayukw, the original village of the Kyuquot people, is nearby in the form of Kayouk Indian Reserve No. 8, adjacent to which are Kayouk Bluff and Kayouk Creek. The original village site of the Cheklesahht people is the Checkaklis Island Indian Reserve 9 on the island of the same name in the Bunsby Islands in Checleset Bay, which is named for the people, whose name means "people of Checkaklis".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Pacific coastal forests</span> Temperate coniferous forests ecoregion in Canada and the United States

The Central Pacific coastal forests is a temperate coniferous forest ecoregion located in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington, as defined by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) categorization system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Seymour Provincial Park</span> Canadian provincial park

Mount Seymour Provincial Park is a park in Vancouver, British Columbia's North Shore Mountains. With an area of 35 square kilometres, it is located approximately 15 kilometres north of Downtown Vancouver. The park, named after Frederick Seymour, was established in 1936. Mount Seymour Provincial Park provides visitors with a variety of recreational activities and animals with natural habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Checleset Bay</span> Bay in British Columbia, Canada

Checleset Bay is a bay on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It is located southeast of Brooks Peninsula and northwest of Kyuquot Sound. Much of the land around the bay is part of Brooks Peninsula Provincial Park. Checleset Bay has three large inlets, Nasparti Inlet, Ououkinsh Inlet, and Malksope Inlet.

References

  1. "Bill 10 - 2009: Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendmend Act, 2009". BCLaws.gov.bc.ca.
  2. "Province and First Nations rename provincial park". News.gov.bc.ca. 2009-07-13.
  3. "Bill 19 – 2018: Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act, 2018". BCLaws.gov.bc.ca.
  4. "Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act, 2018" (PDF). 2018.
  5. "Three B.C. parks to be renamed as part of Indigenous reconciliation efforts". News.gov.bc.ca. 2018-05-07.
  6. "Refugium Range". BC Geographical Names .