Discovery Islands

Last updated

Discovery Islands
Discovery Islands 201807.jpg
Aerial view of the Discovery Islands
Map of the Discovery Islands.svg
Discovery Islands, between Vancouver Island and continental British Columbia, north of Strait of Georgia
Canada British Columbia relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Discovery Islands
Location in British Columbia, Canada
Geography
Location Johnstone Strait and Salish Sea
Coordinates 50°16′41″N125°09′08″W / 50.27806°N 125.15222°W / 50.27806; -125.15222 Coordinates: 50°16′41″N125°09′08″W / 50.27806°N 125.15222°W / 50.27806; -125.15222
Major islands20
Administration
Province British Columbia

The Discovery Islands are a group of islands located at the northern end of the Salish Sea and the eastern end of Johnstone Strait, between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada.

Contents

Most of these islands have very few residents. Only Quadra Island and Cortes Island have ferry service. The remainder are served by private boat or float plane.

Geography

The complex geography of the area can make it difficult to determine when travelling by boat if a sighted coastline belongs to the mainland, Vancouver Island, or one of the Discovery Islands.

Major islands

Cortes Island sunrise Cortes Island sunrise.jpg
Cortes Island sunrise

The Discovery Islands are all located within the Strathcona Regional District, except for a few of the southernmost, such as Hernando Island and Savary Island, which are in the Powell River Regional District. The larger islands within the Discovery Islands are:

Strathcona Regional District
Powell River Regional District

Major waterways

The Discovery Passage starts where the Strait of Georgia narrows between Quadra Island and Vancouver Island and continues north to Chatham Point, where it meets the Nodales Channel and Johnstone Strait.

Tourism

The primary attraction for visitors are salmon fishing, sailing, kayaking, and hiking.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strait of Georgia</span> Waterway between Vancouver Island and mainland North America

The Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait is an arm of the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the extreme southwestern mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada and the extreme northwestern mainland coast of Washington, United States. It is approximately 240 kilometres (150 mi) long and varies in width from 20 to 58 kilometres. Along with the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound, it is a constituent part of the Salish Sea.

qathet Regional District Regional district in British Columbia, Canada

The qathet Regional District is a regional district in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its only incorporated municipality is the City of Powell River, although it includes a number of unincorporated areas. The district encompasses a land area of 5,075.33 square kilometres (1,959.60 sq mi). The district was formerly known as the Powell River Regional District. Because of frequent confusion between the identical names of Powell River district and city, the district's name was changed in 2018 to qathet, from q̓at̓ᶿət, meaning "working together, bringing together" in the Comox language of the Tla'amin Nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quadra Island</span> Largest island of the Discovery Islands in British Columbia, Canada

Quadra Island is a large island off the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Discovery Islands, in the Strathcona Regional District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comox-Strathcona Regional District</span>

The Regional District of Comox-Strathcona was a regional district of British Columbia, Canada from 1967 to 2008. On February 15, 2008, the regional district was abolished and replaced by two successor regional districts, Comox Valley and Strathcona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texada Island</span> Island in the Strait of Georgia in British Columbia, Canada

Texada Island is a large island located in the Strait of Georgia of British Columbia, Canada. With an area of 300.45 km2 (116.00 sq mi), it is the largest island of the Gulf Islands and the third largest island in the Strait of Georgia after Whidbey Island in Washington and Quadra Island of the Discovery Islands. Once a major mining and logging centre home to a fairly large population, Texada's industry has largely disappeared and its population shrunk since the decline began in the 1950s. In the present, it is mostly recognized as an out-of-the-way cottage and camping destination known for its warm waters and scenic beaches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desolation Sound</span> Body of water

Desolation Sound is a deep water sound at the northern end of the Salish Sea and of the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savary Island</span>

Savary Island or Áyhus is an island in British Columbia, Canada. Located in the northern part of the Strait of Georgia, it is 144 kilometres (89 mi) northwest of Vancouver. It is approximately 0.8-1.5 km wide and 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) long. It has a permanent population of about 100, expanding to perhaps 2,000 or more in the summer months. Savary Island lies within the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cortes Island</span> Island of the Discovery Islands in British Columbia, Canada

Cortes Island is an island in the Discovery Islands archipelago on the coast of British Columbia, Canada. The island is 25 km (16 mi) long, 13 km (8 mi) wide, and 130 km2 (50 sq mi) in area. It has a population of 1,035 permanent residents. Cortes Island lies within Electoral Area B of the Strathcona Regional District, which provides water and sewerage systems, fire protection, land use planning, parks, recreation, and emergency response.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonora Island</span>

Sonora Island is one of the outer islands of the Discovery Islands of British Columbia, Canada. It is located at the eastern end of Johnstone Strait and the northern end of Discovery Passage within Electoral Area C of the Strathcona Regional District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnstone Strait</span> Waterway between northern Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia, Canada

Johnstone Strait is a 110 km (68 mi) channel along the north east coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Opposite the Vancouver Island coast, running north to south, are Hanson Island, West Cracroft Island, the mainland British Columbia Coast, Hardwicke Island, West Thurlow Island and East Thurlow Island. At that point, the strait meets Discovery Passage which connects to Georgia Strait.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vancouver Expedition</span> 1791-95 British sea voyage exploring the West Coasts of North America and Australia

The Vancouver Expedition (1791–1795) was a four-and-a-half-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy, commanded by Captain George Vancouver of the Royal Navy. The British expedition circumnavigated the globe and made contact with five continents. The expedition at various times included between two and four vessels, and up to 153 men, all but 6 of whom returned home safely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klahoose</span>

The ƛoʔos Klahoose are one of the three groups comprising the ʔayʔaǰuθəm Tla'Amin or Mainland Comox. The other two divisions of this once-populous group are the χʷɛmaɬku Homalco and Sliammon. The Klahoose, Homalco and Sliammon are, according to oral tradition, the descendants of the survivors of the Great Flood. The three groups were split by colonialism into different band councils but united historically as the Tla A'min, known as the Mainland Comox, and K’ómoks, the larger grouping of the Comox people, also known as the Island Comox and before the merger with the Laich-kwil-tach culture. Historically both groups are a subgroup of the Coast Salish though the K’ómoks name is from, and their language today, is the Lik'wala dialect of Kwak'wala. The ancestral tongue is the Comox language, though the Sahtloot/Island dialect is extinct.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maurelle Island</span>

Maurelle Island is an island in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Discovery Islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland, between the Strait of Georgia and Johnstone Strait.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Redonda Island</span>

West Redonda Island is an island in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Discovery Islands, an archipelago between Vancouver Island and the mainland, and between the Strait of Georgia and Johnstone Strait.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Thurlow Island</span>

West Thurlow Island is an island in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Discovery Islands, an archipelago between Vancouver Island and the mainland, whose waters connect the Strait of Georgia with Johnstone Strait and Queen Charlotte Strait.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Thurlow Island</span>

East Thurlow Island is an island in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Discovery Islands, an archipelago between Vancouver Island and the mainland, whose waters connect the Strait of Georgia with Johnstone Strait and Queen Charlotte Strait. East Thurlow Island is located north of Vancouver Island, south of the mainland, northwest of Sonora Island, and east of West Thurlow Island. East Thurlow Island is located within Electoral Area C of the Strathcona Regional District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cordero Channel</span> Body of water

Cordero Channel is a strait in British Columbia, Canada, located between the mainland and Vancouver Island, among the Discovery Islands north of the Strait of Georgia. Cordero Channel runs north of Sonora Island, East Thurlow Island, and part of West Thurlow Island. Its eastern end connects to the mouth of Bute Inlet and to Calm Channel, at Stuart Island. Its west end is marked by the mouth of Loughborough Inlet, beyond which the channel is called Chancellor Channel, which continues west to Johnstone Strait.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Read Island</span>

Read Island is an island in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Discovery Islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland, between the Strait of Georgia and Johnstone Strait.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rendezvous Islands</span>

The Rendezvous Islands are a group of islands in British Columbia, Canada. They are part of the Discovery Islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland, between the Strait of Georgia and Johnstone Strait.

The New Westminster Land District is one of 59 land districts of British Columbia, Canada, which are the underlying cadastral divisions of that province, created with rest of those on Mainland British Columbia via the Lands Act of the Colony of British Columbia in 1860. The British Columbia government's BC Names system, a subdivision of GeoBC, defines a land district as "a territorial division with legally defined boundaries for administrative purposes". All land titles and surveys use the Land District system as the primary point of reference, and entries in BC Names for placenames and geographical objects are so listed.