Port Renfrew

Last updated

Port Renfrew
Port Renfrew Welcome Sign 2010.jpg
Nickname(s): 
The Land of Plenty, The Tall Tree Capital of Canada
24 Capital Regional District British Columbia.svg
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Port Renfrew
Location of Port Renfrew within the Capital Regional District
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Port Renfrew
Location of Port Renfrew
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Port Renfrew
Port Renfrew (British Columbia)
Canada location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Port Renfrew
Port Renfrew (Canada)
Coordinates: 48°33′N124°25′W / 48.550°N 124.417°W / 48.550; -124.417 [1]
CountryCanada
Province British Columbia
Area
  Land8.69 km2 (3.36 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)
  Total144
  Density16.6/km2 (43/sq mi)
Postal code
V0S 0A1 & V0S 1K0
Website https://www.portrenfrew.com

Port Renfrew is a small unincorporated community located on the south shore of Port San Juan, an inlet on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Port Renfrew has a population of 262 (as of the 2021 Canadian census) [3] and has been touted as "the Tall Tree Capital of Canada". [4] [5]

Contents

History

Port Renfrew has been the home of First Nations since time immemorial. The Pacheedaht First Nation, meaning "People of the Sea Foam", have traditional village sites in and around the main town centre.

Originally named Port San Juan, the original settlers changed the name to honour Lord Renfrew[ clarification needed ] who planned to settle crofters there. The name change was due to mail being sent to the San Juan Islands instead of Port San Juan and the inlet the town sits beside retains the name. Like many coastal Vancouver Island communities, Port Renfrew has a rich history of forestry and fishing.

Between 1830 and 1925, 137 major shipping tragedies occurred in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This stretch of coastline around Port Renfrew became known as the Graveyard of the Pacific.

Geography

Located at the head of the Port San Juan inlet, Port Renfrew lies adjacent to this natural harbour as well as the San Juan River. The other end of the inlet is located on the Strait of Juan de Fuca near its confluence with the Pacific Ocean. The San Juan Valley lies northeast of the town, surrounded by mountains on all sides.

Port Renfrew can be accessed from Victoria via British Columbia Highway 14 or from Lake Cowichan via Pacific Marine Road.

Climate

The climate is classic oceanic (Köppen: Cfb), because it is close to the Strait of Juan de Fuca towards the interior, the Mediterranean trend of rainfall patterns begins to be evidenced with high annual rainfall (proximity to the Csb), in terms of temperature is similar the Channel Islands. Summers are warm and almost fresh and winters are mild, one of the mildest in all of Canada. [6] [7]

Climate data for Port Renfrew
Climate ID: 1016335; coordinates 48°35′30″N124°19′35″W / 48.59167°N 124.32639°W / 48.59167; -124.32639 (Port Renfrew) ; elevation: 10.0 m (32.8 ft); 1981-2010 normals
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)19.0
(66.2)
16.5
(61.7)
20.0
(68.0)
24.5
(76.1)
27.5
(81.5)
31.0
(87.8)
31.7
(89.1)
33.5
(92.3)
28.9
(84.0)
24.0
(75.2)
17.2
(63.0)
15.0
(59.0)
33.5
(92.3)
Average high °C (°F)6.3
(43.3)
7.5
(45.5)
9.7
(49.5)
12.3
(54.1)
15.2
(59.4)
17.4
(63.3)
19.4
(66.9)
20.0
(68.0)
17.8
(64.0)
12.9
(55.2)
8.5
(47.3)
5.9
(42.6)
12.7
(54.9)
Daily mean °C (°F)4.1
(39.4)
4.6
(40.3)
6.2
(43.2)
8.4
(47.1)
11.1
(52.0)
13.4
(56.1)
15.3
(59.5)
15.6
(60.1)
13.4
(56.1)
9.6
(49.3)
6.1
(43.0)
3.8
(38.8)
9.3
(48.7)
Average low °C (°F)1.8
(35.2)
1.6
(34.9)
2.7
(36.9)
4.3
(39.7)
6.9
(44.4)
9.4
(48.9)
11.0
(51.8)
11.1
(52.0)
9.0
(48.2)
6.3
(43.3)
3.7
(38.7)
1.6
(34.9)
5.8
(42.4)
Record low °C (°F)−12.5
(9.5)
−10.5
(13.1)
−6.7
(19.9)
−2.5
(27.5)
0.0
(32.0)
1.7
(35.1)
5.0
(41.0)
2.2
(36.0)
−0.6
(30.9)
−3.5
(25.7)
−11.5
(11.3)
−11.1
(12.0)
−12.5
(9.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches)555.7
(21.88)
376.6
(14.83)
362.3
(14.26)
258.7
(10.19)
154.7
(6.09)
107.9
(4.25)
50.5
(1.99)
82.4
(3.24)
123.9
(4.88)
371.2
(14.61)
579.7
(22.82)
481.0
(18.94)
3,504.6
(137.98)
Average rainfall mm (inches)544.0
(21.42)
362.0
(14.25)
356.0
(14.02)
258.1
(10.16)
154.6
(6.09)
107.9
(4.25)
50.5
(1.99)
82.4
(3.24)
123.9
(4.88)
371.0
(14.61)
575.4
(22.65)
468.9
(18.46)
3,454.7
(136.01)
Average snowfall cm (inches)11.8
(4.6)
14.6
(5.7)
6.3
(2.5)
0.6
(0.2)
0.1
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.2
(0.1)
4.3
(1.7)
12.1
(4.8)
50.0
(19.7)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm)22.818.422.319.316.713.99.09.611.118.823.122.4207.3
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm)22.117.822.019.316.713.99.09.611.118.822.821.5204.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm)2.92.22.00.330.040.00.00.00.00.081.02.511.1
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada [6]

Attractions

Avatar Grove Avatar Grove Tagged Giant.jpg
Avatar Grove

Port Renfrew sits at the head of Port San Juan and the mouth of the San Juan River, affording it a variety of recreational activities such as fishing, kayaking, and birding. The surrounding mountains and coastline are home to a variety of hiking trails, most notably the West Coast Trail to the north and Juan de Fuca Marine Trail to the southwest. The San Juan Valley to the east is home to numerous old growth forests and many of Canada's largest and oldest trees.

In town

Nearby

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vancouver Island</span> Largest island in British Columbia, Canada

Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is 456 km (283 mi) in length, 100 km (62 mi) in width at its widest point, and 32,100 km2 (12,400 sq mi) in total area, while 31,285 km2 (12,079 sq mi) are of land. The island is the largest by area and the most populous along the west coasts of the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Northwest</span> Region of northwestern North America

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port San Juan</span> Inlet on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Port San Juan is an inlet along the Pacific coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It was formed from the San Juan and Leech River faults which flank the northern and southern slopes of the San Juan Valley. The San Juan and Gordon rivers empty into the inlet from the northeast.

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

Sombrio Beach is a beach in the western Capital Regional District, British Columbia, Canada, southeast of the settlement of Port Renfrew. It is on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, west of Sombrio Point, and astride the mouth of the Sombrio River. The beach is partly within Juan de Fuca Provincial Park and is traversed by the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail. It is on the traditional territory of the Pacheedaht Nation, and it was the site of a fishing and harvesting village called Qwa:qtłis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Juan Valley (Vancouver Island)</span>

The San Juan Valley is a small valley located in the Capital Regional District of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.

The Sombrio River is a river in the Capital Regional District of British Columbia, Canada. Located on southern Vancouver Island, it flows to the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the Pacific Ocean at Sombrio Beach.

Jack Elliott Creek is a stream in the Capital Regional District of British Columbia, Canada. Located on southern Vancouver Island, it flows from its source to its mouth as a right tributary of Loss Creek.

References

  1. "Port Renfrew". Geographical Names Data Base . Natural Resources Canada.
  2. "Port Renfrew". Geographical Names Data Base . Natural Resources Canada.
  3. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (8 February 2017). "Census Profile, 2016 Census - Port Renfrew, Unincorporated place [Designated place], British Columbia and British Columbia [Province]".{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  4. Peterson, Dave (1 September 2014). "Tall Tree Capital of Canada: Port Renfrew, B.C." Northwest Travel Magazine. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  5. "Port Renfrew Lodging". 17 August 2020
  6. 1 2 "1981 to 2010 Canadian Climate Normals". Environment and Climate Change Canada. 25 November 2021. Climate ID: 1016335. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  7. "Climate & Weather | Vancouver Island, BC | Destination BC – Official Site". 11 September 2017. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2019.