British Columbia Coast
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[[Image:Howesound.JPG|right|thumb|300px|[[Howe Sound]], along British Columbia's southwestern coast.]]
The '''British Columbia Coast ''' is [[Canada]]'s western continental coastlines.
In a sense excluding the urban [[Lower Mainland]] area adjacent to the [[Canada – United States border]], which is considered "The Coast," the British Columbia Coast refers to one of [[British Columbia]]'s three main regions, the others being the [[Lower Mainland]] and [[British Columbia Interior|The Interior]].
Although fully totalling 965 km in aerial-distance length from [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]] on the [[Strait of Juan de Fuca]] to [[Stewart, British Columbia]] on the [[Alaska]] border at the head of the [[Portland Canal]], its aerial length is usually considered as the 840 km that from the [[49th Parallel North|49th Parallel]] in the [[Strait of Georgia]] to 54'40", which is the southern limit of the [[Alaska Panhandle]]. However, because of its many deep inlets and complicated island shorelines—and 40,000 islands of varying sizes, including [[Vancouver Island]] and the [[Queen Charlotte Islands]] ([[Haida Gwaii]])—the total length of the British Columbia Coast is 25,000 km, much longer than the entire rest of the Canadian coastline at 20,000 km, even including the island of [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]] and the [[Canadian Arctic Archipelago]].
The British Columbia Coast is a [[temperate rain forest]], within the [[Pacific temperate rain forest]] region.
The coastline's geography is most comparable to that of [[Norway]] and its heavily-indented coastline of [[fjords]].
==Major inlets==
The great [[fjords]] of the British Columbia Coast rival those of [[Norway]] in length and depth but have even higher mountain scenery with a more alpine flavour. Many of the mountains offshore are much larger than those along the Norwegian coast, many large enough to have major fjords of their own, as well as their own mountain ranges. This is also of course even more true of the very large islands farther offshore, [[Vancouver Island]] and [[Graham Island|Graham]] and [[Moresby Island]]s in the [[Queen Charlottes]], which together form the [[Insular Mountains]], distinct from the [[Coast Mountains]] of the mainland.
Here are the most important [[fjords]], [[inlet]]s, [[strait]]s and [[sound (geography)|sound]]s, including those which are important in some way for reasons other than their size, listed south to north:
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*[[Burrard Inlet]] (Vancouver Harbour)
**[[Indian Arm]]
*[[Howe Sound]]
*[[Jervis Inlet]]
**[[Hotham Sound]]
**[[Sechelt Inlet]]
***[[Skookumchuck Narrows]]
***Narrows Inlet
***Salmon Inlet
**Queens Reach
***[[Princess Louisa Inlet]]
**Princess Royal Reach
**Prince of Wales Reach
*[[Desolation Sound]]
**[[Toba Inlet]]
*[[Bute Inlet]]
**[[Queen Charlotte Strait]]
**[[Knight Inlet]]
**[[Loughborough Inlet]]
**[[Kingcome Inlet]]
***Wakeman Sound
**[[Seymour Inlet]]
***Belize Inlet
***Nugent Sound
***Nenahimai Lagoon
**Frederick Sound
*[[Dean Channel]]
**Fisher Channel
**Fitz Hugh Sound
**Burke Channel
***Kwatna Inlet
***Bentinck Arm
****South Bentinck Arm
****[[North Bentinck Arm]]
**Labouchere Channel
**[[Rivers Inlet]]
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*[[Douglas Channel]]
**Kitimat Arm
**Devastation Channel
**[[Gardner Canal]]
***Alan Reach
***Europa Reach
***Kiltuish Inlet
***Barrie Reach
***Whidbey Reach
****Chief Matthews Bay
**Varney Passage
**Ursula Channel
*[[Telegraph Passage]] ([[Skeena River]] estuary)
*Prince Rupert Harbour [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia|Port of Prince Rupert]]
*Work Channel (pron. "Wark"), backside of [[Tsimpsean Peninsula]]
*[[Portland Inlet]]
**[[Khutzeymateen Inlet]]
**[[Portland Canal]]
**[[Observatory Inlet]]
**Nass Bay ([[Nass River]] estuary)
**[[Pearse Canal]]
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The many fjord-like waterways between the coast and the islands, and within the archipelago, cannot be fully listed, and there are many more others which are not so much fjord-like as flooded valleys between what had been mountain peaks many thousands of years ago, when the shoreline was lower.
==Major waterways==
The waterway route through these islands between Vancouver and Prince Rupert, and between [[Seattle, Washington]], and Alaska, is known as the [[Inside Passage]]. It has played a role in [[U.S.-Canada relations]] more than once, from the [[Klondike Gold Rush]] to the [[Salmon War]] of the 1990s.
Major and important waterways are:
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*[[Georgia Strait]] (aka Gulf of Georgia)
*[[Sutil Channel]]
*[[Desolation Sound]]
*[[Johnstone Strait]]
**[[Robson Bight]]
*[[Discovery Passage]]
**[[Seymour Narrows]]
*[[Sutlej Channel]]
*[[Tribune Channel]]
*[[Queen Charlotte Strait]]
*[[Grenville Channel]]
*[[Queen Charlotte Sound]]
**Hakai Passage
*[[Hecate Strait]]
*[[Dixon Entrance]]
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;On Vancouver Island:
*[[Alberni Inlet]]
*[[Saanich Inlet]]
**[[Cook Inlet]]
*[[Clayoquot Sound]]
*[[Barclay Sound]]
*[[Kyuquot Sound]]
*[[Nootka Sound]]
*[[Quatsino Sound]]
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==Major islands==
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*[[Vancouver Island]]
*[[Queen Charlotte Islands]]
**[[Graham Island]]
**[[Moresby Island]]
**[[Louise Island]]
**[[Lyell Island]]
**[[Kunghit Island]]
*[[Porcher Island]]
*[[Pitt Island (Canada)|Pitt Island]]
*McCauley Island
*[[Banks Island (British Columbia)|Banks Island]]
*[[Gil Island (Canada)|Gil Island]] (Douglas Channel)
*Gribbell Island (Douglas Channel)
*[[Hawkesbury Island]] (Douglas Channel)
*[[Princess Royal Island]]
*[[Aristazabal Island]]
*[[Price Island (British Columbia)|Price Island]]
*Swindle Island
*Campbell Island (village of [[Waglisla, British Columbia|Waglisla]])
*Denny Island (village of [[Bella Bella, British Columbia|Bella Bella]])
*[[Hunter Island (British Columbia)|Hunter Island]]
*[[King Island, British Columbia|King Island]] (Dean Channel)
*[[Calvert Island (British Columbia)|Calvert Island]]
*Caamano Island
*[[Malcolm Island, British Columbia|Malcolm Island]] ([[Sointula, British Columbia|Sointula]])
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*[[Broughton Archipelago]]
**Broughton Island
*Gilford Island [[Knight Inlet]]
*West/East Cracroft Islands [[Knight Inlet]]
*Hardwicke Island [[Johnstone Strait]]
*[[Discovery Islands]]
**[[East Thurlow Island]]
**[[West Thurlow Island]]
**[[Sonora Island (British Columbia)|Sonora Island]]
**[[Maurelle Island]]
**Read Island
**Raza Island
**[[Quadra Island]]
**[[Cortes Island, British Columbia|Cortes Island]]
**[[East Redonda Island]]
**[[West Redonda Island]]
**[[Hernando Island]]
**[[Stuart Island (British Columbia)|Stuart Island]]
**[[Rendezvous Islands]]
*Northern Gulf Islands:
**[[Savary Island]]
**[[Texada Island]]
**[[Lasqueti Island]]
**[[Hornby Island]]
**[[Denman Island]]
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The above list ends at the northern [[Strait of Georgia]], the last several forming a group known as the northern Gulf Islands. The southern Gulf Islands are as follows:
*[[Gabriola Island]]
*[[Valdes Island]]
*[[Thetis Island]]
*[[Kuiper Island]]
*[[Saltspring Island]]
*[[Prevost Island]]
*[[Galiano Island]]
*[[Mayne Island]]
*[[North Pender Island]]
*[[South Pender Island]]
*[[Saturna Island]]
*Sidney Island
*[[James Island (British Columbia)|James Island]]
The [[Gulf Islands]] continue southeast across the [[Haro Straits]] as the [[San Juan Islands]].
The islands of [[Howe Sound]] are classed among the southern Gulf Islands, but they adjoin the mainland rather than Vancouver Island and are usually considered separately. They are:
*[[Bowen Island]]
*[[Gambier Island]]
*[[Anvil Island]] (Hat Island)
*Keats island
*Bowyer Island
The islands of the [[Fraser River]] estuary are:
*[[Barnston Island, British Columbia|Barnston Island]] (unincorporated agricultural community)
*[[Lulu Island]] (City of [[Richmond, British Columbia|Richmond]])
*[[Sea Island, British Columbia|Sea Island]] ([[YVR]] Vancouver Airport)
*[[Westham Island]] (wildfowl refuge)
*[[Iona Island, British Columbia|Iona Island]] (Vancouver sewage treatment plant)
*[[Deas Island]] (Hwy 99 tunnel beneath the Fraser)
*[[Annacis Island]]
==History==
Research from the 1990s has indicated that the Ice Age-era coastline of the British Columbia Coast lower by about 100 metres. The effect of the waterlevel on the coastline was such that the Queen Charlotte Strait, which is between Haida Gwaii and the northern end of Vancouver Island, was a coastal plain, as were all the straits inland from it, except for those that were mountain valleys. Underwater [[archaeology]] has shown the presence of permanent human habitation and other activity at the 100 metre contour, and the Ice Age existence of such a coastal plain has put a new light on Ice Age populations in North America as well as on the strong likelihood of this area having been the major migration route from (and perhaps to) [[Asia]].
The heavy indentation and mild climate of the British Columbia Coast have led to inevitable comparisons with the geography's predisposition to encouraging increased human settlement and movement as well as cultural foment and population growth in the Aegean, the Irish Sea/Hebrides and in the Danish Archipelago and adjoining [[Scandinavia]]n coasts. The natural fecundity of the environment—rich in seafood, game and greenery—combined with the ease of travel (by water) is seen in all cases (British Columbia, [[Denmark]], [[Greece]]) to have generated a dynamic and gifted civilization. And there are comparisons to be made between the artistic and political and social level of the [[Pacific Northwest Peoples]] and those of pre-Conversion [[pagan Scandinavia]], [[Ireland]] and [[Archaic-Era Greece]].
==Fishery==
{{see also|List of canneries in British Columbia}}
The fishery of the Pacific Northwest Coast is legendary, especially for its many [[salmon]] runs and the cultures that built on top of them throughout the region. Salmon runs have greatly diminished since pre-Contact years and the adventu of commercial canning and, ultimately, depletion of stocks by high-seas fishing. Inroads by [[salmon farming]] are held to jeopardize the remaining wild stocks.
Other commercial fisheries include [[halibut]], [[herring]] and herring roe, [[sea urchin]] and other specialty [[sushi]]s, [[hake]], [[haddock]], [[cod]], crab and shellfish.
==Shipping, ferries, and sailing==
Scheduled Passenger Services operating on the British Columbia Coast are dominated by [[BC Ferries]] and [[Alaska State Ferries]].
Alaska State Ferries operates regular sailings from [[Bellingham, Washington] (or Seattle) to [[Ketchikan, Alaska|Ketchikan]], [[Wrangell, Alaska|Wrangell]], [[Sitka, Alaska|Sitka]], [[Juneau, Alaska|Juneau]], [[Skagway, Alaska|Skagway]], [[Haines, Alaska|Haines]] and lesser [[ports-of-call]] in the [[Alaska Panhandle]]. Alaska State Ferries also operates a vessel from [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia|Prince Rupert]] to Ketchikan and other Panhandle ports.
BC Ferries, a privately-managed [[Crown Corporation]], operates major daily sailings between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island via three routes: [[Horseshoe Bay, British Columbia|Horseshoe Bay]] to [[Departure Bay, British Columbia|Departure Bay]], [[Tsawwassen, British Columbia]] to [[Swartz Bay, British Columbia]], and [[Duke Point, British Columbia]] to [[Tsawwassen, British Columbia|Tsawwassen]]. Dozens of smaller ferries ply lesser routes between the Gulf Islands and the mainland or Vancouver Island as well as on various lakes in the Interior where no bridges exist. Other runs connect Horseshoe Bay to the [[Sunshine Coast]] and [[Bowen Island]] and the lower Sunshine Coast to the [[Powell River, British Columbia|Powell River]] section of that coast farther northwest. From there a ferry operates to [[Comox, British Columbia|Comox]].
BC Ferries also operates a sailing from Prince Rupert to [[Masset, British Columbia|Masset]] on Haida Gwaii as well as a major Inside Passage routing from Port Hardy on northern Vancouver Island to Prince Rupert and, in summer season, from Port Hardy to Bella Coola via several smaller coastal communities in between.
Other scheduled passenger services are run by various small shipping and water-taxi companies.
Non-scheduled passenger services include all major cruise lines and various small luxury craft harters, as well as shuttles to and from the various coastal resorts.
==Coastal communities==
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*North Coast
**[[Stewart, British Columbia|Stewart]]
**[[Prince Rupert, British Columbia|Prince Rupert]]
**[[Terrace, British Columbia|Terrace]]
**[[Masset, British Columbia|Masset]]
**[[Queen Charlotte City, British Columbia|Queen Charlotte City]]
**[[Kitimat, British Columbia|Kitimat]]
**[[Kemano, British Columbia|Kemano]]
**[[Port Edward, British Columbia|Port Edward]]
**[[Lax Kw'alaams|Lax Kw'alaams (Port Simpson)]]
**[[Gingolx, British Columbia|Gingolx (Kincolith)]]
**[[Anyox, British Columbia|Anyox]] (ghost town)
*Central Coast
**[[Ocean Falls, British Columbia|Ocean Falls]]
**[[Bella Bella, British Columbia|Bella Bella]]
**[[Waglisla, British Columbia|Waglisla]]
**[[Namu, British Columbia|Namu]]
**[[Rivers Inlet, British Columbia|Rivers Inlet]]
**[[Hartley Bay, British Columbia|Hartley Bay]]
**[[Bella Coola, British Columbia|Bella Coola]]
*Northern Vancouver Island-Queen Charlotte Strait
**[[Mamalilaculla, British Columbia|Mamalilaculla]]
**[[Alert Bay, British Columbia|Alert Bay]]
**[[Port McNeill, British Columbia|Port McNeill]]
**[[Telegraph Cove, British Columbia|Telegraph Cove]]
**[[Port Hardy, British Columbia|Port Hardy]]
**[[Sointula, British Columbia|Sointula]]
**[[Kelsey Bay, British Columbia|Kelsey Bay]]
**[[Sayward, British Columbia|Sayward]]
**[[Tahsis, British Columbia|Tahsis]]
*Sunshine Coast
**[[Powell River, British Columbia|Powell River]]
**[[Sechelt, British Columbia|Sechelt]]
**[[Madeira Park, British Columbia|Madeira Park]]
**[[Gibsons, British Columbia|Gibsons Landing]]
**[[Earls Cove, British Columbia|Earls Cove]]
**[[Saltery Bay, British Columbia|Saltery Bay]]
**[[Lund, British Columbia|Lund]]
**[[Roberts Creek, British Columbia|Roberts Creek]]
*Northern Gulf Islands:
**[[Whaletown, British Columbia|Whaletown]] ([[Cortes Island]])
**[[Lasqueti Island, British Columbia]] (no town)
**[[Quadra Island]]
**[[Cortes Island]]
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*Vancouver Island - Strait of Georgia
**[[Campbell River, British Columbia|Campbell River]]
**[[Courtenay, British Columbia|Courtenay]]-[[Comox, British Columbia|Comox]]
**[[Qualicum Beach, British Columbia|Qualicum Beach]]
**[[Parksville, British Columbia|Parksville]]
**[[Nanaimo, British Columbia|Nanaimo]]
**[[Ladysmith, British Columbia|Ladysmith]]
**[[Chemainus, British Columbia|Chemainus]]
**[[Duncan, British Columbia]] and Cowichan Valley
**[[Crofton, British Columbia|Crofton]]
**[[Cobble Hill, British Columbia|Cobble Hill]]
**[[Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia|Shawnigan Lake]]
**[[Bamberton, British Columbia|Bamberton]]
**[[Mill Bay, British Columbia|Mill Bay]]
*Vancouver Island West Coast
**[[Holberg, British Columbia|Holberg]]
**[[Kyuquot, British Columbia|Kyuquot]]
**[[Gold River, British Columbia|Gold River]]
**[[Port Alice, British Columbia|Port Alice]]
**[[Tofino, British Columbia|Tofino]]
**[[Ucluelet]]
**[[Port Alberni, British Columbia|Port Alberni]]
**[[Sarita, British Columbia|Sarita]]
**[[Bamfield, British Columbia|Bamfield]]
**[[Port Renfrew, British Columbia|Port Renfrew]]
**[[River Jordan, British Columbia|River Jordan]]
*[[Victoria, British Columbia|Greater Victoria]]
**[[Western Communities, British Columbia|Western Communities]] - Greater Victoria West
***[[Sooke, British Columbia|Sooke]]
***[[Metchosin, British Columbia|Metchosin]]
***[[Langford, British Columbia|Langford]]
***[[Colwood, British Columbia]]
**[[Saanich Peninsula]] - Greater Victoria North
***[[Brentwood Bay, British Columbia|Brentwood Bay]]
***[[Sidney, British Columbia|Sidney]]
*Southern [[Gulf Islands]]
**[[Saltspring Island]]
***[[Ganges, British Columbia|Ganges]]
***[[Fulford Harbour, British Columbia|Fulford Harbour]]
***[[Vesuvius Bay, British Columbia|Vesuvius Bay]]
*[[Greater Vancouver]]
*[[Puget Sound]] and [[Strait of Juan de Fuca]]
*[[Alaska Panhandle]]
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==Resorts and fishing lodges==
*Yellow Point Lodge, Nanaimo
*[[Painter's Lodge]], [[Desolation Sound]]
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==Coastal First Nations==
Nations of the [[Alaska Panhandle]] and [[Georgia Strait]]-[[Puget Sound]] are included as they are part of the same cultural and historical [[ecumene]].
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*[[T'sou-ke Nation]]
*[[Songhees]] (Esquimalt-Victoria)
*[[Tsartlip]] (Saanich Peninsula)
*[[Lummi]] ([[Whatcom County]])
*[[Noxws'a7aq]] (Nooksack people, [[Whatcom County]])
*[[Twana]]
*[[Suguamish]]
*[[Tsawwassen people]]
*[[Stó:lō]]—includes [[Musqueam]], [[Tseil-wau-tuth]] (Burrard) and [[Tsawwassen First Nation]]s.
*[[Skwxwu7mesh]] (Squamish people, [[Squamish, British Columbia|Squamish]] and [[North Vancouver, British Columbia|North Vancouver]]
*[[Shishalh]]—[[Sechelt, British Columbia|Sechelt]] and lower [[Sunshine Coast]]
*[[Homalhco]] ([[Toba Inlet]])
*[[Sliammon]] (Malaspina Peninsula/pper [[Sunshine Coast]])
*[[Nuu-chah-nulth]] (West Coast [[Vancouver Island]])
**[[Nitinat]]
**[[Pacheedaht]]
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*[[Cowichan peoples]]
*[[Kwakwaka'wakw]] [[Johnstone Strait]]—[[Queen Charlotte Strait]]
**[[Laich-kwil-tach|Laich-kwil-tach (Southern Kwakiutl)]]—(Weiwaikai on [[Quadra Island]] and Weiwaikum in [[Campbell River, British Columbia|Campbell River]]); known historically as the Euclataws or Yucultas
*[[Heiltsuk]]
*[[Wuikinuxv]] (aka Owekeeno people, [[Rivers Inlet]])
*[[Haisla]]
*[[Nuxálk]] ([[Bella Coola, British Columbia|Bella Coola]] and [[King Island, British Columbia|King Island]])
*[[Tsimshian]]
*[[Haida]]
*[[Nisga'a]]
*[[Tlingit]]
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==Parks and preserves==
{{see also|List of British Columbia Provincial Parks}}
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*Vancouver Island
**[[Clayoquot Sound]]
***[[Meares Island]]
**[[Broken Islands Group]] (Barclay Sound)
*Georgia Strait-Johnstone Strait
**[[Robson Bight]]
**[[Desolation Sound]]
*Puget Sound-Strait of Juan de Fuca
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*Central Coast
**[[Great Bear Rainforest]]
***[[King Island, British Columbia|King Island]]
*North Coast
**[[Kitlope River]]
**[[Khutzeymateen River]]
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==See also==
*[[Insular Mountains]]
**[[Vancouver Island Ranges]]
*[[Coast Mountains]]
**[[Pacific Ranges]]
**[[Kitimat Ranges]]
**[[Boundary Ranges]]
*[[Inside Passage]]
*[[Oregon boundary dispute]]
**[[Strait of Juan de Fuca]]
**[[Haro Strait]]
**[[Rosario Strait]]
**[[Pig War|San Juan Islands Dispute]]
**[[Point Roberts, Washington]]
*[[Alaska Boundary Dispute]]
**[[Alaska Panhandle]]
**[[Dixon Entrance]]
**[[A-B Line]]
*[[History of the west coast of North America]]
{{Historical geographic regions of British Columbia}}
[[Category:Landforms of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Coast of British Columbia]]