Burrard Inlet ( Halkomelem : səl̓ilw̓ət ) is a shallow-sided fjord in the 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.
41-543: Burrard Inlet opens west into the Strait of Georgia between Point Atkinson and Point Grey . Vancouver's Downtown Peninsula protrudes northwesterly into the inlet, separating it into the wide outer Burrard Inlet to the west and the elongated inner Burrard Inlet to the east. The southeastern portion of the outer inlet is an open bay known as English Bay , which has a narrow eastern inlet called False Creek . The 400-metre-wide (1,300 ft) strait between Prospect Point and
82-553: A line running from East Point on Saturna Island to Patos Island , Sucia Island , and Matia Island , then to Point Midgley on Lummi Island . This line touches the northern edges of Rosario Strait , which leads south to the Strait of Juan de Fuca , and Boundary Pass , which leads south to Haro Strait and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The Strait of Georgia has a mean depth of 156 m (512 ft) and average surface area of 6,800 km (2,600 sq mi). The Ballenas Basin in
123-570: Is a constituent part of the Salish Sea . Archipelagos and narrow channels mark each end of the Strait of Georgia, the Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands in the south, and the Discovery Islands in the north. The main channels to the south are Boundary Pass , Haro Strait and Rosario Strait , which connect the Strait of Georgia to the Strait of Juan de Fuca . In the north, Discovery Passage
164-598: Is a major navigation channel on the west coast of North America , owing to the presence of the port of Vancouver , and also due to its role as the southern entrance to the Intracoastal route known as the Inside Passage . The United States Geological Survey defines the southern boundary of the Strait of Georgia as a line running from East Point on Saturna Island to Patos Island , Sucia Island , and Matia Island , then to Point Midgley on Lummi Island . This line touches
205-525: Is now known as Burrard Inlet has been home to the Indigenous peoples of the Musqueam , Squamish and Tsleil-waututh Bands , who have resided in this territory for thousands of years. In 1791, the first European explorers in the region, Juan Carrasco and José María Narváez , sailing under orders of Francisco de Eliza , entered the western part of the inlet in their ship, Santa Saturnina . They failed to find
246-410: Is the main channel connecting the Strait of Georgia to Johnstone Strait . The strait is a major navigation channel on the west coast of North America , owing to the presence of the port of Vancouver , and also due to its role as the southern entrance to the Intracoastal route known as the Inside Passage . The United States Geological Survey defines the southern boundary of the Strait of Georgia as
287-502: Is widest (about 3 km or 1.9 mi) between the First and Second Narrows, also the busiest part of Vancouver's port . Protected from the open ocean, the calm waters of Burrard Inlet form Vancouver's primary port area, an excellent one for large ocean-going ships. While some of the shoreline is residential and commercial, much is port-industrial, including railyards, terminals for container and bulk cargo ships, grain elevators, and (towards
328-563: The BC Ferries system cross the strait, between Tsawwassen (south of Vancouver) and Swartz Bay (near Victoria ) and between Horseshoe Bay (north of Vancouver) and Nanaimo . The Strait of Georgia is known as a premier scuba diving and whale watching location. In 1967, the Georgia Strait inspired the name of Vancouver's alternative newspaper, The Georgia Straight , which has been published continuously since. Towns and cities on
369-454: The BC Ferries system cross the strait, between Tsawwassen (south of Vancouver) and Swartz Bay (near Victoria ) and between Horseshoe Bay (north of Vancouver) and Nanaimo . The Strait of Georgia is known as a premier scuba diving and whale watching location. In 1967, the Georgia Strait inspired the name of Vancouver's alternative newspaper, The Georgia Straight , which has been published continuously since. Towns and cities on
410-564: The Fraser River , mistaking the lowland of the river's delta as a major inlet of the sea, which they named Canal de Floridablanca. This led to one of the prime objectives of the 1792 expedition of Dionisio Alcalá Galiano , which was to determine the exact nature of the Canal de Floridablanca. Galiano spent many days exploring the general area, realizing that there was a great river there and sighting Burrard Inlet itself on June 19, 1792. Just days later,
451-470: 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 (12 to 36 mi). Along with the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound , it
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#1732829674770492-541: The Strait of Georgia to Port Moody . About two-thirds of the way east from the mouth of the inlet, the steep-sided Indian Arm branches off to the north between Belcarra and Deep Cove on into the Pacific Ranges . Near the mouth of the inlet, a small section of the inlet along the curved stretch of the Burrard Peninsula is named English Bay . From English Bay, a small inlet named False Creek branches off to
533-450: The deltas of Indian River mouth. The shorter arm, known as Port Moody Arm or Moody Inlet , courses further east for another 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) past a 320-metre-wide (1,050 ft) strait (traversed only by overhead powerlines ) between Burnaby Mountain and the bluffs of Belcarra Regional Park . Port Moody Arm is almost completely encompassed by the City of Port Moody . What
574-652: The sandbanks just east of the Capilano River mouth , which connects the inlet's outer and inner sections, is known as the First Narrows , traversed by the Lions Gate Bridge . The inner inlet then widens into Vancouver Harbour , which hosts the Port of Vancouver , Canada's largest port. At the eastern end of the harbour, Burrard Inlet narrows again into a 350-metre-wide (1,150 ft) strait between Burnaby Heights and
615-463: The "Gulf of Georgia" by George Vancouver of Great Britain , during his extensive expedition along the west coast of North America . Vancouver designated the mainland in this region as New Georgia and areas farther north as New Hanover and New Bremen. The June 23, 1946, Vancouver Island earthquake shocked the Strait of Georgia region, causing the bottom of Deep Bay to sink between 3 and 26 m (9.8 and 85.3 ft). The two busiest routes of
656-463: The "Gulf of Georgia" by George Vancouver of Great Britain , during his extensive expedition along the west coast of North America . Vancouver designated the mainland in this region as New Georgia and areas farther north as New Hanover and New Bremen. The June 23, 1946, Vancouver Island earthquake shocked the Strait of Georgia region, causing the bottom of Deep Bay to sink between 3 and 26 m (9.8 and 85.3 ft). The two busiest routes of
697-516: The Georgia Strait proper, such as the inter-insular straits and channels of the Gulf Islands , and may refer to communities on the shore of southern Vancouver Island. As defined by George Vancouver in 1792, the Gulf of Georgia included all the inland waters beyond the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, including Puget Sound , Bellingham Bay , the waters around the San Juan Islands , as well as
738-411: The Georgia Strait proper, such as the inter-insular straits and channels of the Gulf Islands , and may refer to communities on the shore of southern Vancouver Island. As defined by George Vancouver in 1792, the Gulf of Georgia included all the inland waters beyond the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, including Puget Sound , Bellingham Bay , the waters around the San Juan Islands , as well as
779-672: The Strait of Georgia, Puget Sound, and Strait of Juan de Fuca, but instead as a collective term for all three. The British Columbia Geographical Names Office passed a resolution recommending that the name only be adopted by the Geographical Names Board of Canada should its US counterpart approve the name change. The United States Board on Geographic Names approved the name on November 12, 2009 and Canada approved it in 2010. [REDACTED] Media related to Strait of Georgia at Wikimedia Commons Strait of Georgia The Strait of Georgia ( French : Détroit de Géorgie ) or
820-399: The Strait of Georgia, the Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands in the south, and the Discovery Islands in the north. The main channels to the south are Boundary Pass , Haro Strait and Rosario Strait , which connect the Strait of Georgia to the Strait of Juan de Fuca . In the north, Discovery Passage is the main channel connecting the Strait of Georgia to Johnstone Strait . The strait
861-476: The Strait of Georgia. First Nations communities have surrounded the Strait of Georgia for thousands of years. The first European exploration of the area was undertaken by Captain Jose Maria Narvaez and Pilot Juan Carrasco of Spain in 1791. At this time Francisco de Eliza gave the strait the name "Gran Canal de Nuestra Señora del Rosario la Marinera." In 1792, it was renamed for King George III as
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#1732829674770902-416: The Strait of Georgia. First Nations communities have surrounded the Strait of Georgia for thousands of years. The first European exploration of the area was undertaken by Captain Jose Maria Narvaez and Pilot Juan Carrasco of Spain in 1791. At this time Francisco de Eliza gave the strait the name "Gran Canal de Nuestra Señora del Rosario la Marinera." In 1792, it was renamed for King George III as
943-595: The centre of the strait reaches a maximum depth of 420 m (1,380 ft) approximately 15 km (9.3 mi) north of Nanaimo . The Fraser River accounts for roughly 80 percent of the freshwater entering the strait. Water circulates in the strait in a generally counterclockwise direction. The strait contains several major islands, the largest by far being Texada Island at 300.45 km (116.00 sq mi). Other major islands include Nelson Island , Denman Island , Lasqueti Island , and Hornby Island . The term "Gulf of Georgia" includes waters other than
984-427: The east and incises the peninsula. The extent of Burrard Inlet is defined as a line between Point Atkinson and Point Grey on the west, the end of Port Moody Arm on the east, and the head of Indian Arm on the north. The inlet is about 31 kilometres (19 mi) long from the Strait of Georgia to Port Moody , or about 44 kilometres (27 mi) from the Strait of Georgia to the head of Indian Arm. Settlements on
1025-478: The eastern end) oil refineries. Freighters waiting to load or discharge cargoes in the inlet often anchor in English Bay , which lies south of the mouth of the inlet and is separated from it by Vancouver's downtown peninsula and Stanley Park . On the main inlet, a few park areas remain forested as they were centuries ago, but the steep slopes of Indian Arm are so impassable that most have seen no development, despite
1066-425: 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 (12 to 36 mi). Along with the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound , it is a constituent part of the Salish Sea . Archipelagos and narrow channels mark each end of
1107-399: The freshwater entering the strait. Water circulates in the strait in a generally counterclockwise direction. The strait contains several major islands, the largest by far being Texada Island at 300.45 km (116.00 sq mi). Other major islands include Nelson Island , Denman Island , Lasqueti Island , and Hornby Island . The term "Gulf of Georgia" includes waters other than
1148-545: The great facilities for constructing roads between the two places, and its having become the terminus of the Pacific and Canadian Railway, likewise add considerably to its importance. It is divided into three distinct harbours, viz., English bay or the outer anchorage; Vancouver (formerly called Coal harbour), above the First Narrows; and Port Moody at the head of the eastern arm of the inlet. The inlet runs almost directly east from
1189-771: The inlet was again named by Captain George Vancouver , after his friend and former shipmate Captain Harry Burrard Neale . In 1888, the inlet was described in The British Columbia Pilot published by the British Admiralty as follows. Burrard inlet differs from most of the great sounds of this coast in being comparatively easy of access to steam vessels of any size or class, and in the convenient depth of water for anchorage which may be found in almost every part of it; its close proximity to Fraser river, with
1230-431: The mainland are separated from Georgia Strait itself by islands and lesser straits but are often spoken of as being in the Strait of Georgia region. BC Ferries operates ferry services connecting Vancouver Island with the mainland. Notable lines include Duke Point - Tsawwassen , Departure Bay - Horseshoe Bay , and Little River - Westview . Minor ferry operators and water taxis provide service to minor islands dotting
1271-431: The mainland are separated from Georgia Strait itself by islands and lesser straits but are often spoken of as being in the Strait of Georgia region. BC Ferries operates ferry services connecting Vancouver Island with the mainland. Notable lines include Duke Point - Tsawwassen , Departure Bay - Horseshoe Bay , and Little River - Westview . Minor ferry operators and water taxis provide service to minor islands dotting
Burrard Inlet - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-713: The mouth of the Seymour River , known as the Second Narrows , which is traversed by the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge and the Second Narrows Rail Bridge . After the Second Narrows, it widens again and continues east until the headland near Dollarton , where it splits into two arms . The longer arm, known as Indian Arm , extends northerly between Mount Seymour and Eagle Mountain until it meets
1353-567: The name had a different definition, combining of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound as well as the Strait of Georgia and related waters under the name Salish Sea. This latter definition was made official in 2009 by geographic boards of Canada and the United States. In October 2009, the Washington state Board of Geographic Names approved the Salish Sea toponym, not to replace the names of
1394-405: The name had a different definition, combining of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound as well as the Strait of Georgia and related waters under the name Salish Sea. This latter definition was made official in 2009 by geographic boards of Canada and the United States. In October 2009, the Washington state Board of Geographic Names approved the Salish Sea toponym, not to replace the names of
1435-534: The northern edges of Rosario Strait , which leads south to the Strait of Juan de Fuca , and Boundary Pass , which leads south to Haro Strait and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The Strait of Georgia has a mean depth of 156 m (512 ft) and average surface area of 6,800 km (2,600 sq mi). The Ballenas Basin in the centre of the strait reaches a maximum depth of 420 m (1,380 ft) approximately 15 km (9.3 mi) north of Nanaimo . The Fraser River accounts for roughly 80 percent of
1476-425: The proximity of such a major city. Only in 2003 was a rough wilderness hiking trail around the whole of Indian Arm completed, and it was the work of one man over many years. The major crossings of Burrard Inlet, from west to east, are as follows: Strait of Georgia The Strait of Georgia ( French : Détroit de Géorgie ) or the Georgia Strait is an arm of the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and
1517-684: The shores of Burrard Inlet include Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby , and Port Moody. Three bridges, the First Narrows Bridge (alias Lions Gate Bridge ) (built in the 1930s), the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing (1960) and the CNR railway bridge (1969) at the Second Narrows, and the SeaBus passenger ferry, cross the inlet. Aside from just east of the inlet's mouth (where it includes English Bay), it
1558-460: The strait include Campbell River , Courtenay , Comox , Qualicum Beach , Parksville , Lantzville , and Nanaimo on the western shore, as well as Powell River , Sechelt, Gibsons , and Greater Vancouver on the east. Across the border in the United States , Bellingham, Washington and other communities also lie on the eastern shore. Other settlements on Vancouver Island (such as Duncan ) and
1599-405: The strait include Campbell River , Courtenay , Comox , Qualicum Beach , Parksville , Lantzville , and Nanaimo on the western shore, as well as Powell River , Sechelt, Gibsons , and Greater Vancouver on the east. Across the border in the United States , Bellingham, Washington and other communities also lie on the eastern shore. Other settlements on Vancouver Island (such as Duncan ) and
1640-485: The strait. In March 2008, the Chemainus First Nation proposed renaming the strait the " Salish Sea ", an idea that reportedly met with approval by B.C.'s Aboriginal Relations Minister Mike de Jong , who pledged to put it before the B.C. cabinet for discussion. Making the name "Salish Sea" official required a formal application to the Geographical Names Board of Canada . A parallel American movement promoting
1681-421: The strait. In March 2008, the Chemainus First Nation proposed renaming the strait the " Salish Sea ", an idea that reportedly met with approval by B.C.'s Aboriginal Relations Minister Mike de Jong , who pledged to put it before the B.C. cabinet for discussion. Making the name "Salish Sea" official required a formal application to the Geographical Names Board of Canada . A parallel American movement promoting