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22-699: The Coquihalla River forms the northern boundary of two portions of the Cascades, the Skagit Range and the Hozameen Range . The river flows through a deep, narrow valley, dropping 3,400 feet (1,000 m) in 33 miles (53 km), a tumultuous course that creates an incessant roar. Kw'ikw'iyá:la in the Halkomelem language of the Stó:lō , is a place name meaning "stingy container" or "stingy place". It refers specifically to

44-488: A deep pool named Skw'éxweq or Skw'exwáq , near the mouth of what is now known as the Coquihalla River. The Stó:lō would go to this pool to spear suckerfish , which were plentiful there. According to Stó:lō oral history, the s'ó:lmexw (black-haired, 2-foot tall, dark-skinned underwater people) would grab the spears, preventing fish from being caught. Thus they were stingy with the fish. There were two other pools in

66-786: Is a subrange of the Cascade Range in southwestern British Columbia , Canada and northwestern Washington , United States , which are known in Canada as the Canadian Cascades or, officially, the Cascade Mountains. It is also known in the Nooksack language as Nexwx̠ex̠tsán . The Skagit Range lies to the west of the Skagit River and east and north of the Chilliwack River and flanks

88-647: 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

110-696: Is situated. Peakbagger.com defines the Skagit Range as a large and not entirely mountainous region bounded by the Fraser River to the north, the Skagit River to the south and east, the Strait of Georgia to the west, and the Nicolum River and Sumallo River on the northeast. This definition includes a sizable area of non-mountainous areas, especially along the lower Fraser River and near the coast. Subranges include

132-563: 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

154-760: The Upper Fraser Valley region of British Columbia's Lower Mainland . Of the three subranges of the Canadian Cascades—;the Skagit, Hozameen , and Okanagan ranges—the Skagit is the most mountainous. It continues north to the Fraser River , sometimes using different local names. The Hope Mountains, and the "Anderson River Group" are separated from the main Skagit Range by distinct natural boundaries, but are otherwise similar in character. According to Fred Beckey there are differences of opinion about

176-463: 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

198-739: The Cheam Range, also known as the Four Brothers, and the Picket Range . Notable summits include Hope Mountain , Mount Barr , Cheam Peak , Slesse Mountain , Mount Rexford , Mount Larrabee , and the American - Canadian Border Peaks . 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

220-570: 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

242-458: 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

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264-476: 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

286-425: 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

308-399: 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

330-431: 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

352-567: 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

374-410: The names and locations of the subranges of the northern Cascades, especially between Canadian and American geographers. Nevertheless, early geologists and topographers had a fundamental agreement about the location and names of the subranges. The Skagit Range was seen as the mountainous area from the Skagit River northwest to the Fraser River . More recent Canadian maps show the Skagit Range as bounded to

396-534: 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

418-534: The rivers where this was said to happen. The Coquihalla Highway , which runs from Hope to Kamloops , derives its name from running alongside this river between Hope and the site of a former toll booth about 50 kilometres (31 mi) away. Portions of the motion picture First Blood were filmed there. Physiography. Fisheries Resource. Activities and Land Use. Watershed Planning Issues. Tributaries. Skagit Range The Skagit Range ( / ˈ s k æ dʒ ɪ t / SKAJ -it , Nooksack : Nexwx̠ex̠tsán )

440-460: 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

462-551: 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

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484-559: The west by the Sumallo - Nicolum valley and extending north along the east side of the Coquihalla River . BCGNIS defines the Skagit Range simply as "west of the Skagit River, extends into the U.S.A." The USGS defines the range in its GNIS database with a single point, 48°55′39″N 121°33′57″W  /  48.92750°N 121.56583°W  / 48.92750; -121.56583 , north of Granite Mountain where Mount Chardonnay

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