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31-659: 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 is the main channel connecting the Strait of Georgia to Johnstone Strait . The strait

62-446: A complement to the existing national park reserve. In most parts of Canada , olive trees cannot thrive; the long, harsh winter and short, humid summer and spring make it difficult for olives to grow comfortably and properly, but Pender Island , Saturna Island , and Salt Spring Island have a Mediterranean style climate that permits olive production. Banana Joe Clemente was one of the first Islanders to introduce olive trees to

93-598: 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

124-516: 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 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

155-512: 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 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

186-600: The Gulf Islands". The division of the Gulf Islands into two groups, the Southern and Northern Gulf Islands, is relatively common. The dividing line is approximately that formed by the city of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, and the mouth of the Fraser River on the mainland. The islands of the Discovery Islands , Howe Sound , and Fraser River delta are not considered part of the Gulf Islands. The Southern Gulf Islands are near

217-613: The Southern Gulf Islands in 1993 growing dozens from seed. In 1994/1995, planting a grove of the seed-grown olive trees around a Botchi pit on Salt Spring Island. He also distributed them to Islanders for their private gardens. Banana Joe is also responsible for introducing Musa basjoo , a hardy species of Banana plant to Salt Spring Island. Farm owner Andrew Butt planted his first olive tree in 2001 at his farm on Pender Island, using Frantoio and Leccino cultivars that he obtained from California . He uses kelp obtained from

248-511: 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 the "Gulf of Georgia" by George Vancouver of Great Britain , during his extensive expedition along

279-401: The Strait of Georgia, the Strait of Juan de Fuca , Puget Sound , and all connecting and adjoining waters. According to BC Geographical Names (BCGNIS) the name "Gulf Islands" was originally intended and commonly understood to refer to the archipelago at the southern end of the Strait of Georgia; from Gabriola Island in the north to Saturna Island in the southeast and D'Arcy Island in

310-607: The United States. In October 2009, the Washington state Board of Geographic Names approved the Salish Sea toponym, not to replace the names of 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

341-471: 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 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

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372-530: The ecosystem endangered . Since then, GOERT has been working to motivate public and private restoration of the rare ecosystem and promote conservation activities. [1] The unique ecosystem of the islands has been a focal point of conservation efforts for decades. BC Parks operates a variety of provincial parks on the islands, the oldest being Mount Maxwell Provincial Park on Salt Spring Island . In 2003, Parks Canada established Gulf Islands National Park Reserve to protect ecologically important regions of

403-432: 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 the Georgia Strait proper, such as

434-548: 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 the Strait of Georgia. First Nations communities have surrounded

465-604: The last remaining pockets of Garry oak ecosystems . Only about five percent of Garry oak ecosystems remain in their natural state, landing 91 of the approximately 350 species it supports on the province's list of species at risk . The unique Mediterranean characteristics of the islands' climate supports the Garry oak ecosystem. Garry oak ecosystems are home to more plant species, such as the camas , than any other terrestrial ecosystem in coastal B.C. and are one of Canada's most at-risk natural habitats . Today, Garry oak meadows exist in

496-414: The mainland around Powell River ). "The Gulf" refers to all such waters collectively, and to those communities and shores surrounding it. Only the term "Strait of Georgia" remains in the provincial gazette although its use as a synonym for the Gulf is unofficial, while the term Gulf of Georgia remains in current use though not in the provincial gazette. The term Salish Sea was adopted in 2010 to refer to

527-505: 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 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

558-451: The major cities of Nanaimo and Victoria on Vancouver Island as well as Vancouver on the mainland. None of the islands are linked to another island by bridge, the exception being Pender Island which was artificially divided into two by a canal dug in 1903. Various proposals have been made to link one or more of the islands to another island, or with the mainland coast of the province, without success. Challenges include high capital costs,

589-486: 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 Gulf Islands The Gulf Islands is a group of islands in the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia . The name "Gulf Islands" comes from " Gulf of Georgia ",

620-530: 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

651-402: The northern end of the Strait of Georgia , including all islands south of Savary Island , the southernmost island of the neighbouring Discovery Islands . The major Northern Gulf Islands are as follows: The islands and surrounding ocean are rich with ecologically diverse plants and sea life including Garry oaks , wild lilies, kelp beds and Orcas . The Gulf Islands are home to one of

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682-516: The original term used by George Vancouver in his mapping of the southern part of the archipelago and which before the San Juan Island dispute also was taken to include what have since been called the San Juan Islands . While geopolitically divided, the San Juan Islands and Gulf Islands geologically form part of the larger Gulf Archipelago. Strictly speaking, the Strait of Georgia is only

713-545: The presence of ecologically sensitive ecosystems, the mountainous terrain of the islands, impracticality due to the low population of the islands, and opposition from locals. Swartz Bay Swartz Bay , located on the north end of the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island , is primarily known for being the location of one of BC Ferries ' main terminals, the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal . Swartz Bay

744-616: The shallow and exposed soil of valleys , rocky foothills and southern slopes —areas that the settlers of the past 150 years have found unsuitable for agriculture or development . The Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team (GOERT), a partnership of a number of governmental and non-governmental agencies that comprise 22 individuals, was established in 1999 after the delegates of the First International Garry Oak Ecosystem Symposium met in Victoria and declared

775-527: The southeastern Gulf Islands. As a National Park Reserve , the long-term goal is to protect most of the southeastern Gulf Islands. In 2012, Parks Canada published a feasibility Study for the proposed Southern Strait of Georgia National Marine Conservation Area Reserve. The goal of the National Marine Conservation Area is to protect ecologically significant marine habitats and ensure sustainable use of marine resources. It would also serve as

806-444: The southern end of the Strait of Georgia , forming an intricate network of waterways between them, collectively referred to as part of the Salish Sea . The Southern Gulf Islands include hundreds of islands and islets, and form part of a larger archipelago that also includes the nearby San Juan Islands of the state of Washington in the United States . The major Southern Gulf Islands are: The Northern Gulf Islands are located near

837-419: The southwest. During the 1990s, however, the name began to be applied to all the islands in the Strait of Georgia, resulting in the introduction of the term "Southern Gulf Islands", which BCGNIS calls a misnomer, to distinguish the original "Gulf Islands" from the rest, which are sometimes called the "Northern Gulf Islands". BCGNIS further notes that Quadra Island is increasingly described as the "northernmost of

868-408: The surrounding straits as fertilizer and uses a pruning method that enhances the sunlight exposure on the trees. Michael Pierce and colleagues established an olive tree nursery on Saturna Island in 2009 that supplied olive trees to the region. The larger populated islands are served by BC Ferries , which operates various vehicle and passenger ferries between the Gulf Islands and to terminals near

899-618: 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 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

930-515: The wide, open waters of the main strait between the mainland and Vancouver Island , and does not officially refer to the adjoining waters between the islands and Vancouver Island but has become a common misnomer for the entire Gulf, which includes waters such as Active Pass (between Galiano Island and Mayne Island ), Trincomali Channel (between Galiano Island and Saltspring Island ), Sansum Narrows (between Saltspring Island and Vancouver Island), and Malaspina Strait (between Texada Island and

961-516: Was named after John Aaron Swart, purchaser in 1876 - i.e. it was meant to be Swart's Bay, but was incorrectly spelled when it was adopted by the Government. In the SENĆOŦEN language spoken by Indigenous W̱SÁNEĆ people of the area, its name is ŚJEL¸KES. 48°41′14.22″N 123°24′35.92″W  /  48.6872833°N 123.4099778°W  / 48.6872833; -123.4099778 This article about

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