70-778: The Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary or VHMBS is a 30 km protected area on the southern tip of Vancouver Island , Canada, in the Greater Victoria metropolitan area. It is located within the traditional territory of the Lekwungen People. The sanctuary is federally recognized as a critical habitat for bird conservation, and is home to an estimated 270 bird species, many of which are migratory . The sanctuary encompasses about 30 kilometres of coastline , an area covering approximately 1841 hectares (4549 acres ) in total. Of this total, 31 hectares are terrestrial , and 1810 hectares are marine . The VHMBS
140-564: A homestead in Sooke . Following the brief governorship of Richard Blanshard , James Douglas , Chief Factor of the Hudson's Bay post, assumed the role in 1851. The island's first legislative assembly was formed in 1856. Government buildings were built and were occupied in 1859; the replacement, today's Parliament Buildings , were opened in 1898. Fort Victoria had become an important base when prospectors, miners and merchants began arriving for
210-457: A major area for recreation. The northern, western, and most of the central portions of the island are home to the coniferous "big trees" associated with British Columbia's coast – western hemlock , western red cedar , Pacific silver fir , yellow cedar , Douglas fir , grand fir , Sitka spruce , and western white pine . It is also characterised by bigleaf maple , red alder , sword fern , and red huckleberry . The fauna of Vancouver Island
280-404: Is Nanaimo , which has a population of 115,459 as of 2021. There are also five census agglomeration areas ( Alberni Valley , Campbell River , Comox Valley , Cowichan Valley , and Oceanside ) as defined by Statistics Canada . [REDACTED] Nanaimo [REDACTED] Duncan Within the island's largest city, Victoria , there is a significant IT and technology industry. According to
350-454: Is 1,545,444 km . Islands over 1,000 km [ edit ] Rank World rank Name Area (km ) Area (sq mi) Territory or province Permanent population (2016) Notes Refs 1 5 Baffin Island 507,451 195,928 Nunavut 13,148 Population does not include Kinngait and Qikiqtarjuaq . Both lie on small islands just off
420-539: Is considered invasive for its voracious appetite and scaring away of the Douglas squirrels. The island has the most concentrated population of cougars in North America. The Vancouver Island wolf , a subspecies of grey wolf , is found only on the north part of the island. Harbour seals and river otters are common. Resident orcas live in two major groups, one in the waters of the south island and one in
490-474: Is now spoken by less than 5% of the population—about 250 people. Today, 17 separate tribes make up the Kwakwakaʼwakw. Some Kwakwakaʼwakw groups are now extinct. Kwakʼwala is a Northern Wakashan language , a grouping shared with Haisla, Heiltsuk and Wuikyala. Kwakwakaʼwakw centres of population on Vancouver Island include communities such as Fort Rupert , Alert Bay and Quatsino , the Kwakwakaʼwakw tradition of
560-487: Is part of a group of peaks that include the only glaciers on the island, the largest of which is the Comox Glacier . The west coast shoreline is rugged and in many places mountainous, characterized by its many fjords , bays, and inlets. The interior of the island has many lakes ( Kennedy Lake , north of Ucluelet , is the largest) and rivers. The 49th parallel north crosses the island just north of Ladysmith on
630-561: Is separated from the mainland of British Columbia by Johnstone Strait and Queen Charlotte Strait on the north and northeast, and by the Strait of Georgia on the southeast, which along with the Strait of Juan de Fuca along its southwest separate it from the United States. West of the island is the open Pacific Ocean, while to its north is Queen Charlotte Sound . The Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca are now officially part of
700-447: Is similar to that found on the mainland coast, with some notable exceptions and additions. For example, mountain goats , moose , coyotes , porcupines , skunks , chipmunks , and numerous species of small mammals, while plentiful on the mainland, are absent from Vancouver Island. Grizzly bears are absent from the island, where black bears are prevalent, but in 2016, a pair of grizzlies were sighted swimming between smaller islands off
770-474: Is the extension of summer dryness to latitudes as high as 50 °N . Only in the extreme north of the island near Port Hardy is the rainfall of the driest summer month as much as one fifth that of the wettest months from November to March. West coasts of other continents at similar latitudes have a practically even distribution of rainfall throughout the year. Vancouver Island is mostly made up of volcanic and sedimentary rock which were formed offshore on
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#1732791123340840-602: Is the largest by area and the most populous along the west coasts of the Americas . The southern part of Vancouver Island and some of the nearby Gulf Islands are the only parts of British Columbia or Western Canada to lie south of the 49th parallel . The southeast part of the island has one of the warmest climates in Canada, and since the mid-1990s has been mild enough in a few areas to grow Mediterranean crops such as olives and lemons . The population of Vancouver Island
910-985: The Arctic . Population obtained by subtracting the population of Labrador from the total population. 5 24 Banks Island 70,028 27,038 Northwest Territories 113 6 27 Devon Island 55,247 21,331 Nunavut 0 The largest uninhabited island on Earth. 7 32 Axel Heiberg Island 43,178 16,671 Nunavut 0 8 33 Melville Island 42,149 16,274 Northwest Territories , Nunavut 0 9 34 Southampton Island 41,214 15,913 Nunavut 891 10 40 Prince of Wales Island 33,339 12,872 Nunavut 0 11 43 Vancouver Island 31,285 12,079 British Columbia 813,543 12 46 Somerset Island 24,786 9,570 Nunavut 0 Site of Fort Ross, Nunavut , last trading post established by
980-945: The Attawapiskat First Nation 's traditional territory 30 171 Borden Island 2,794 1,079 Northwest Territories , Nunavut 0 31 173 Manitoulin Island 2,766 1,068 Ontario 13,255 World's largest lake island . 32 175 Moresby Island 2,608 1,007 British Columbia 296 33 186 Cornwall Island 2,358 910 Nunavut 0 34 191 Princess Royal Island 2,251 869 British Columbia 0 35 196 Richards Island 2,165 836 Northwest Territories 0 36 206 René-Levasseur Island 2,020 780 Quebec 0 World's second largest lake island . 37 227 Air Force Island 1,720 660 Nunavut 0 First written record of
1050-638: The Farallon Plate , the Juan de Fuca Plate , are now subducting below the island. This process has led to Vancouver Island being one of the most seismically active regions in Canada. The subduction zone off the coast of the island forms a section of the Ring of Fire . The area has been known to host megathrust earthquakes in the past, the last being the Cascadia earthquake of 1700 . The Forbidden Plateau , in
1120-485: The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush in 1858. The Hudson's Bay lease expired in 1859 and the island reverted to Great Britain. The burgeoning town was incorporated as Victoria in 1862. Victoria became the capital of the colony of Vancouver Island, retaining this status when the island was amalgamated with the mainland in 1866. A British naval base, including Esquimalt Royal Navy Dockyard and a naval hospital,
1190-523: The Hudson's Bay Company . 13 54 Bathurst Island 16,042 6,194 Nunavut 0 Site of Brooman Point Village , a Dorset , Paleo-Eskimo and Thule village. 14 55 Prince Patrick Island 15,848 6,119 Northwest Territories 0 Home of the now abandoned Mould Bay Weather Station. 15 61 King William Island 13,111 5,062 Nunavut 1,324 John Franklin abandoned his ships in
1260-680: The Kwakwakaʼwakw (also known as the Kwakiutl ), Nuu-chah-nulth , and various Coast Salish peoples . While there is some overlap, Kwakwakaʼwakw territory includes northern and northwestern Vancouver Island and adjoining areas of the mainland, the Nuu-chah-nulth span most of the west coast, while the Coast Salish cover the southeastern Island and southernmost extremities along the Strait of Juan de Fuca . Their cultures are connected to
1330-751: The Lower Mainland . The capital was moved to Victoria in 1868. By 1867, Canada was established by the first of the British North America Acts , the Constitution Act, 1867 and the United Colonies joined Canada on 20 July 1871 through the British Columbia Terms of Union , following negotiations that secured the interests of the colonial elite in relation to a rail connection that would unite
1400-632: The Makah of the Olympic Peninsula , Washington state and the Ditidaht . The Coast Salish are the largest of the southern groups. They are a loose grouping of many tribes with numerous distinct cultures and historically speak one of the Coast Salish languages . On Vancouver Island, Coast Salish peoples' territory traditionally spans from the northern limit of the Strait of Georgia on
1470-839: The Pacific coast of North America . ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census Cape Breton [Economic region], Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia [Province] (Cape Breton)" . Statistics Canada . Retrieved 2018-08-08 . ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census L'Île-d'Anticosti, Municipalité [Census subdivision], Quebec and Minganie--Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent, Census division [Census division], Quebec (L'Île-d'Anticosti)" . Statistics Canada . Retrieved 2018-08-08 . ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census Prince Edward Island [Province] and Canada [Country] (Prince Edward Island)" . Statistics Canada . Retrieved 2018-08-08 . ^ "Joshua Calder's World Island Info - Largest Lake Islands of
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#17327911233401540-535: The Sadlermiut people. 25 111 Amund Ringnes Island 5,255 2,029 Nunavut 0 26 116 Mackenzie King Island 5,048 1,949 Northwest Territories , Nunavut 0 27 128 Stefansson Island 4,463 1,723 Nunavut 0 28 159 Mansel Island 3,180 1,230 Nunavut 0 29 162 Akimiski Island 3,001 1,159 Nunavut 0 Part of
1610-550: The Salish Sea , which also includes Puget Sound . The Vancouver Island Ranges run most of the length of the island, dividing it into a wet and rugged west coast and a drier, more rolling east coast. The highest point in these ranges and on the island is the Golden Hinde , at 2,195 m (7,201 ft). Located near the centre of Vancouver Island in 2,500 km (970 sq mi) Strathcona Provincial Park , it
1680-530: The Species at Risk Act . Vancouver Island 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 km (12,400 sq mi) in total area, while 31,285 km (12,079 sq mi) are of land. The island
1750-788: The United Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia by the Act for the Union of the colonies, passed by the Imperial Parliament . Arthur Kennedy was appointed governor of the united entity. (He would leave office in 1866 and later became Governor of the West African Settlements, British West Africa .) Victoria became the capital but the legislative assembly was located in New Westminster on
1820-434: The potlatch was banned by the federal government of Canada in 1885, but has been revived in recent decades. The Nuu-chah-nulth (pronounced [nuːʧanˀuɬ]), are indigenous peoples in Canada. Their traditional home is on the west coast of Vancouver Island. In pre-contact and early post-contact times, the number of nations was much greater, but as in the rest of the region, smallpox and other consequences of contact resulted in
1890-415: The 18th and 19th centuries, sea otters ( Enhydra lutris ) were protected by an international treaty in 1911. Despite protection, the remnant population off Vancouver Island died out with the last sea otter taken near Kyuquot in 1929. From 1969 to 1972, 89 sea otters were flown or shipped from Alaska to the west coast of Vancouver Island. This population expanded to over 3,000 as of 2005 , and their range on
1960-659: The British Admiralty, Captain Vancouver reveals that his decision here was rather meant to honour a request by Bodega y Quadra that Vancouver: would name some port or island after us both in commemoration of our meeting and friendly intercourse that on that occasion had taken place (Vancouver had previously feted Bodega y Quadra on his ship); ...and conceiving no place more eligible than the place of our meeting, I have therefore named this land ... The Island of Quadra and Vancouver. Bodega y Quadra wrote, however, that it
2030-650: The Kula plate, leading to the formation of the distorted Insular Mountains . Much of the central mountainous region around Strathcona Park is part of the Karmutsen Formation , which is a sequence of tholeiitic pillow basalts and breccias . Since Vancouver Island has become an accretionary wedge on the North American continent, the Kula Plate has fully subducted beneath it and the remnants of
2100-655: The Victoria Advanced Technology Council website, over 800 technology companies operate in the Victoria area, with combined annual revenues of $ 1.95 billion. High-speed internet is delivered to the island by Shaw Communications , Telus , and various local providers with their own networks. Wireless Internet connections can be found all over the island, many free for public use. While the island does generate much of its own power at several hydroelectric stations, increased demand required
2170-1260: The World" . Worldislandinfo.com. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28 . Retrieved 2016-01-30 . ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census Manitoulin, District [Census division], Ontario and Ontario [Province] (Manitoulin Island)" . Statistics Canada . Retrieved 2018-08-08 . ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census Sandspit, Unincorporated place [Designated place], British Columbia and British Columbia [Province] (Sandspit)" . Statistics Canada . Retrieved 2018-08-08 . External links [ edit ] United Nations Environment Programme list of islands by area Sea Islands , Natural Resources Canada, The Atlas of Canada Canadian Islands at Joshua Calder's World Island Information Arctic Archipelago , M.J. Dunbar and Peter Adams, The Canadian Encyclopedia , 03/09/06 Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Canadian_islands_by_area&oldid=1251195497 " Categories : Lists of islands of Canada Lists of islands by area Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description
Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary - Misplaced Pages Continue
2240-991: The area. 16 68 Ellef Ringnes Island 11,295 4,361 Nunavut 0 Home of Isachsen , a formerly staffed weather station, but now an Automated Surface Observing System 17 71 Bylot Island 11,067 4,273 Nunavut 0 Although uninhabited, Inuit from Pond Inlet travel to the island. 18 76 Cape Breton Island 10,311 3,981 Nova Scotia 132,010 19 77 Prince Charles Island 9,521 3,676 Nunavut 0 20 89 Anticosti Island 7,941 3,066 Quebec 218 21 97 Cornwallis Island 6,995 2,701 Nunavut 198 22 101 Graham Island 6,361 2,456 British Columbia 4,475 23 104 Prince Edward Island 5,620 2,170 Prince Edward Island 142,907 24 107 Coats Island 5,498 2,123 Nunavut 0 The last home of
2310-666: The arrival of Spanish and British naval expeditions in the late 18th century. The Spanish and British conjointly named it Quadra's and Vancouver's Island in commemoration of the friendly negotiations held in 1792 between the Spanish commander of Fort San Miguel in Nootka Sound , Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra , and British naval captain George Vancouver , during the Nootka Crisis . (Bodega y Quadra's name
2380-473: The coast near Port McNeill . Vancouver Island does support most of Canada's Roosevelt elk , however, and several mammal species and subspecies, such as the Vancouver Island marmot are unique to the island. Columbian black-tailed deer are plentiful, even in suburban areas such as in Greater Victoria , as well as the native Douglas squirrels . The Eastern grey squirrel is found in the south and
2450-491: The coast of Baffin Island. 2 8 Victoria Island 217,291 83,897 Northwest Territories , Nunavut 2,162 Contains the world's largest island within an island within an island. 3 10 Ellesmere Island 196,236 75,767 Nunavut 191 Population includes Grise Fiord , Alert and Eureka . 4 16 Newfoundland 108,860 42,030 Newfoundland and Labrador 492,519 The largest island in Canada outside
2520-418: The colonies with the rest of Canada, establish Indian lands policy that would effectively perpetuate BC's pre-Confederation practices, and enshrine colonial officials' security of position. Victoria was named the capital of the province of British Columbia . Three delegates were appointed to the federal government. Vancouver Island is located in the southwestern corner of the province of British Columbia. It
2590-478: The construction of several high-voltage power cables, both HVDC and AC, connecting to the Canadian Mainland . List of Canadian islands by area Overview of Canada's largest islands This is a list of Canadian islands as ordered by area. It includes all 50 islands with an area greater than 1,000 km (390 sq mi). The total area of these islands
2660-517: The disappearance of some groups and the absorption of others into neighbouring groups. They were among the first Pacific peoples north of California to come into contact with Europeans, as the Spanish, Americans and British attempted to secure control of the Pacific Northwest and the trade in otter pelts, with Nootka Sound becoming a focus of these rivalries. The Nuu-chah-nulth speak a Southern Wakashan language and are closely related to
2730-852: The double-hulled tanker M.V.Arctic shipped the light crude from Bent Horn in the south-west of the island to Montreal 49 318 Resolution Island 1,015 392 Nunavut 0 Site of CFS Resolution Island . 50 320 Banks Island 1,005 388 British Columbia 0 See also [ edit ] [REDACTED] Geography portal [REDACTED] Canada portal List of Canadian islands by population List of islands of Canada Lists of islands References [ edit ] ^ "Atlas of Canada - Sea Islands" . Atlas.nrcan.gc.ca. 2009-08-12. Archived from
2800-426: The east and Ucluelet on the west. Southern Vancouver Island is typically considered to refer to the area south of Courtenay, while Northern Vancouver Island generally refers to the area north of Campbell River. Those cities and the area between them are sometimes described as "Mid-Island" or "Central Island". There are a number of rivers draining the island, some of which though short are large in volume. Among
2870-498: The east of the Vancouver Island Ranges , was the epicentre of the 1946 Vancouver Island earthquake that registered 7.3 on the moment magnitude scale , the strongest ever recorded on land in Canada. Vancouver Island was the location of the observation of the episodic tremor and slip (ETS) seismic phenomenon. Vancouver Island lies in the temperate rainforest biome . On the southern and eastern portions of
Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary - Misplaced Pages Continue
2940-982: The east side of Vancouver Island and covers most of southern Vancouver Island. Distinct nations within the Coast Salish peoples on Vancouver Island include the Stz'uminus , the Kʼómoks of the Comox Valley area, the Cowichan of the Cowichan Valley , the Esquimalt , the Saanich of the Saanich Peninsula , the Songhees of the Victoria area and Snuneymuxw in the Nanaimo area. Europeans began to explore
3010-502: The entire matter back to their respective governments. The friendly meeting between Bodega y Quadra and Vancouver led the former to propose that the island be named after both: "Quadra and Vancouver Island", which became the original name. While we know this island today as "Vancouver Island", the British explorer had not intentionally meant to name such a large body of land solely after himself. In his September 1792 dispatch log report for
3080-632: The island in 1774 when rumours of Russian fur traders caused Spain to send a number of expeditions to assert its long-held claims to the Pacific Northwest . The first expedition was that of the Santiago , under the command of Juan José Pérez Hernández . In 1775, a second Spanish expedition under the Spanish Peruvian captain Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra was sent. By 1776, Spanish exploration had reached Bucareli Bay including
3150-517: The island remained in dispute between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Spanish Empire in the early 1790s. The two countries nearly began a war over the issue; the confrontation became known as the Nootka Crisis . That was averted when both agreed to recognize the other's rights to the area in the first Nootka Convention in 1790, a first step to peace. Finally, the two countries signed
3220-1484: The island's existence was in 1948. 38 244 Flaherty Island 1,585 612 Nunavut 882 The largest of the Belcher Islands and the site of the southernmost community in Nunavut. 39 248 Eglinton Island 1,541 595 Northwest Territories 0 40 266 Graham Island 1,378 532 Nunavut 0 41 267 Pitt Island 1,375 531 British Columbia 0 42 268 Nottingham Island 1,372 530 Nunavut 0 The island became uninhabited in October 1970 43 274 Lougheed Island 1,308 505 Nunavut 0 44 296 Byam Martin Island 1,150 440 Nunavut 0 45 299 Wales Island 1,137 439 Nunavut 0 46 300 Île Vanier 1,126 435 Nunavut 0 47 307 Rowley Island 1,090 420 Nunavut 0 Site of an unmanned Distant Early Warning Line base, called FOX-1 at 69°04′01″N 079°03′54″W / 69.06694°N 79.06500°W / 69.06694; -79.06500 , and an Automated Surface Observing System . 48 312 Cameron Island 1,059 409 Nunavut 0 From 1985 to 1996
3290-530: The island's west coast expanded from Cape Scott in the north to Barkley Sound to the south. The majority of Vancouver Island's population lives in the Capital Regional District , more specifically in the primate city and the provincial capital of Victoria . With a population of 397,237 (2021), Greater Victoria is the island's largest population centre and one of its two census metropolitan areas . The island's other metropolitan area
3360-452: The island, this is characterized by Douglas fir , western red cedar , arbutus (or madrone), Garry oak , salal , Oregon grape , and manzanita ; moreover, Vancouver Island is the location where the Douglas fir was first recorded by Archibald Menzies . Vancouver Island is also the location where some of the tallest Douglas fir were recorded. This southeastern portion of the island is the most heavily populated region of Vancouver Island and
3430-939: The more notable rivers are the Somass River in the Alberni Valley , the Nimpkish River in the North Island region, the Englishman River up island from Nanaimo near Parksville , and the Cowichan River whose basin forms the Cowichan Valley region in the South Island region. The climate of Vancouver Island is the mildest in Canada, with temperatures on the coast even in January being usually above 0 °C (32 °F). In summer,
3500-528: The mouth of the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington , and Sitka Sound . Vancouver Island came to the attention of Britain after the third voyage of Captain James Cook , who spent a month during 1778 at Nootka Sound , on the island's western coast. Cook claimed it for Great Britain. Maritime fur trader , John Meares arrived in 1786 and set up a single-building trading post near
3570-484: The naming of the city of Vancouver in 1885. By March 1843, James Douglas of the Hudson's Bay Company and a missionary had arrived and selected an area for settlement. Construction of the fort began in June of that year. This settlement was a fur trading post originally named Fort Albert (afterward Fort Victoria ). The fort was located at the Songhees settlement of Camosack (Camosun), 200 m (660 ft) northwest of
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#17327911233403640-427: The native village of Yuquot (Friendly Cove), at the entrance to Nootka Sound in 1788. The fur trade began expanding into the island, eventually leading to permanent settlement. The island was further explored by Spain in 1789 with Esteban José Martínez , who established the settlement of Yuquot and the artillery battery of Fort San Miguel at Friendly Cove , which Spain called Puerto de San Lorenzo de Nuca. This
3710-604: The natural resources abundant in the area. The Kwakwakaʼwakw today number about 5,500, who live in British Columbia on northern Vancouver Island and the mainland. They are also known as Kwakiutl in English, from one of their tribes, but they prefer their autonym Kwakwakaʼwakw . Their indigenous language, part of the Wakashan family, is Kwakʼwala . The name Kwakwakaʼwakw means "speakers of Kwakʼwala". The language
3780-581: The north , while a third group of transient orcas roam much farther and avoid the resident orcas. Residents are watched from a distance and are numbered, with many being named as well. Humpback whales and gray whales are often seen on their migration between Alaskan waters where they feed in the summer and southern waters such as around California and Mexico where they give birth in the winter. The island's rivers, lakes, and coastal regions are renowned for their fisheries of trout , salmon , and steelhead . After near-total extirpation by fur traders in
3850-548: The now disappeared Kula oceanic plate . Around 55 million years ago during the Paleogene Period , a microplate of the Kula Plate subducted below the North American continental margin with great strain. A volcanic arc on the surface of the Kula Plate was thus accreted and fused onto the western edge of North America. These terranes were subjected to extreme warping from continued subduction of
3920-1344: The original on 2013-01-22 . Retrieved 2019-08-07 . ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Nunavut)" . Statistics Canada . Retrieved 2018-08-08 . ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Northwest Territories)" . Statistics Canada . Retrieved 2018-08-08 . ^ Wolchover, Natalie (January 24, 2012). "World's Largest Island-in-a-lake-on-an-island-in-a-lake-on-an-island Seen on Google Earth" . LiveScience . Retrieved September 15, 2013 . ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Newfoundland and Labrador)" . Statistics Canada . Retrieved 2018-08-08 . ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census Labrador [Federal electoral district], Newfoundland and Labrador and Newfoundland and Labrador [Province] (Labrador)" . Statistics Canada . Retrieved 2018-08-08 . ^ "Sub-provincial Population Estimates" . BC Stats . Retrieved 2018-08-08 . The largest island on
3990-536: The period. But as Spanish interests in the region dwindled, so did the use of Bodega y Quadra's name. The Hudson's Bay Company played a major part in the transition; by 1824 'Vancouver's Island' had become the usual designation in its correspondence for the island. A quarter of a century later, Vancouver Island had become such a well-known geographical feature that the founding of the Colony of Vancouver Island in 1849 gave this name full official status. Period references to "Vancouver" referred to Vancouver Island until
4060-412: The present-day Empress Hotel on Victoria's Inner Harbour . In 1846, the Oregon Treaty , which ended the Oregon boundary dispute , was signed by the British and the United States to settle the question of the U.S. Oregon Country borders. The Treaty made the 49th parallel latitude north the official border between the two countries. In order to ensure that Britain retained all of Vancouver Island and
4130-430: The second Nootka Convention in 1793 and the third Convention in 1794. As per that final agreement, the Spanish dismantled their fort at Nootka and left the area, giving the British sovereignty over Vancouver Island and the adjoining islands (including the Gulf Islands ). For decades, Quadra's and Vancouver's Island was the most prominent name on maps of the coast, and appeared on most British, French and Spanish maps of
4200-432: The southern Gulf Islands, however, it was agreed that the border would swing south around that area. In 1849, the Colony of Vancouver Island was established. The Colony was leased to the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) for an annual fee of seven shillings; the company's responsibility in return was to increase the population by promoting colonization. The first independent settler arrived that year: Captain Walter Grant started
4270-438: The southernmost harbours frequented by American fur traders at 51 degrees north and 128 degrees west . He relates that since Captain Robert Gray of Tiverton, Rhode Island , had sailed the Columbia River in 1792, the trade of the northwest coast had been almost entirely in the hands of Boston merchants, so much so that the natives called all traders "Boston Men". A settlement was not successfully negotiated and ownership of
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#17327911233404340-502: The warmest days usually have a maximum of 28–33 °C (82–91 °F). The southeastern part of the island notably has a warm summer (Csb) Mediterranean climate with numerous vineyards . The rain shadow effect of the island's mountains, as well as the mountains of Washington's Olympic Peninsula , creates wide variation in precipitation. The west coast is considerably wetter than the east coast. Average annual precipitation ranges from 6,650 mm (262 in) at Hucuktlis Lake on
4410-475: The west coast (making it the wettest place in North America) to only 608 mm (23.9 in) at Victoria Gonzales, the driest recording station in the provincial capital of Victoria . Precipitation is heaviest in the autumn and winter. Snow is rare at low altitudes, but is common on the island's mountaintops in winter. Skiing is popular at Mount Washington in the mid-island, with an elevation of 1,588 m (5,210 ft). A notable feature of Vancouver Island
4480-471: Was 864,864 as of 2021. Nearly half of that population (~400,000) live in the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria on the southern tip of the island, which includes Victoria , the capital of British Columbia. Other notable cities and towns on Vancouver Island include Nanaimo , Campbell River , Courtenay , Port Alberni and Parksville , all on or near the east coast. Indigenous peoples have inhabited Vancouver Island for thousands of years, long before
4550-457: Was Vancouver who made the suggestion of combining their names to designate some geographical feature. In 1792, the Spanish explorer Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and his crew were the first Europeans to circumnavigate Vancouver Island. On April 8, 1806, Captain John D'Wolf of Bristol, Rhode Island , sailed the Juno to Nahwitti (Newettee), a small inlet in the northwestern promontory of Vancouver's Island. The captain described Newettee as one of
4620-419: Was commandant of Santa Cruz de Nuca in 1792. Vancouver had sailed as a midshipman with Cook. The negotiations between Vancouver and Bodega y Quadra ended in a deadlock with nothing resolved. Vancouver insisted the entire Spanish establishment be turned over, but Bodega y Quadra held that there were no buildings seized in 1789, and the only possible land was a tiny and useless cove nearby. The two decided to refer
4690-510: Was established at Esquimalt in 1865 and eventually taken over by the Canadian military . Today, as CFB Esquimalt , it is the home port of the Maritime Forces Pacific and parts are designated as National Historic Sites of Canada . The economic situation of the colony declined following the Cariboo Gold Rush of 1861–1862, and pressure grew for amalgamation of the colony with the mainland colony of British Columbia (which had been established in 1858). The two colonies were merged in 1866 into
4760-502: Was established on October 27 1923 under the Migratory Birds Convention Act in response to a significant decline in bird populations caused by over-hunting . Today, it remains an important area for bird conservation. In 2023, the sanctuary celebrated its centennial anniversary. The VHMBS contains more than 75 plants and animals that are of both federal and provincial conservation concern. The sanctuary provides habitat for an estimated 270 bird species, fifteen of which are listed under
4830-453: Was eventually dropped.) It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, who between 1791 and 1794 explored the Pacific Northwest . Vancouver Island is the world's 43rd largest island , Canada's 11th largest island , and Canada's second most populous island after the Island of Montreal . Vancouver Island has been the homeland of many indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The groupings, by language, are
4900-406: Was to be the only Spanish settlement in what would later be Canada. Asserting their claim of exclusive sovereignty and navigation rights, the Spanish force seized the Portuguese-flagged British ships. British naval captain George Vancouver was sent to Nootka Sound in 1792 in order to negotiate a settlement. His Spanish counterpart in the negotiations was Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, who
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