Gambier Island is an island located in

Howe Sound Howe Sound (french: Baie (de /d')Howe, squ, Átl'ka7tsem, Nexwnéwu7ts, Txwnéwu7ts) is a roughly triangular sound, that joins a network of fjords situated immediately northwest of Vancouver, British Columbia. It was designated as a UNESCO Biosp ...

near

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. T ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

. It is about in size and is located about north of the Horseshoe Bay community and ferry terminal in westernmost

West Vancouver West Vancouver is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District, West Vancouver is to the northwest of the city of Vancouver on the northern side of English B ...

. A rugged and sparsely populated island, it is far quieter than its neighbour

Bowen Island Bowen Island (originally Nex̱wlélex̱m in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh), British Columbia, is an island municipality that is part of Metro Vancouver. Bowen Island is within the jurisdiction of the Islands Trust. Located in Howe Sound, it is approxi ...

, which is popular with

day-tripper A day trip is a visit to a tourist destination or visitor attraction from a person's home, hotel, or hostel in the morning, returning to the same lodging in the evening. The day trip is a form of recreational travel and leisure to a location th ...

s and summer vacationers. Gambier Island is accessible only by B.C. Ferries passenger service,

water taxi A water taxi or a water bus is a watercraft used to provide public or private transport, usually, but not always, in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or ...

or other boats. There is no central road network. The island elects two trustees to the Islands Trust, an organization that unites small island communities in

to oversee development and land use. Other islands in Howe Sound include Keats Island and Anvil Island. The island is part of West Howe Sound, Electoral Area F within the

Sunshine Coast Regional District The Sunshine Coast Regional District is a regional district in British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the southern mainland coast, across Georgia Strait (part of the Salish Sea) from Vancouver Island. It borders on the qathet Regional Dist ...

(SCRD) on the Sunshine Coast of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world ...

Population

There are around 105 long-term residents on Gambier, but the population swells to more than 600 in the summertime due to the island's summer holiday homes. The island's scenic setting and solitude make it popular with artists and writers.

Communities

The main wharf and settlement area is called New Brighton, on the west side of the island. Gambier Harbour, West Bay, lies to the east, with another wharf and boat dock. At the north end of the island is Ekins Point. Off-grid communities include Douglas Bay, Daisy Bay, Gambier Acres, Ekins Point, Brigade Bay (coordinates

), Fircom Plateau (coordinate

, Sea Ranch (coordinate

.

Facilities

Gambier Island had a general store (closed about 2010) and few seasonal options for accommodations. Barging companies provide service from Gibsons and Horseshoe Bay for transport of large items. Fire service is run by volunteers. There are no garbage processing facilities on the island. There is a community centre. Halkett Bay Provincial Park is located on the southeast side of Gambier.

History

Squamish people called the island Cha7élkwnech, in reference to its deep protected bays. It was a celebrated deer hunting area and was extensively used for resource gathering. The island was named by Captain Richards in 1860 for James Gambier, Admiral of the Fleet who had a distinguished career in the British navy,, was a

Governor of Newfoundland The lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador () is the viceregal representative in Newfoundland and Labrador of the , who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada, as w ...

and served as a negotiator of the

Treaty of Ghent The Treaty of Ghent () was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom. It took effect in February 1815. Both sides signed it on December 24, 1814, in the city of Ghent, United Netherlands (now i ...

ending

The War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

between Britain and the United States. Logger Ken Reid cut a 14-foot diameter fir there in the 1930s.

References

External links

Camp LatonaGambier Island Local TrustCamp Fircom SocietyCamp ArtabanCommotion by the Ocean Summer concertGambier Island Conservancy
{{authority control South Coast of British Columbia Sunshine Coast Regional District