Desolation Sound
Encyclopedia
Sound (geography)
In geography a sound or seaway is a large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight and wider than a fjord; or it may be defined as a narrow sea or ocean channel between two bodies of land ....
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
It is a favourite destination for boaters because of its spectacular fjords, mountains, and wildlife. It is part of the Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast, British Columbia
The Sunshine Coast is a region of the southern mainland coast of British Columbia, on the eastern shore of the Strait of Georgia, and just northwest of Greater Vancouver...
.
The sound
Sound (geography)
In geography a sound or seaway is a large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight and wider than a fjord; or it may be defined as a narrow sea or ocean channel between two bodies of land ....
is home to the steepest drop from mountain peak to sea bottom in all of North America. It has many waterfalls cascading into milky green glacial runoff. The geology of the coast is dominated by igneous (mainly granitic) shorelines. These fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
s are the result of intense glaciation of the mountainous coastline.
Desolation Sound Marine Provincial Park
The Government of Canada created Desolation Sound Provincial Marine ParkDesolation Sound Marine Provincial Park
Desolation Sound Marine Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, and is located approximately 32 km north of Powell River and 150 km north of Vancouver....
in 1973 out of an area comprising 8449 hectares and over 60km of shoreline.http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/desolation/ The natural shelter provided by the parks many inlets, islets, coves and bays make it an ideal location to explore by pleasure craft. . The area is home to a wide variety of wildlife, and is still relatively free from development, unfortunately some areas do show signs of clear cut logging such as Theodesia Inlet. The park is extremely popular in the summer months (June-August) as many hundreds of boaters flock to this region; it is not uncommon for a hundred boats to share a small anchorage.
Major Anchorages and Inlets
Prideaux HavenPrideaux Haven
Prideaux Haven is a cove that is a popular marine anchorage within Desolation Sound Marine Provincial Park located on Homfray Channel in the Desolation Sound area, which lies at the northern end of the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. There is anchorage, but no facilities....
, Grace Harbour, Tenedos Bay, Bute Inlet
Bute Inlet
Bute Inlet is one of the principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast. It is 80 km long from its head at the mouths of the Homathko and Southgate Rivers to the continental headlands at its mouth, where it is nearly blocked by Stuart Island, and it averages about 4 km in width...
, Toba Inlet
Toba Inlet
Toba Inlet is one of the lesser, but still principal, inlets of the British Columbia Coast. It is fourth in the series north from the 49th parallel which begins with Burrard Inlet, which is the harbour for the city of Vancouver...
History
The sound was inhabited by tribes of the Mainland Comox prior to the arrival of Europeans, who first charted the sound in 1792. Two expeditionsVancouver Expedition
The Vancouver Expedition was a four-and-a-half-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy, commanded by Captain George Vancouver. The expedition circumnavigated the globe, touched five continents and changed the course of history for the indigenous nations and several European empires and their...
led by Captains George Vancouver
George Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...
, Dionisio Alcalá Galiano
Dionisio Alcalá Galiano
Dionisio Alcalá Galiano was a Spanish naval officer, cartographer, and explorer. He mapped various coastlines in Europe and the Americas with unprecedented accuracy, using new technology such as chronometers...
and Cayetano Valdés y Flores
Cayetano Valdés y Flores
Cayetano Valdés y Flores Bazán was a commander of the Spanish Navy, explorer, and captain general who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, fighting for both sides at different times due to the changing fortunes of Spain in the conflict...
arrived that same summer and cooperated in mapping the sound. Vancouver named it Desolation Sound saying "there was not a single prospect that was pleasing to the eye".
Throughout the nineteenth century various European traders continued to visit the area, primarily from the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
. In the late 19th century white settlement increased dramatically in the area after a rapid drop in the native population levels following smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
and tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
outbreaks. The shelter of the sound provided a good foundation for the fishing and logging industries primarily. A large mill was established at Powell River
Powell River, British Columbia
Powell River is a city on the northern Sunshine Coast of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Most of its population lives near the eastern shores of Malaspina Strait, that part of the larger Georgia Strait between Texada Island and the Mainland...
.