Douglas Island is a 187-hectare

Hectare

The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...

 island 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...

, located where the Fraser River

Fraser River

The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...

 and Pitt River

Pitt River

The Pitt River in British Columbia, Canada is a large tributary of the Fraser River, entering it a few miles upstream from New Westminster and about 25 km ESE of Downtown Vancouver. The river, which begins in the Garibaldi Ranges of the Coast Mountains, is in two sections above and below Pitt...

 meet. The island is uninhabited

Uninhabited

Uninhabited is a 2010 Australian horror film directed by Bill Bennett. The film premiered at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival and in Australia during the 2010 Melbourne International Film Festival....

. The island was the property of Canadian Forest Products but the government bought it for $4.5 million.

History and name origin

The British Columbia Geographical Names Information System says about this island, which is one or two of this name in the province:

Presumably named after James Douglas (1803-1877), Hudson's Bay Company Chief Factor, 1840-58; founded Victoria 1843; governor, Vancouver Island 1851-64; governor, British Columbia 1858-64; KCB, 1863. All the lots on the island were purchased by him from the crown at auction, 6 October 1859, but crown grant was issued to his daughter Cecilia Helmcken, wife of Dr. J.S. Helmcken.