McMillan Island
Encyclopedia
McMillan Island is an island in the Fraser River
. Located to the north of Fort Langley
and south of Maple Ridge
.
, north of Fort Langley
and south of Maple Ridge
. It has a total land area of 1.78 square kilometres..
and debris from the Frser River and shaped by the erosive power of the river. Geologically it was (10000 years ago) a peninsula
on the shore of what is now Maple Ridge. Erosion
wore down the peninsula until it became an island, although one much larger than the current McMillan Island. Once there was a channel worn between this large island and the mainland, the water flow slowed and silt and debris settled on the south side of the island, eventually connecting it to what is now Fort Langley. The water eventually broke a small section of the original island off, resulting in the current McMillan Island.
to the island along Glover Road, the main road through both Fort Langley and McMillan Island. There are several docks on the island, including the docks from the former Albion Ferry
. There are very few buildings on the island. Those that are there include approximately 22 dwellings and the Kwantlan Nation's Band Office.
. However, with the opening of the Golden Ears Bridge
, ferry service has ceased.
, because the entire island is covered by McMillan Island Reserve No. 6. This reserve belongs to the Kwantlen First Nation.
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...
. Located to the north of Fort Langley
Fort Langley, British Columbia
Fort Langley is a village with a population of 2,700 and forms part of the Township of Langley. It is the home of Fort Langley National Historic Site, a former fur trade post of the Hudson's Bay Company.-History:...
and south of Maple Ridge
Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Maple Ridge is a District Municipality in British Columbia, located in the northeastern section of Metro Vancouver. Maple Ridge has a population of approximately 68,949.-History:...
.
Overview
McMillan Island is located in the lower Fraser RiverFraser 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...
, north of Fort Langley
Fort Langley, British Columbia
Fort Langley is a village with a population of 2,700 and forms part of the Township of Langley. It is the home of Fort Langley National Historic Site, a former fur trade post of the Hudson's Bay Company.-History:...
and south of Maple Ridge
Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Maple Ridge is a District Municipality in British Columbia, located in the northeastern section of Metro Vancouver. Maple Ridge has a population of approximately 68,949.-History:...
. It has a total land area of 1.78 square kilometres..
Geology
It is composed primarily of settled siltSilt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
and debris from the Frser River and shaped by the erosive power of the river. Geologically it was (10000 years ago) a peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
on the shore of what is now Maple Ridge. Erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
wore down the peninsula until it became an island, although one much larger than the current McMillan Island. Once there was a channel worn between this large island and the mainland, the water flow slowed and silt and debris settled on the south side of the island, eventually connecting it to what is now Fort Langley. The water eventually broke a small section of the original island off, resulting in the current McMillan Island.
Human Geography
There is a bridge across the Bedford ChannelBedford Channel
The Bedford Channel is a small side channel of the Fraser River near the north end of the Township of Langley, on the south side of McMillan Island...
to the island along Glover Road, the main road through both Fort Langley and McMillan Island. There are several docks on the island, including the docks from the former Albion Ferry
Albion Ferry
The Albion Ferry, also known as the Fort Langley Ferry, was a free passenger and vehicle ferry service that was sailing across the Fraser River from June 7, 1957 to July 31, 2009...
. There are very few buildings on the island. Those that are there include approximately 22 dwellings and the Kwantlan Nation's Band Office.
Albion Ferry
A dock on the north side of the island was formerly the southern-bank terminus of the Albion FerryAlbion Ferry
The Albion Ferry, also known as the Fort Langley Ferry, was a free passenger and vehicle ferry service that was sailing across the Fraser River from June 7, 1957 to July 31, 2009...
. However, with the opening of the Golden Ears Bridge
Golden Ears Bridge
The Golden Ears Bridge is a six-lane extradosed bridge in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia. It spans the Fraser River, connecting Langley on the south side with Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge on the north side. The All Electronic Toll bridge, owned by TransLink, has a clearance of , and a total...
, ferry service has ceased.
Population
As of the 2006 census, the island has a population of 63 persons - up from 59 in the 2001 census. The majority of the population (85%) are part of the Kwantlen First NationKwantlen First Nation
The Kwantlen First Nation is the band government of the Kwantlen subgroup of the Stó:lō people in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada, located primarily at Fort Langley. They traditionally speak the Downriver dialect of Halkomelem, one of the Salishan family of languages...
, because the entire island is covered by McMillan Island Reserve No. 6. This reserve belongs to the Kwantlen First Nation.