Stuart Island (British Columbia)
Encyclopedia
Stuart Island is one of the Discovery Islands
of British Columbia
, which lie between northern Vancouver Island
and the British Columbia Coast
. It is privately owned and has no ferry access. It is at the mouth of Bute Inlet
to the east of the larger Sonora Island
. The island, and Bute Inlet, were named for John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
, Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1762 to 1763.
The island is mostly home to exclusive fishing lodges and large private estates. Most of the visitors arrive by float plane or helicopter
. Nanook Lodge is the only fishing/adventure lodge open to the public on Stuart Island and has scheduled daily seaplane
service from Seattle.
Among the property owners on this island is Dennis Washington
, a Montana
businessman and owner of the Washington Marine Group
and Dave Ritchie, a Vancouver
businessman. On his estate Dennis Washington has blasted out of the granite a 9-hole golf course.
Stuart Island has a paved, private airstrip. It does not appear on any aeronautical chart
or in the Canada Flight Supplement
.
Discovery Islands
The Discovery Islands are the islands in the Discovery Passage between Vancouver Island and the mainland in British Columbia. These islands are sometimes considered to be part of the Northern Gulf Islands....
of 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...
, which lie between northern Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
and the British Columbia Coast
British Columbia Coast
The British Columbia Coast or BC Coast is Canada's western continental coastline on the Pacific Ocean. The usage is synonymous with the term West Coast of Canada....
. It is privately owned and has no ferry access. It is at the mouth of 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...
to the east of the larger Sonora Island
Sonora Island (British Columbia)
Sonora Island is one of the outer islands of the Discovery Islands of British Columbia, Canada.The island took its name from the Spanish schooner that explored the Pacific Northwest in 1775....
. The island, and Bute Inlet, were named for John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute KG, PC , styled Lord Mount Stuart before 1723, was a Scottish nobleman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain under George III, and was arguably the last important favourite in British politics...
, Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1762 to 1763.
The island is mostly home to exclusive fishing lodges and large private estates. Most of the visitors arrive by float plane or helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
. Nanook Lodge is the only fishing/adventure lodge open to the public on Stuart Island and has scheduled daily seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
service from Seattle.
Among the property owners on this island is Dennis Washington
Dennis Washington
Dennis R. Washington is a Montana-based industrialist and philanthropist who owns, or co-owns controlling interest in, a large consortium of privately held companies collectively known as the Washington Companies and, in Canada, another collection of companies known as the Washington Marine Group...
, a Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
businessman and owner of the Washington Marine Group
Washington Marine Group
Seaspan Marine Corporation provides marine-related services to the Pacific Northwest. Within the Group are three shipyards, an intermodal ferry business, and a tug and barge transportation company that serves both domestic and international markets. Seaspan Marine Corporation is part of the...
and Dave Ritchie, a Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
businessman. On his estate Dennis Washington has blasted out of the granite a 9-hole golf course.
Stuart Island has a paved, private airstrip. It does not appear on any aeronautical chart
Aeronautical chart
An aeronautical chart is a map designed to assist in navigation of aircraft, much as nautical charts do for watercraft, or a roadmap for drivers...
or in the Canada Flight Supplement
Canada Flight Supplement
The Canada Flight Supplement is a joint civil/military publication and is a supplement of the Aeronautical Information Publication . It is the nation's official airport directory...
.