Thetis Island is an island off the coast 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...

, 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 one of the Gulf Islands

Gulf Islands

The Gulf Islands are the islands in the Strait of Georgia , between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada....

. The island was named in 1851 after HMS Thetis

HMS Thetis (1846)

HMS Thetis was a 36-gun fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. After nearly a decade of service with the British, she was one of two frigates transferred to Prussia in exchange for two gunboats...

, a 36-gun Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 frigate

Frigate

A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...

 commanded by Captain Augustus Leopold Kuper

Augustus Leopold Kuper

Admiral Sir Augustus Leopold Kuper GCB was a Royal Navy officer known for his commands in the far east.-Naval career:...

 (after whom Kuper Island

Kuper Island

Kuper Island belongs to the Penelakut First Nation and is located in the southern Gulf Islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland Pacific coast of British Columbia, Canada. Kuper has a population of about 300 members of the Penelakut Band. The island has an area of 8.66 km²...

 is named). The ship was named after the Nereid Thetis

Thetis

Silver-footed Thetis , disposer or "placer" , is encountered in Greek mythology mostly as a sea nymph or known as the goddess of water, one of the fifty Nereids, daughters of the ancient one of the seas with shape-shifting abilities who survives in the historical vestiges of most later Greek myths...

 from Greek mythology

Greek mythology

Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...

. Thetis was first settled in 1874 but permanent settlement took hold in the 1890s and 1900s.

One of the first settlements on Thetis Island were the Hunter family. They homesteaded the greater portion of the island including the northern half. They still own some parts of Thetis and the Hunters continue to live on the northern coast of the island.

Among the homes and seasonal cabins of Thetis Island are three Christian

Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

 organizations: Capernwray Harbour Bible School

Capernwray Harbour Bible School

Capernwray Harbour Bible School is an evangelical Christian post-secondary institution located on Thetis Island, British Columbia, Canada.The school was established by a Capernwray Hall alumni, Charles Fordham, in 1979. The school offers a unique mix of indoor and outdoor classes, hosting about 140...

, Pioneer Pacific Camp

Pioneer Pacific Camp

Pioneer Pacific Camp is an evangelical Christian childrens camp owned and operated by a parachurch organization called Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship of Canada. Pioneer Pacific is located at North Cove on Thetis Island British Columbia...

 and Camp Columbia. There are also a harbour, restaurant and pub, a small convenience store

Convenience store

A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...

 and at least one bed and breakfast

Bed and breakfast

A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...

. Thetis Island is also home to one of the only one room schoolhouses left in Canada.

Thetis Island has a mild climate experiencing less rainfall than the eastern coast of 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...

 because it lies in the Strait of Georgia

Strait of Georgia

The Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait is a strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is approximately long and varies in width from...

 in the rainshadow of Vancouver Island. Vegetation on the island includes many Arbutus

Pacific Madrone

Arbutus menziesii, commonly known as the Pacific Madrone, is a species of Arbutus found on the west coast of North America, from British Columbia to California...

, Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar.

Sources

• Map of Thetis Island