Wright Sound
Encyclopedia
Wright Sound is a waterway on the North Coast
of British Columbia
, Canada
. Wright Sound is 135 kilometres (83.9 mi) south of Prince Rupert
and lies at the southern opening of Grenville Channel
and between Gil
, Gribbell
and Pitt Island
s. The small town of Hartley Bay sits on its northern shore and is home to the Gitga'ata
, a Tsimshian
group.
Wright Sound is part of the Inside Passage
that connects Alaska
, British Columbia
, and Washington. The Inside Passage
is protected by coastal islands from the more open waters of Queen Charlotte Sound, Hecate Strait
and the Dixon Entrance
, which are more exposed to the open Pacific Ocean, and so makes it a safer route for vessels. BC Ferries
transports passengers, vehicles, and cargo to and from many remote communities in this area, although in the past various shipping lines served the route, which is also heavily travelled by cruise ships and also by the southward line of the Alaska Marine Highway
system. On March 22, 2006, the BC Ferries
vessel Queen of the North
sank in Wright Sound, with the survivors being rescued by the residents of Hartley Bay in a daring night rescue on rough water. Two lives were lost.
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....
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...
. Wright Sound is 135 kilometres (83.9 mi) south of Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and home to some 12,815 people .-History:...
and lies at the southern opening of Grenville Channel
Grenville Channel
Grenville Channel is a strait on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located between Pitt Island and the mainland to the south of Prince Rupert. It is part of the Inside Passage shipping route....
and between Gil
Gil Island (Canada)
Gil Island is an island on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located on the west side of Whale Channel in the entrance to Douglas Channel, one of the main coastal inlets, on the route of the Inside Passage between Pitt Island and Princess Royal Island. It is 26 km long, with a width...
, Gribbell
Gribbell Island
Gribbell Island is an island on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located on the east side of the entrance to Douglas Channel at Wright Sound. Gribble Island Indian Reserve No. 10 is on its west coast, between Verney and Ursula Channels....
and Pitt Island
Pitt Island (Canada)
Pitt Island is an island in British Columbia, Canada, located between Banks Island, across Grenville Channel from the mainland. It is separated from Banks Island by Principe Channel. The only settlement is a First Nations village, Chino Hat, on the west coast...
s. The small town of Hartley Bay sits on its northern shore and is home to the Gitga'ata
Gitga'ata
The Gitga'ata are one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian nation in British Columbia, Canada, and inhabit the village of Hartley Bay, British Columbia, the name of which in the Tsimshian language is Txałgiu. The name Gitga'ata in the Tsimshian language means "people of the cane"...
, a Tsimshian
Tsimshian
The Tsimshian are an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Tsimshian translates to Inside the Skeena River. Their communities are in British Columbia and Alaska, around Terrace and Prince Rupert and the southernmost corner of Alaska on Annette Island. There are approximately 10,000...
group.
Wright Sound is part of the Inside Passage
Inside Passage
The Inside Passage is a coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a network of passages which weave through the islands on the Pacific coast of North America. The route extends from southeastern Alaska, in the United States, through western British Columbia, in Canada, to northwestern Washington...
that connects Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, 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...
, and Washington. The Inside Passage
Inside Passage
The Inside Passage is a coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a network of passages which weave through the islands on the Pacific coast of North America. The route extends from southeastern Alaska, in the United States, through western British Columbia, in Canada, to northwestern Washington...
is protected by coastal islands from the more open waters of Queen Charlotte Sound, Hecate Strait
Hecate Strait
Hecate Strait is a wide but shallow strait between the Haida Gwaii and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It merges with Queen Charlotte Sound to the south and Dixon Entrance to the north...
and the Dixon Entrance
Dixon Entrance
The Dixon Entrance is a strait about long and wide in the Pacific Ocean at the International Boundary between the U.S. state of Alaska and the province of British Columbia in Canada. It was named by Joseph Banks for Captain George Dixon, a Royal Navy officer, fur trader, and explorer, who...
, which are more exposed to the open Pacific Ocean, and so makes it a safer route for vessels. BC Ferries
BC Ferries
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. or BC Ferries is a de facto Crown Corporation that provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia...
transports passengers, vehicles, and cargo to and from many remote communities in this area, although in the past various shipping lines served the route, which is also heavily travelled by cruise ships and also by the southward line of the Alaska Marine Highway
Alaska Marine Highway
The Alaska Marine Highway or the Alaska Marine Highway System is a ferry service operated by the government of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has its headquarters in Ketchikan, Alaska....
system. On March 22, 2006, the BC Ferries
BC Ferries
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. or BC Ferries is a de facto Crown Corporation that provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia...
vessel Queen of the North
M/V Queen of the North
M/V Queen of the North was a RORO ferry built by AG Weser of Germany and operated by BC Ferries, which ran along a scenic 18-hour route along the British Columbia Coast of Canada between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert, British Columbia, a route also known as the Inside Passage. On March 22, 2006,...
sank in Wright Sound, with the survivors being rescued by the residents of Hartley Bay in a daring night rescue on rough water. Two lives were lost.