De Courcy Island is one of the

Gulf Islands The Gulf Islands are a group of islands in the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia. Etymology The name "Gulf Islands" comes from "Gulf of Georgia," the original term used by George Vancouver in his ma ...

of the coast of southwestern

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, located between the Pylades and

Stuart Channel Stuart Channel is a strait in the Gulf Islands region of the Gulf of Georgia, separating Vancouver Island on the west from Thetis, DeCourcy and Penelakut (Kuper) Islands on the east. Ladysmith Harbour and the town of Chemainus face onto it from ...

s approximately southeast of

Nanaimo Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "H ...

and approximately southwest of

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

. The island, about in area, gives its name to the De Courcy group of islands which consist, from north to south, of

Mudge Island Mudge Island is one of the Southern Gulf Islands in the Salish Sea, in British Columbia (BC), Canada. It lies between Gabriola Island and Vancouver Island, and is considered part of the De Courcy group of islands. It is about wide and long. Dod ...

, Link Island, De Courcy Island,

Ruxton Island Ruxton Island (population 10)2016 census population for dissemination block 59190305001 is one of the six islands in the De Courcy Islands group. It is one of the southern Gulf Islands in British Columbia. It is due south-east of DeCourcy Island, ...

and

Pylades Island In Greek mythology, Pylades (; Ancient Greek: Πυλάδης) was a Phocian prince as the son of King Strophius and Anaxibia who is the daughter of Atreus and sister of Agamemnon and Menelaus. He is mostly known for his relationship with his cous ...

. This island group runs parallel to the east coast of Vancouver Island inside the protection of the larger

Gabriola Island Gabriola Island is one of the Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia in British Columbia (BC), Canada. It is about east of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, to which it is linked by a 20-minute ferry service. It has a land area of about and a res ...

and

Valdes Island Valdes Island is one of the Gulf Islands located in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada. It is across Porlier Pass from Galiano Island, which lies to the southeast. It has an area of , and is wide by in length. The island is popu ...

. Access by boat from Nanaimo in the north is through Dodd Narrows. From Vancouver, vessels pass between Gabriola Island and Valdes Island through Gabriola Passage. Both Dodd Narrows and Gabriola Passage have strong tidal currents. Gabriola and Valdes Islands protect these smaller islands from the more open

Strait of Georgia The Strait of Georgia (french: Détroit de Géorgie) or the Georgia Strait is an arm of the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the extreme southwestern mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada and the extreme northwestern mainland coast ...

. De Courcy Island is home to

Pirates Cove Marine Provincial Park Pirates Cove Marine Provincial Park is a provincial park on De Courcy Island in British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Oce ...

. The only access to the island is by boat or floatplane. Gulf Island Seaplanes flies to the island daily. It was also the home of

Brother XII Edward Arthur Wilson (25 July 1878 - 7 November 1934), better known as Brother XII, was an English mystic who, in the late 1920s, founded a spiritual community located just south of the city of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, off the west coast of B ...

, a mysterious cult figure in the 1920s. The island is named after Vice Admiral Michael de Courcy, captain of HMS ''Pylades''.

References

External links

Google Maps Satellite Image, Accessed August 7, 2006
* *http://www.decourcyisland.com Islands of the Gulf Islands Regional District of Nanaimo {{BritishColumbiaCoast-geo-stub