Galiano Island (

Hul'qumi'num Halkomelem (; in the Upriver dialect, in the Island dialect, and in the Downriver dialect) is a language of various First Nations peoples of the British Columbia Coast. It is spoken in what is now British Columbia, ranging from southeastern ...

: ''Swiikw'') is one of the

Southern 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 ...

located between

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...

and the

Lower Mainland The Lower Mainland is a geographic and cultural region of the mainland coast of British Columbia that generally comprises the regional districts of Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley. Home to approximately 3.05million people as of the 2021 Canadia ...

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. Located on the west side of the

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 ...

, the island is bordered by

Mayne Island Mayne Island is a island in the southern Gulf Islands chain of British Columbia. It is midway between the Lower Mainland of BC and Vancouver Island, and has a population of 995. Mount Parke in the south-central heart of the island is its highe ...

to the southeast,

Salt Spring Island Salt Spring Island or Saltspring Island is one of the Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia between mainland British Columbia, Canada, and Vancouver Island. The island was initially inhabited by various Salishan peoples before being settled b ...

to the west 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 ...

to the northwest. Galiano is part of the Capital Regional District Electoral Area G, and has a permanent population of 1,396 inhabitants as of 2021. Galiano takes its name from Spanish explorer

Dionisio Alcalá Galiano Dionisio Alcalá Galiano (8 October 1760 – 21 October 1805) was a Spanish naval officer, cartographer, and explorer. He mapped various coastlines in Europe and the Americas with unprecedented accuracy using new technology such as chronomete ...

, who explored the area in 1792.

History

Retrato del brigadier de la Real Arada Dionisio Alcalá Galiano (ca

Prior to the arrival of Europeans, Galiano Island was long inhabited by

Indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

from the

Penelakut The Penelakut are a large (about 1000 individuals) Hul'qumi'num-speaking First Nation. They live primarily on Penelakut Island (formerly Kuper Island) near the south end of Vancouver Island, and Galiano Island. Their land stretches to Tent Island ...

First Nation as well as other

Coast Salish The Coast Salish is a group of ethnically and linguistically related Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, living in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. They speak one of the Coas ...

peoples.

Midden A midden (also kitchen midden or shell heap) is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, lithics (especially debitage), and other artifacts and ecofact ...

pits at Montague Harbour suggest at least 3,000 years of habitation, with one study dating the earliest signs of permanent occupation in the island's proximities to over 5000 years ago. A complex culture, heavily reliant on the native Cedar trees, flourished on the island. In the late 1770s, the

smallpox epidemic Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) cer ...

reached the Coast Salish region, reducing the region's population by as much as 30%. Subsequent outbreaks would reduce the

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

population even further. By the time Captain Galiano arrived in the area in the late 18th century, the First Nations population had been greatly reduced. By the 19th Century, with European colonization of North America well under way, the area around Galiano remained relatively undisturbed. However, when news of the discovery of gold on the British Columbia mainland reached

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

in 1858, nearby

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

became an important port for miners on their way to the Fraser Canyon gold fields. Due to increased interest and in the area from white settlers, the Royal Navy hydrographer Captain

George Henry Richards Sir George Henry Richards (13 January 1820 –14 November 1896) was Hydrographer of the Royal Navy from 1863 to 1874. Biography Richards was born in Antony, Cornwall, the son of Captain G. S. Richards, and joined the Royal Navy in 1832. ...

was tasked with mapping the Southern Gulf Islands in 1859, and decided to name the island in honour of the Spanish navigator who had visited the region 67 years prior. In the early years of European settlement the island's primary industries were fishing and logging. Poor soil on the island limited the development of widespread agriculture found on other

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 ...

, such as nearby Salt Spring. Early settlement included a pioneer farming community on the shores of “Plumper Pass” (later renamed

Active Pass Active Pass ( Saanich: sqθeq) is a strait separating Galiano Island in the north and Mayne Island in the south in the southern Gulf Islands, British Columbia, Canada. It connects the Trincomali Channel in the west and the Strait of Georgia in t ...

). Other settlers, such as Scotty Georgeson (a Shetland Islander), also held land and had family on Galiano in this period. Beginning in the 1870s a small number of Asian immigrants, particularly Japanese, also decided to settle the area for its abundance of fish stock and timber. These Japanese immigrants, primarily from

Wakayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Wakayama Prefecture has a population of 944,320 () and has a geographic area of . Wakayama Prefecture borders Osaka Prefecture to the north, and Mie Prefecture and Nara Prefecture ...

, brought with them methods of charcoal production, whose evidence can still be found on the island today. Many of these Japanese settlers continued to operate salteries on the north end of the island until the outbreak of war with Japan. Following confederation of British Columbia into Canada in 1871 and the subsequent the completion of the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

in 1885, the nearby

exploded in population. By 1928 this had spilled over, and the small community on Galiano had grown large enough to construct the Galiano Community hall, which is still in use today. In the 1960s logging rights for much of the island were given to

MacMillan Bloedel MacMillan Bloedel Limited, sometimes referred to as "MacBlo", was a Canadian forestry company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was formed through the merger of three smaller forestry companies in 1951 and 1959. Those were the Po ...

for resource extraction. Many environmentally conscious residents objected to the widespread logging, leading to many disputes including ''MacMillan Bloedel Ltd. v. Galiano Island Trust Committee'' in 1995. Environmentalism and the 1960s counter-culture continue to heavily influence the culture of the island to this day. In 2011, the riding of

Saanich—Gulf Islands Saanich—Gulf Islands is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1988. It is named for its geographical location across the Gulf Islands and Saanich Peninsula i ...

, to which Galiano is a part, elected Canada's first

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...

member of parliament,

Elizabeth May Elizabeth Evans May (born June 9, 1954) is a Canadian politician, environmentalist, author, activist, and lawyer who is serving as the leader of the Green Party of Canada since 2022, and previously served as the leader from 2006 to 2019. Sh ...

. As of the 21st century, the logging industry has all but halted on the island, replaced by industries such as tourism and a local art scene.

Caroline Shaw Caroline Adelaide Shaw (born August 1, 1982) is an American composer, violinist, and singer. She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2013 for her a cappella piece '' Partita for 8 Voices'' and the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Contemporar ...

has said about her composition The Evergreen, “One day in January 2020, I took a walk in an evergreen forest on Swiikw (Galiano Island), British Columbia, Canada. I found myself slowing down. My steps were shorter, less frequent. I stopped trying to get to my destination with any real intention or speed. Eventually I stopped moving altogether. I looked, and listened, and felt and smelled and breathed. Like a thousand thousand creatures before me there, some of them also human, I paused and wondered and thought, "There is wisdom in these trees." It's been said before, in ways more eloquent and complex than my little story here. Still.”

Geography

Located on the western edge of the

Salish Sea , image = PNW-straits.jpg , alt = , caption = The Salish Sea, showing the open Pacific Ocean at lower left, and from there, heading inland: the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the narrow Puget Sound at lower ri ...

, Galiano is a long, narrow island, in length and at its narrowest point. Mount Galiano is Galiano's highest point, rising above sea level. The summit provides hikers with views over the Gulf Islands, the United States

San Juan Islands The San Juan Islands are an archipelago in the Pacific Northwest of the United States between the U.S. state of Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of Washington state, and form the core of ...

and the distant mainland mountains as well. Just west of Mount Galiano is Sutil Mountain, an Ecological Reserve Sutil Mountain
/ref> above sea level, named after Captain Galiano's flagship. The western coast of the island (facing

Trincomali Channel Trincomali Channel is a channel located in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Canada. Etymology Trincomali Channel is named for the ship HMS ''Trincomalee'', which was assigned to the Royal Navy's Pacific Station at Esquimalt from 1852 to 185 ...

) is characterized by its unique sandstone formations and caves.

Climate

The climate of Galiano Island is classified as

warm-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

(Csb) under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, characterized by cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. Similar to the other Gulf Islands, the

rain shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes) is carrie ...

effect of the

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

and Vancouver Island mountains, and the moderating effects of the ocean, are the dominant influences on the climate of Galiano Island. Galiano Island experiences an annual moisture deficit from mid-June to early October due to the combined effects of seasonal dry, sunny and warm weather. This deficit can often reach drought conditions in areas of recent clearcuts and can result in an extreme forest fire hazard in the summer months.

Ecology

Due to its mild climate and position in a confluence between two different tidal systems, Galiano Island is home to a large variety of fauna and flora, which have been heavily sampled by science. In a 2022 article published as the first volume in a 5-part overview of the island's biodiversity, researchers reported "over 4000 taxa recorded to date, including avian, freshwater, marine and terrestrial species". In a major flight path for migrating birds, Galiano has hundreds of bird species, such as

bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...

heron The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus ...

s and

cormorant Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed, but in 2021 the IOC adopted a consensus taxonomy of seven ge ...

s. Off its shores are resident and transient populations of orca whales,

seals Seals may refer to: * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impress an emblem, used as a means of a ...

otters Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes wea ...

, and

sea lions Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, short and thick hair, and a big chest and belly. Together with the fur seals, they make up the family Otariidae, eared seals. ...

, as well as many other varieties of sea life, including at least 214 species of

mollusc Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...

s, 86 species of

crustacean Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean group ...

s, 82 species of ray-finned or cartilagenous fish, 41 species of

echinoderms An echinoderm () is any member of the phylum Echinodermata (). The adults are recognisable by their (usually five-point) radial symmetry, and include starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers, as well as the sea li ...

, 40 species of

sea sponges Sponges, the members of the phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), are a basal animal clade as a sister of the diploblasts. They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate through ...

, 77 species of cnidarians, six species of

ribbon worm Nemertea is a phylum of animals also known as ribbon worms or proboscis worms, consisting of 1300 known species. Most ribbon worms are very slim, usually only a few millimeters wide, although a few have relatively short but wide bodies. Many h ...

s and four species of

ctenophores Ctenophora (; ctenophore ; ) comprise a phylum of marine invertebrates, commonly known as comb jellies, that inhabit sea waters worldwide. They are notable for the groups of cilia they use for swimming (commonly referred to as "combs"), a ...

. The island is also home to a large population of deer. Of the 19

reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock out ...

complexes mapped throughout the Salish Sea, the waters off Galiano Island are home to one of the most extensive ones, with large populations of

cloud sponge The cloud sponge ''(Aphrocallistes vastus)'' is a species of sea sponge in the class Hexactinellida. It is a deep-water reef-forming animal. The species was first described by F.E. Schulze in 1886. Description The cloud sponge takes the form of ...

s and '' Heterochone calyx'' being recorded, as well as a high diversity of marine animal species. Many native tree species such as arbutus trees,

western red cedar ''Thuja plicata'' is an evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to western North America. Its common name is western redcedar (western red cedar in the UK), and it is also called Pacific redcedar, giant arborvitae ...

and

Coast Douglas-fir ''Pseudotsuga menziesii'' var. ''menziesii'', commonly known as Coast Douglas-fir, Pacific Douglas-fir, Oregon pine, or Douglas spruce, is an evergreen conifer native to western North America from west-central British Columbia, Canada southward t ...

thrive on the island and can be found in abundance. While most of the island has been logged in the years since European settlement, limited

old-growth forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...

s still exist, for example on the southern side of Bluffs Park.

Transportation

Salish Orca docking at Sturdies Bay 2019-04-14

Galiano Island is accessible by vehicle via the

BC Ferries British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former provincial Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, publicly owned Canadian company. BC Ferries provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry ...

terminal at

Sturdies Bay Sturdies Bay is on the south east part of Galiano Island in British Columbia, Canada's Gulf Islands. It is known primarily for its ferry terminal, that connects it to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal and the other southern Gulf Islands. At the ferry t ...

, located on

. Vehicle and passenger ferry service runs from

Tsawwassen Tsawwassen ( ) is a suburban, mostly residential community on a peninsula in the southwestern corner of the City of Delta in British Columbia, Canada. It provides the only road access to the American territory on the southern tip of the peninsul ...

(

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 ...

) on the mainland and

Swartz Bay Swartz Bay, located on the north end of the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island, is primarily known for being the location of one of BC Ferries' main terminals, the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. Swartz Bay was named after John Aaron Swart, purchas ...

(

) on

most days of the year. Additionally, there are numerous inter-island ferries that connect the Gulf Islands, which are scheduled less frequently. Moorage is available at several public wharves for boat traffic: Sturdies Bay, (walking distance to the village), Montague Harbour, Whalers Bay and Retreat Cove. Private moorage is available at Montague Harbour Marina and the Galiano Oceanfront Inn (Sturdies Bay). Limited

water taxi A water taxi or a water bus is a watercraft used to provide public or private transport, usually, but not always, in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or o ...

service to nearby islands like Salt Spring is also available out of Sturdies Bay and Montague Harbour. Daily, regularly scheduled

floatplane A floatplane is a type of seaplane with one or more slender floats mounted under the fuselage to provide buoyancy. By contrast, a flying boat uses its fuselage for buoyancy. Either type of seaplane may also have landing gear suitable for land, ...

service is offered from

Downtown Vancouver Downtown Vancouver is the central business district and the city centre neighbourhood of Vancouver, Canada, on the northwestern shore of the Burrard Peninsula in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. It occupies most of the north sh ...

and the

Vancouver International Water Airport Vancouver International Water Airport is located adjacent to Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. It is classified as an airport and as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Ser ...

through

Seair Seaplanes Seair Seaplanes is a scheduled and charter airline based in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. The airline flies routes between the Vancouver International Water Airport and the Nanaimo Harbour Water Airport, as well as other Gulf Islands in ...

to Montague Harbour. There is regularly scheduled floatplane service from

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

daily through

Kenmore Air Kenmore Air Harbor, Inc., doing business as Kenmore Air, is an American airline with its headquarters on the grounds of Kenmore Air Harbor in Kenmore, Washington, United States, north of Seattle. It operates scheduled and charter seaplane and lan ...

, either through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport,

Kenmore Air Harbor Kenmore Air Harbor is a public-use seaplane base at the northern end of Lake Washington and south of the central business district of Kenmore, Washington, U.S. It primarily serves western Washington and parts of southwestern British Columbia. T ...

and Seattle Lake Union. Once on the island, most areas can be accessed by paved road, however some

logging roads A gravel road is a type of unpaved road surfaced with gravel that has been brought to the site from a quarry or stream bed. They are common in less-developed nations, and also in the rural areas of developed nations such as Canada and the Unite ...

remain in use in the less travelled sections of the island.

Parks

Galiano is home to many popular public parks like Montague Harbour and Dionisio as well as privately owned parks such as Tapovan Peace Park. Trincomali_Nature_Sanctuary,_Cormorant_Cliff,_Galiano

Trincomali_Nature_Sanctuary,_Cormorant_Cliff,_Galiano

Stairway to Heaven, Tapovan Peace Park, Galiano Island

* Montague Harbour Marine Provincial Park is one of the most popular parks in the Gulf Islands. Its Shell Beach is a west-facing beach with worn shells covering the whole expanse of the beach instead of sand. For thousands of years, it was the location of a midden used by Coast Salish people. Montague Harbour is popular with the recreational boating community; the harbour is often crowded with

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

s and

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

s during the warmer months of June, July, and August. The park's mooring buoys are in limited supply and cannot be reserved, but the harbour is well sheltered if one chooses to anchor. A marina with moorage, gas dock, several small stores, and a cafe (summer only) is located at the southern end of the harbour. A public dock is near the marina. *

Dionisio Point Provincial Park Dionisio Point Provincial Park is a provincial park campground in the southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Canada. It is located at the northwestern tip of Galiano Island, across Porlier Pass from Valdes Island. Dionisio_Point_Provincial_ ...

is a boat-access and walk in only, rugged natural park at the north end of the island with beaches that the local islanders call Coon Bay. It has a shoreline with sandstone formations, a sandy beach for swimming, tidal pools, colourful wildflowers, and forests. *

Bellhouse Provincial Park Bellhouse Provincial Park is a Provincial park#Canada, provincial park in the southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Canada. It is located in the Sturdies Bay, British Columbia, Sturdies Bay area of southeastern Galiano Island. It is on land ...

is notable for spring wildflowers and its views of marine life and snow-capped mountains. * Bluffs Park is Galiano's oldest wilderness park, established by community subscription in 1948. With , it extends far inland into virgin forest, as well having high cliffs and a long sandy beach. * Mount Galiano is Galiano's highest point. It rises above sea level. The top provides hikers with views over the Gulf Islands, the U.S. San Juan Islands, and the distant mainland mountains.Mount Galiano
/ref> *

Mount Sutil Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, Co ...

, in the southeastern part of the island, is an Ecological Reserve above sea level, named after Captain Galiano's flagship. *

Collinson Point Provincial Park Collinson Point Provincial Park is a Provincial Parks of British Columbia, provincial park on Galiano Island, British Columbia, Canada. It is located between Mount Galiano and the western approaches to Active Pass. The area is 24 hectares, with c ...

is the shoreline of Mount Galiano, and is important in protecting the marine life of the approaches to

. *

Bodega Ridge Provincial Park Bodega Ridge Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is on Galiano Island, which lies between Vancouver and Vancouver Island, and comprises . The park's high cliffs ...

consists of a ridge that rises over above sea level, with views over many of the Gulf Islands' hundreds of islands and islets and beyond to the mountains of the

Olympic Peninsula The Olympic Peninsula is a large arm of land in western Washington that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle, and contains Olympic National Park. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the ...

. High cliffs are home to raptors like

peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (Bird of prey, raptor) in the family (biology), family Falco ...

s and bald eagles, as well as trees like cedars and

Douglas fir The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three va ...

. * Tapovan, Sri Chinmoy Peace Park is a 200-acre privately owned park, opened in 2013, honouring

Sri Chinmoy Chinmoy Kumar Ghose (27 August 1931 – 11 October 2007), better known as Sri Chinmoy, was an Indian spiritual leader who taught meditation in the West after moving to New York City in 1964.Matthews Point Park Matthews may refer to: People * Matthews (surname) Places * Matthews Island, Antarctica * Matthews Range, Kenya * Mount Matthews, New Zealand United States * Matthews, Georgia * Matthews, Indiana * Matthews, Maryland * Matthews, Missouri * Ma ...

is a

Capital Regional District The Capital Regional District (CRD) is a local government administrative district encompassing the southern tip of Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf Islands in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The CRD is one of several regional d ...

Park that preserves over a kilometre of waterfront on

, of which 300 metres are broad sandy beach. It was named after a pioneer family whose descendants in England later contributed towards the Park purchase. There is also a hiking loop along the clifftops. It adjoins and is connected to Bluffs Park. *The Trincomali Nature Sanctuary is an area of sheer cliffs that has been set aside by the

Islands Trust The Islands Trust is a federation of local governments on the islands in the Strait of Georgia, Howe Sound and Haro Strait in British Columbia. It was established by, and is operated under, the ''Islands Trust Act'', enacted by the Government of ...

for the preservation of

Double-crested cormorant The double-crested cormorant (''Nannopterum auritum'') is a member of the cormorant family of water birds. It is found near rivers and lakes, and in coastal areas, and is widely distributed across North America, from the Aleutian Islands in Alas ...

s and

Peregrine Falcons The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, ...

, among other species.

Government

Government bodies that oversee the island include

Federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

, Provincial and the

as well as the Islands Trust whose mandate is to establish land-use bylaws to "preserve and protect" the island, most notably in terms of development. For most of the 20th century roughly half of the land on Galiano was owned by the logging firm

. As a result, Galiano was not as extensively developed as neighbouring islands. When the firm sold its holdings on Galiano, debate about development issues sharpened, and the Islands Trust set minimum lot sizes to limit development. Local elections are held every three years to determine who will be the island's two Trustees. There is one

Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." Ind ...

on the island, Galiano Indian Reserve No. 9, located at the northern tip of the island operating under Penelakut administration.

Tourism

Due to the minimal development of Galiano, tourism on the island has remained limited and sustainable. There are two proper hotels and several cabin resorts, but most accommodation comes in the form of Bed and Breakfasts, the Montague Provincial Park Campsite or holiday rentals. Activities on Galiano Island include hiking, boating, visiting art galleries, golfing and exploring beaches, as well as frequent musical events.https://galianoisland.com/ , Galiano Island Chamber of CommercePilgrimme Restaurant
which focusses on local farm-to-table and foraged fare, attracts visitors from around the world seeking high-quality Pacific Northwest cuisine.

Infrastructure

The powerline

HVDC Vancouver Island HVDC Vancouver Island is a de-energized high-voltage direct current interconnection between Arnott Substation (ARN) in Delta, British Columbia at on the Canadian mainland, and the Vancouver Island Terminal (VIT) in Duncan, British Columbia on Va ...

crosses Galiano Island in southwestly direction as overhead powerline section, which ends at a cable terminal on Parker Island.

Notable people

Brett Gaylor Brett Gaylor is a Canadian documentary filmmaker living in Victoria, British Columbia. He grew up on Galiano Island, British Columbia. He was formerly the VP of Mozilla's Webmaker Program. His documentary, ''Do Not Track'', explores privacy and ...

, documentary filmmaker *

Iona Campagnolo Iona Victoria Campagnolo, (née Hardy, born October 18, 1932) is a Canadian politician who served as the 27th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 2001 to 2007; Campagnolo was the first woman to hold that office. Prior to becoming Lieut ...

, former Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia *

Jane Rule Jane Vance Rule (28 March 1931 – 27 November 2007) was a Canadian writer of lesbian-themed works. Her first novel, ''Desert of the Heart'', appeared in 1964, when gay activity was still a criminal offence. It turned Rule into a reluctant m ...

, American born Canadian writer *

Audrey Thomas Audrey Grace Thomas, OC (née Callahan; born 17 November 1935) Reingard M. Nischik. The Canadian Short Story: Interpretations'. Camden House; 2007. , p. 247–. is a Canadian novelist and short story writer who lives on Galiano Island, British Col ...

, novelist and short story writer *

Marie Clements Marie Clements (born January 10, 1962) See p. 147. is a Canadian Métis playwright, performer, director, producer and screenwriter. Marie was founding artistic director of urban ink productions, and is currently co-artistic director of red diva pr ...

, Métis playwright, performer, director, producer and screenwriter

Gallery

MontagueHarbourCliffside.jpg, Montague Harbour Mount Galiano 2.jpg, View from Mt. Galiano (late winter) MontagueSunset.jpg, Montague Harbour sunset in summer DionisioPark.jpg, Dionsio Marine Provincial Park Matthews Point Regional Park Galiano Island Canada (30852752678).jpg, Mt. Galiano seen through Active Pass Orcas and Seals at Dionisio.jpg, Orcas and Seals at Dionisio Provincial Park

References

External links

Galiano Island Chamber of Commerce incl. Island Information and MapGaliano Trails Society (with maps)Galiano Museum
{{Authority control Islands of the Gulf Islands

History

Geography

Climate

Ecology

Transportation

Parks

Government

Tourism

Infrastructure

Notable people

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading

External links