Gilford Island is an island in

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 between Tribune Channel and

Knight Inlet Knight Inlet (Kwakʼwala: ''Tsawatti'') is one of the principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast, and the largest of the major inlets in the southern part of the Coast. It is fifth in sequence of the great saltwater inlets north from the 49t ...

. The island has an area of .

Turnour Island Turnour Island is an island in the Johnstone Strait region of the Central Coast of British Columbia, located between Gilford Island and West Cracroft Island. On the other side Canoe Passage on its northwest is Village Island, while to its so ...

is to the south across Tribune Channel, the entrance to Thompson Sound to the east. Port Elizabeth is a large bay or port on the south side of the island at , named by Captain Pender about 1867 for Elizabeth Henrietta, wife of Lord Gilford and daughter or Sir Arthur E. Kennedy,

Governor of Vancouver Island The following is a list of governors of the Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia. See also * List of lieutenant governors of British Columbia *Colony of the Queen Charlotte Islands The Colony of the Queen Charlotte Islands was ...

at the time was assigned to the

Pacific Station The Pacific Station was created in 1837 as one of the geographical military formations into which the Royal Navy divided its worldwide responsibilities. The South America Station was split into the Pacific Station and the South East Coast of ...

, 1862–1864, under Lord Gilford's command. Gilford Point at marks the south side of the entrance to Port Elizabeth. Duck Cove at is at the head of the port. Maple Cove, formerly Maple Bay, is on the north side of the port at

Indian reserves and other settlements

All Indian reserves on Gilford Island are under the administration of the Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis First Nation. There is on the island an historic indigenous community of the Kwakwaka'wakw people called

Gwayasdums Gwayasdums is a village of the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples on the west side of Gilford Island in the Johnstone Strait region of the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada. The village, located on Retreat Pass, is on Gwayasdums Indian Reserve No. 1. ...

or Gwa'yasdams, which was destroyed by the

Nuxalk The Nuxalk people ( Nuxalk: ''Nuxalkmc''; pronounced )'','' also referred to as the Bella Coola, Bellacoola or Bilchula, are an Indigenous First Nation of the Pacific Northwest Coast, centred in the area in and around Bella Coola, British Co ...

in 1856 though today has been reoccupied. Another former village, Metap, was at the head of

Viner Sound Viner Sound is a sound on the northwest side of Gilford Island and northeast of Baker Island in the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the ...

on the island's northwest coast, though today there is only an

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." In ...

, officially named "Meetup Indian Reserve No. 2". Another Indian reserve on Gilford Island, Dakiulis Indian Reserve No. 7, is at the tip of Islet Point on the northwest side of the island, 0.70 ha. at Kyimla Indian Reserve No. 11 is on the east side of the island at Trafford Point. It is 1.10 ha. in size and is located at . Another settlement on the island is

Scott Cove Scott Cove is a locality on the west side of Gilford Island in the Queen Charlotte Strait region of the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located at the cove A cove is a small type of bay or coastal inlet. Coves usually have narrow, re ...

, at the bay of the same name on the northwest side of the island.BC Names/GeoBC entry "Scott Cove (locality)"
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References

External links

{{Coord, 50, 43, 45, N, 126, 22, 41, W, display=title, source:BCNames Islands of British Columbia Central Coast of British Columbia Kwakwaka'wakw