Kaien Island is a Canadian island on the coast of

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, ...

, just north of the mouth of the

Skeena River The Skeena River is the second-longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada (after the Fraser River). Since ancient times, the Skeena has been an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan—whose n ...

and to the south of the

Alaska Panhandle Southeast Alaska, colloquially referred to as the Alaska(n) Panhandle, is the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska, bordered to the east and north by the northern half of the Canadian province of British Columbia (and a small part ...

. The island has an area of about , is roughly oval, and about long along its long axis. The island consists of a central mountain ridge, surrounded by coastal lowlands, the dominant central peak is Mount Hays reaching , with a secondary peak, Mount Olfield reaching to the northeast. Located within the

Hecate Depression Hecate or Hekate, , ; grc-dor, Ἑκάτᾱ, Hekátā, ; la, Hecatē or . is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, snakes, or accompanied by dogs, and in late ...

of the Coastal Trough, Kaien Island is a subdivision of the

Coast Mountains The Coast Mountains (french: La chaîne Côtière) are a major mountain range in the Pacific Coast Ranges of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia ...

geomorphic region. The island's bedrock consists of

metasedimentary In geology, metasedimentary rock is a type of metamorphic rock. Such a rock was first formed through the deposition and solidification of sediment Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and er ...

amphibolite Amphibolite () is a metamorphic rock that contains amphibole, especially hornblende and actinolite, as well as plagioclase feldspar, but with little or no quartz. It is typically dark-colored and dense, with a weakly foliated or schistose (flaky ...

, which dips towards the east at about 35 degrees. The island is contained within the

Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District The North Coast Regional District (until 2016 known as the Skeena–Queen Charlotte Regional District) is a quasi-municipal administrative area in British Columbia. It is located on British Columbia's west coast and includes Haida Gwaii (formerl ...

and are part of the North Coast region. Tidal waters surrounding the island have a wide range which results in extensive exposure of

mud flats Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal fl ...

and rock shoals that are prime habitat for

invertebrates Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...

and intertidal fish. Kaien Island is central to the traditional territories of the

Tsimshian First Nations Tsimshian First Nations is a treaty council based on the British Columbia Coast near Kitimat, British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, and has been permanently settled for more than 5,000 years. The city of

Prince Rupert, British Columbia Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Its location is on Kaien Island near the Alaskan panhandle. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and has a population of 12, ...

is situated on the island. Casey Point is located on the western extremity of the island, facing

Digby Island Digby Island is a small island immediately west of Kaien Island, which is the location of the city of Prince Rupert, British Columbia. The island is home to the Prince Rupert Airport and the small community of Dodge Cove. The island is named for ...

, was the site of one of the coastal defence installations to protect the BC Coast during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Another such installation was at Seal Cove on the island's northern tip.

References

Images

File:Stream cascades over bedrock on Kaien Island, British Columbia, Canada.png, Stream cascades over

bedrock File:Dogwood Bunchberries in a bog on Kaien Island.png, Dogwood Bunchberries in a bog File:Vision of the Coastal Rainforest of Kaien Island.png, Coastal Rainforest in late summer Islands of British Columbia North Coast of British Columbia Prince Rupert, British Columbia {{BritishColumbiaCoast-geo-stub

See also

References

Images