Minstrel Island, is an

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

in the

Johnstone Strait , image = Pacific Ranges over Johnstone Strait.jpg , image_size = 250px , alt = , caption = Johnstone Strait backdropped by the Vancouver Island Ranges , image_bathymetry = Carte baie Knight ...

region of the Central Coast region 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, ...

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 ...

. It is near the entrance to

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 49th ...

just east 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 south ...

at the junction of

Clio In Greek mythology, Clio ( , ; el, Κλειώ), also spelled Kleio, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre playing. Etymology Clio's name is etymologically derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλεί� ...

and

Chatham Channel Chatham Channel is a strait and marine passageway on the coast of British Columbia. It leads from the lower reaches of Knight Inlet to the opening of Call Inlet, separating Minstrel and East Cracroft Island East Cracroft Island is an island i ...

s. The island is separated on its south from

East Cracroft Island East Cracroft Island is an island in the Johnstone Strait region of the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. It is the smaller of the two Cracroft Islands, and at low tide is really one island with its larger neighbour, West Cracrof ...

by a marine passageway called

The Blow Hole The Blow Hole is a short marine passage or strait separating Minstrel Island on the north from East Cracroft Island to the south, in the lower Knight Inlet region of the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. At its east end is the no ...

. There is a government dock at the southeast side of the island bordering Chatham Channel. The community of Minstrel Island is located on the east side of the island. The island has a floatplane base,

Minstrel Island Water Aerodrome Minstrel Island Water Aerodrome, formerly , was a public airport located adjacent to Minstrel Island, British Columbia, Canada. Minstrel Island is on the south side of the lower reaches of Knight Inlet and is to the north of East Cracroft Island ...

Name origin

The name is believed to have derived from a visit by a boat, believed to be , carrying

Lord Dufferin Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava (21 June 182612 February 1902) was a British public servant and prominent member of Victorian society. In his youth he was a popular figure in the court of Queen Vict ...

, then

Governor-General of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, t ...

, and his wife which carried the viceregal couple on a voyage up the coast to Metlakatla in 1876. According to one of the crew, a Patrick Riley, ''Amethyst''s crew performed regularly as a troupe of "minstrels", white people made up in

blackface Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person. In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of racial stereo ...

, who provided entertainment for shipmates and visitors, and the name likely commemorates a performance in these waters.

Bones Bay Bones Bay is located inside the territorial properties of the Namgiis Indigenous Peoples on a bay the north side of West Cracroft Island in the Johnstone Strait region of the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada, on Clio Channel. It is histor ...

and

Sambo Point , aka = Sombo (in English-speaking countries) , focus = Hybrid , country = Soviet Union , pioneers = Viktor Spiridonov, Vasili Oshchepkov, Anatoly Kharlampiev , famous_pract = List of Practitioners , olympi ...

nearby are related names, referring to stock characters in

minstrel show The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of racist theatrical entertainment developed in the early 19th century. Each show consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music performances that depicted people spe ...

s.BC Names/GeoBC entry "Minstrel Island (island)"
/ref>

References

Islands of British Columbia Central Coast of British Columbia {{BritishColumbiaCoast-geo-stub

Name origin

See also

References