The Sunshine Coast is a geographic subregion of the

British Columbia Coast , settlement_type = Region of British Columbia , image_skyline = , nickname = "The Coast" , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Canada , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = British ...

that generally comprises the

regional district In the province of British Columbia in Canada, a regional district is an administrative subdivision of the province that consists of a geographic region with specific boundaries and governmental authority. there were 28 regional districts in t ...

s of

qathet The qathet Regional District (, qRD) is a regional district in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its only incorporated municipality is the City of Powell River, although it includes a number of unincorporated areas. The district encom ...

and Sunshine Coast. While populous and frequently visited by tourists, the Sunshine Coast can be reached only by

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

(commonly BC Ferries) or by

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, ...

, as no access roads have been built around or across the

fjord In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Ice ...

s separating it from the rest of the province.

Geography

The Sunshine Coast is a subregion of the mainland coast of British Columbia. It is bound by

Howe Sound Howe Sound (french: Baie (de /d')Howe, squ, Átl'ka7tsem, Nexwnéwu7ts, Txwnéwu7ts) is a roughly triangular sound, that joins a network of fjords situated immediately northwest of Vancouver, British Columbia. It was designated as a UNESCO Biosph ...

to the southeast,

Desolation Sound , image = Desolation sound 2006.jpg , image_size = 250px , alt = , caption = Desolation Sound , image_bathymetry = Carte baie Desolation fr.png , alt_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry ...

to the northwest, the

Pacific Ranges , photo = Mount Garibaldi (50997016501).jpg , photo_size = 280px , photo_caption = Mount Garibaldi massif as seen from Squamish , map = , map_image = South BC-NW USA-relief PacificRanges.png , m ...

to the northeast, and 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 ...

to the southwest. The region is bisected by

Jervis Inlet , image = MtFWAir.jpg , image_size = 260px , pushpin_map=British Columbia , caption = Mount Frederick William & the "elbow" of the inlet , image_bathymetry = Carte simplifiée baie Jervis.svg , caption_bathymetry = Map of Jervis Inlet , locat ...

. The region features a coastal lowland that gradually transitions to steep-sided mountains as you move toward the northeast. The major islands of the Sunshine Coast include

Anvil Island Anvil Island, is the third-largest of the islands in Howe Sound, British Columbia, Canada, and the northernmost of the major islands in that sound. The island is part of West Howe Sound, Electoral Area F within the Sunshine Coast Regional Distric ...

Gambier Island Gambier Island is an island located in Howe Sound near Vancouver, British Columbia. It is about in size and is located about north of the Horseshoe Bay community and ferry terminal in westernmost West Vancouver. A rugged and sparsely populate ...

, Goat Island,

Hernando Island Hernando Island is one of the Discovery Islands near Powell River, British Columbia, Canada. Along with the nearby Cortes Island, it was presumably named in 1792 by Valdés and Galiano after Hernán Cortés, the Spanish conqueror of Mexico. A ...

, Keats Island,

Savary Island Savary Island or Áyhus is an island in British Columbia, Canada. Located in the northern part of the Strait of Georgia, it is northwest of Vancouver. It is approximately 0.8-1.5 km wide and long. It has a permanent population of about 100, ...

, and most of the Northern Gulf Islands.

Ecology

The Coast's wildlife includes

cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large Felidae, cat native to the Americas. Its Species distribution, range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mamm ...

black bear Black bear or Blackbear may refer to: Animals * American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), a North American bear species * Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), an Asian bear species Music * Black Bear (band), a Canadian First Nations group ...

s, wolves, marbled murrelet,

orca The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only Extant taxon, extant species in the genus ''Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black ...

great blue herons The great blue heron (''Ardea herodias'') is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos Isl ...

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * 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 impr ...

sea lion 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. ...

s and

bald eagles 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 ...

. There are also abundant

tide pools A tide pool or rock pool is a shallow pool of seawater that forms on the rocky intertidal shore. Many of these pools exist as separate bodies of water only at low tide. Many tide pool habitats are home to especially adaptable animals that ...

with a variety 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 ...

sea anemone Sea anemones are a group of predation, predatory marine invertebrates of the order (biology), order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the ''Anemone'', a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemones are classifi ...

s and fish. At certain times of the year, seal pups may be encountered on the Coast's beaches. They should not be approached, as the mother may abandon them. All wildlife on the Coast should be viewed from a safe and respectful distance.

Climate

The lowlands have a

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 ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

: ''Csb'') with warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Higher elevations feature an

marine west coast climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

(

: ''Cfb'') with warm summers, mild winters, and moderate rainfall throughout the year.

Demographics

As of the 2016 census, the population of the Sunshine Coast totals 50,040: * 29,970 in the Sunshine Coast Regional District * 20,070 in

qathet Regional District The qathet Regional District (, qRD) is a regional district in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its only incorporated municipality is the City of Powell River, although it includes a number of unincorporated areas. The district enco ...

Major communities

The major communities of the Sunshine Coast are as follows: * Powell River (pop. 13,157) *

Sechelt Sechelt (, Shishalh language chat'lich) is a district municipality located on the lower Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Approximately 50 km northwest of Vancouver, it is accessible from mainland British Columbia by a 40-minute ferry tr ...

(pop. 10,200) *

Gibsons Gibsons is a coastal community of 4,605 in southwestern British Columbia, Canada on the Strait of Georgia. Although it is on the mainland, the Sunshine Coast is not accessible by road. Vehicle access is by BC Ferries from Horseshoe Bay in West ...

(pop. 4,605) * Roberts Creek (pop. 3,421)

Economy

Historically, the economy of the Sunshine Coast was driven primarily by industries such as

logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...

and

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...

. Today,

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

and

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

form much of the local economy.

Culture

The Sunshine Coast is home to more artists ''per capita'' than any other Canadian region. Purple flags along the Sunshine Coast Highway and local streets indicate artists's studios where the public is welcome, and which feature many disciplines including painting, pottery and glassblowing.

Transportation

Due to its mountainous terrain, the Sunshine Coast is not directly linked over land to the surrounding coast. Instead,

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 ...

provides ferry service linking the coast to surrounding regions. Notable lines include Horseshoe Bay-

Langdale Great Langdale is a valley in the Lake District National Park in North West England, the epithet Great distinguishing it from the neighbouring valley of Little Langdale. Langdale is also the name of a valley in the Howgill Fells, elsewhere ...

Little River Little River may refer to several places: Australia Streams New South Wales *Little River (Dubbo), source in the Dubbo region, a tributary of the Macquarie River * Little River (Oberon), source in the Oberon Shire, a tributary of Coxs River (Haw ...

- Westview, and Earls Cove- Saltery Bay. Minor ferry operators and

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 ...

s provide service to minor islands dotting the strait. The region is served by

British Columbia Highway 101 British Columbia Highway 101, also known as the Sunshine Coast Highway, is the main north-south thoroughfare on the Sunshine Coast (British Columbia), Sunshine Coast, British Columbia, Canada. Highway 101, which first opened in 1962, is divided ...

, which runs along the coast between the communities of

and

Lund Lund (, , ) is a city in the southern Swedish provinces of Sweden, province of Scania, across the Øresund, Öresund strait from Copenhagen. The town had 91,940 inhabitants out of a municipal total of 121,510 . It is the seat of Lund Municipali ...

Attractions

Some attractions specific to the Sunshine Coast include: *

Copeland Islands Marine Provincial Park Copeland Islands Marine Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located in Desolation Sound to the northwest of Lund on the northern Sunshine Coast off the west coast of the Malaspina Peninsula The Malaspina Peninsula ...

Desolation Sound Marine Provincial Park Desolation Sound Marine Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, and is located approximately 32 km north of Powell River and 150 km north of Vancouver. This provincial marine park, which is about 84 km2 in ...

* Hidden Grove/Sechelt Heritage Forest *

Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park is a provincial park in the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada. It was established on August 25, 1957, to protect the Sechelt Rapids located in the Skookumchuck Narrows Skookumchuck Narrows is a ...

Smuggler Cove Marine Provincial Park Smuggler Cove Marine Provincial Park is a provincial park 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 Ocean and northward in ...

* Tems Swiya Museum - heritage museum showcasing the history and culture of the Shishalh people. * The northern terminus of

Highway 101 Highway 101 was an American country music band founded in 1986 in Los Angeles, California. The initial lineup consisted of Paulette Carlson (lead vocals), Jack Daniels (guitar), Curtis Stone (bass guitar, vocals), and Scott "Cactus" Moser (drums) ...

, which is located in the town of

. The region also features two notable trails: * Powell Forest Canoe Route - a canoeing route through various lakes north of Powell River * Sunshine Coast Trail - a long hiking trail between Saltery Bay and Sarah Point

References

External links

Sunshine Coast, British Columbia, Canada Tourism Information Website

Sunshine Coast Regional District
*
Sunshine Coast Trail Maps
{{Authority control Sunshine Coast Regional District