Halfmoon Bay (''xwilkway'' in '' she shashishalhem'') is a small community in

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, within the ''shíshálh swiya'' (the lands, birthplace, or "Territory" of the

shíshálh Nation The shíshálh Nation (also spelled Shishalh) is a First Nation located on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Their ''swiya'' (world, 'Territory’) comprises 515,000 hectares that stretches from xwesam ( Roberts Creek) in the sout ...

), and Electoral Area B of the

Sunshine Coast Regional District The Sunshine Coast Regional District is a regional district in British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the southern mainland coast, across Georgia Strait (part of the Salish Sea) from Vancouver Island. It borders on the qathet Regional Dist ...

. The population consists of approximately 2,800 people, including a large number of seasonal residents. The community is named for the large scalloped

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

on which it sits, which is sheltered by South Thormanby Island and

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

. The community can be access via Redrooffs Road, so-named after a popular local resort which once featured a cluster of cabins, all with red roofs. Some homes are also located off

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 (drum ...

. Halfmoon Bay Elementary School, the community's only elementary school, has 200–300 students ranging from kindergarten to grade seven. The school performs extremely well for one of its size, achieving BC Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) scores above those of many private schools. Halfmoon bay secondary students may choose to attend one of the three local high schools: Pender Harbour Secondary, Chatelech Secondary, and Elphinstone Secondary. Halfmoon Bay was once named Priestland Bay after the Priestland family who settled in the area in 1899. Its present-day English name comes from the shape of the bay.

Climate

Halfmoon Bay has a warm

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(Csb) near an

Oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

(Cfb)

References

External links

* Designated places in British Columbia Populated places in the Sunshine Coast Regional District Unincorporated settlements in British Columbia {{BritishColumbiaCoast-geo-stub