The Sunshine Coast is a geographic subregion of the

British Columbia Coast The British Columbia Coast, popularly referred to as the BC Coast or simply the Coast, is a geographic region of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia. As the entire western continental coastline of Canada ...

that generally comprises the regional districts of qathet and Sunshine Coast. While populous and frequently visited by tourists, the Sunshine Coast can be reached only by

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

(commonly

BC Ferries British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., Trade name, operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former provincial Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, State-owned enterprise, publicly owned Canadian c ...

) 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 (also spelled fiord in New Zealand English; ) is a long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Antarctica, the Arctic, and surrounding landmasses of the n ...

s separating it from the rest of the province. It can also be reached via private or chartered aircraft using the Sechelt Aerodrome (CAP3).

Geography

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

Howe Sound Howe Sound (, ) is a roughly triangular sound (geography), sound, that joins a network of fjords situated immediately northwest of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2021. Geography Howe Sound ...

to the southeast,

Desolation Sound Desolation Sound () is a deep water sound (geography), sound at the northern end of the Salish Sea and of the Sunshine Coast (British Columbia), Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, Canada. History Desolation Sound has always been inhabited by tri ...

to the northwest, the

Pacific Ranges The Pacific Ranges are the southernmost subdivision of the Coast Mountains portion of the Pacific Cordillera. Located entirely within British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada, they run northwest from the lower stretches of the Fraser River to B ...

to the northeast, and the

Strait of Georgia The Strait of Georgia () 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 of Washington, United Stat ...

to the southwest. The region is bisected by Jervis Inlet. 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,

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 popula ...

, Goat Island,

Hernando Island Hernando Island is one of the Discovery Islands on the coast of British Columbia, Canada. The isle is in the Salish Sea between Campbell River and Powell River. Natural features The land area is and coastline is . The island has a temperate ...

, 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 The Gulf Islands is a group of islands in the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia. Etymology The name "Gulf Islands" comes from " Gulf of Georgia", the original term used by George Vancouver in his ma ...

Ecology

The Coast's wildlife includes

cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, KOO-gər''), also called puma, mountain lion, catamount and panther is a large small cat native to the Americas. It inhabits North America, North, Central America, Cent ...

s, black bears, wolves,

marbled murrelet The marbled murrelet (''Brachyramphus marmoratus'') is a small seabird from the North Pacific. It is a member of the family Alcidae, which includes auklets, guillemots, murres and puffins. It nests in old-growth forests or on the ground at hig ...

orca The orca (''Orcinus orca''), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'', it is recognizable by its black-and-white-patterned body. A cosmopol ...

s, great blue herons,

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, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

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 complex, species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies ...

. 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. These pools typically range from a few inches to a few feet deep and a few feet across. Many of these pools exist as separate bodies of water only ...

with a variety of

mollusc Mollusca is a phylum of protostome, protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant taxon, extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum ...

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

s and fish. At certain times of the year, seal pups may be encountered on the local 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 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 ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

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

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

(

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

Demographics

As of the 2021 Census, the population of the Sunshine Coast totals 53,666: * 32,170 in 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 ...

* 21,496 in Powell River Regional District

Major communities

The major communities of the Sunshine Coast are as follows: * Powell River (pop. 13,943) *

Sechelt Sechelt (, Sechelt language, shíshálh Language: ch'atlich) is a district municipality located on the lower Sunshine Coast (British Columbia), Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Approximately northwest of Vancouver, it is accessible from ma ...

(pop. 10,847) *

Gibsons Gibsons is a coastal community of 4,758 in southwestern British Columbia, Canada on the Sunshine Coast (British Columbia), Sunshine Coast, where the southwest bank of Howe Sound meets the Strait of Georgia. During its early history as a Europe ...

(pop. 4,758) * Roberts Creek (pop. 1,949)

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 skidder, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or trunk (botany), logs onto logging truck, trucksmining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

. Today,

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

and

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

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,

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 boat used to provide public transport, public or private transport, usually, but not always, in an Urban area, urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a simil ...

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 a long highway that is the main north–south thoroughfare on the Sunshine Coast (British Columbia), Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, Canada. Highway 101, which first ...

, which runs along the coast between the communities of

and

Lund Lund (, ;"Lund"
(US) and ) is a city in the provinces of Sweden, province of Scania, southern Swed ...

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 Lund (, ;

* Desolation Sound Marine Provincial Park * 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 between Sechelt Inlet and Jerv ...

* Smuggler Cove Marine Provincial Park *

Spipiyus Provincial Park Spipiyus Provincial Park (also known as the Caren Range) is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. The park is north of Halfmoon Bay on the Sechelt Peninsula. It protects pockets of old-growth forest that are habitat for the marbled murr ...

tems swiya Museum The tems swiya Museum is a First Nations museum owned and operated by the shíshálh Nation, and located in Sechelt (''ch'atlich''), British Columbia, Canada. The museum's name means "Our World" in she shashishalhem, the shíshálh language. ...

- showcasing history and culture of the shíshálh 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 (drum ...

, which is located in the town of