Piers Island facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Piers Island
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 Piers Island
Location in British Columbia
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
Piers Island is a small island located in the Satellite Channel in British Columbia, Canada. This channel connects Saanich Inlet in the west with Colburne Passage to Haro Strait in the east. Haro Strait is an important waterway that forms part of the border between Canada and the United States. It separates the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, where Piers Island is located, from the San Juan Islands in Washington state.
Haro Strait is also part of the Inside Passage. This is a route from Washington to Alaska where ships can travel in waters that are mostly protected from the big waves and storms of the Pacific Ocean. Piers Island is close to a slightly larger island called Portland Island, with Shute Passage separating them to the northeast.
The Name of Piers Island
Piers Island is named after a person called Henry Piers. He was a Royal Navy surgeon, which is a type of doctor who performs operations. Henry Piers lived until 1902. He worked on two ships named HMS Satellite and HMS Investigator. He also served at the Pacific Station in Esquimalt, British Columbia. Later in his career, he became a Deputy Inspector of Hospitals and Fleets.
A Look at Piers Island's History
In the early 1930s, a part of Piers Island was used as a special place to house a group of people. These people were known as the Sons of Freedom. They were a specific group of Doukhobor people.
