Queen Charlotte Strait facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Queen Charlotte Strait |
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| French: Détroit de la Reine-Charlotte | |
A pilot boat plies Queen Charlotte Strait near Port Hardy
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 Queen Charlotte Strait
Location in British Columbia
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Queen Charlotte Strait is located southeast of Queen Charlotte Sound
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| Location | British Columbia |
| Coordinates | 50°50′16″N 127°27′29″W / 50.83778°N 127.45806°W |
| Type | Strait |
| Ocean/sea sources | Pacific Ocean |
| Settlements | Alert Bay, Port Hardy, Port McNeill, Sointula |
The Queen Charlotte Strait is a narrow waterway located in British Columbia, Canada. It lies between Vancouver Island and the mainland. Think of a strait as a natural channel that connects two larger bodies of water.
This strait links Queen Charlotte Sound to the north with Johnstone Strait and Discovery Passage to the south. These waterways then lead to the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound. The Queen Charlotte Strait is also an important part of the Inside Passage. This is a famous sea route that stretches from Washington State all the way up to Alaska.
The name "Queen Charlotte Strait" can also refer to the wider area around it. This region is home to many communities, especially those of the Kwakwakaʼwakw peoples. It's important to know that despite its name, the Queen Charlotte Strait is not located near Haida Gwaii (which used to be called the Queen Charlotte Islands). The body of water next to Haida Gwaii is called Hecate Strait.
What's in a Name?
The name "Queen Charlotte Sound" was first given on August 5, 1786. It was named by James Charles Stuart Strange to honor Queen Charlotte. She was the wife of King George III.
James Strange was leading a fur trading trip with two ships. One ship was the Captain Cook, and the other was the Experiment. During a boat trip, Strange saw an opening in the water. He named it Queen Charlotte Sound. This was the same body of water we now call Queen Charlotte Strait.
For a while, both the strait and the larger sound were called Queen Charlotte Sound. But in 1920, officials decided to give them different names. This helped everyone tell the two waterways apart.
Where is Queen Charlotte Strait?
The northern edge of Queen Charlotte Strait is a line from Cape Sutil on Vancouver Island to Cape Caution on the mainland. The southern part of the strait includes several smaller channels. These channels are located north and east of Malcolm Island.
The strait is located within the Regional District of Mount Waddington. This is a local government area that handles things like building rules. However, many communities in this area are Indian reserves of the Kwakwakaʼwakw peoples. These communities have their own governance and are not under the regional district's rules.
The traditional lands of many Kwakwaka'wakw peoples meet in the strait. This waterway is very important to them. It provides valuable fishing resources and serves as a key travel route between their communities.
