Sea Island (British Columbia) facts for kids
Sea Island (in red) within the rest of Richmond (light red, which occupies much of Lulu Island) and Metro Vancouver (green)
|
|
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Fraser River Estuary |
| Coordinates | 49°12′N 123°10′W / 49.200°N 123.167°W |
| Administration | |
|
Canada
|
|
| Province | British Columbia |
Sea Island is an island located in the Fraser River estuary in Richmond, British Columbia. It sits south of Vancouver and north and west of Lulu Island. Sea Island is famous for being home to Vancouver International Airport (YVR).
The island also has a special area for nature called a conservation area. About 814 people live on Sea Island, mostly in the neighbourhood of Burkeville. A small part of the island is managed by the Musqueam Indian Band.
Contents
Island History
Sea Island has a long history. The Musqueam Indian Band traditionally lived here. They still own a piece of land on the island's northwest side. This land is called "Sea Island Indian Reserve #3."
Building Homes on the Island
People started building homes on Sea Island during World War II. The Boeing Company built 300 houses for its workers. This area, on the east side of the island, became known as Burkeville. It is still a neighbourhood today.
Another neighbourhood, called Cora Brown, was built in 1946. It started with 50 houses and even had a second elementary school by 1962. However, the airport needed more space. Because of this, the Cora Brown community was closed down in 1978. Today, there are no signs left of this neighbourhood.
Vancouver International Airport
.jpg)
The airport on Sea Island first opened in 1931. It started having commercial flights in 1937. For about 50 years, the airport was not very busy. Then, more and more international flights started coming through, especially between the United States and Asia. This meant the airport needed to grow!
In the 1990s, the airport began a big upgrade. Airlines, the Canadian government, and a small fee on tickets helped pay for these improvements. Today, the airport is the second largest in Canada. Over 25 million passengers travel through it every year. It has three passenger terminals and three main runways. More than 50 airlines use the airport.
How to Get Around Sea Island
Getting around Sea Island is easy with several roads and bridges. Grant McConachie Way is the main road that leads to the airport terminal. Many people also cross Sea Island using Russ Baker Way to travel between Vancouver and Richmond.
Bridges Connecting the Island
Sea Island is connected to Vancouver by the Arthur Laing Bridge. It connects to Richmond using the No. 2 Road Bridge, Dinsmore Bridge, Moray Bridge, and the Sea Island Bridge.
SkyTrain Access
The island also has three stations on the Canada Line. This is part of the SkyTrain rapid transit system. The SkyTrain connects the airport to Downtown Vancouver and Downtown Richmond.
Sea Island Conservation Area
The Sea Island Conservation Area (SICA) is a special place for nature. It is next to Vancouver International Airport (YVR). This area is about 1.4 square kilometers (140.1 hectares) of land. It is set aside to protect wildlife and their homes.
SICA was created to make up for wildlife homes that were lost when the airport expanded its runways. The main goal of SICA is to keep wildlife populations healthy. However, they make sure these animals do not cause problems for airplanes.
Habitats and Wildlife
SICA has different types of habitats. These include woodlands, wet areas called sloughs, and old farm fields. Many different birds, land mammals, and plants live here. The people who manage SICA try to prevent large groups of birds that could be dangerous to planes. They also discourage beavers, as beavers can cause a lot of damage to the area.
Sturgeon Bank Wildlife Management Area
Sturgeon Bank is a large marine preserve. It covers over 50 square kilometers. It is located off the west side of Sea Island. This area includes intertidal (areas covered by water at high tide and exposed at low tide) and subtidal (areas always under water) waters. Boating is not allowed in this area to protect the wildlife.
Beaches and Parks
Sea Island has two public beaches for everyone to enjoy: McDonald Beach Park and Iona Beach Regional Park.
McDonald Beach Park
McDonald Beach is managed by the city of Richmond. It is a fun place for recreation. It has an area where dogs can run without a leash. There are also picnic spots and places to dock boats.
Iona Beach Regional Park
Iona Beach is managed by the Greater Vancouver Regional District. This park focuses on protecting wildlife. It has beaches and information about the plants and animals that live there. There is also a walking trail that goes out 4 kilometers onto the jetty into Sturgeon Bank.
Other Services on the Island
Sea Island has other important services. On the south shore, there is a Canadian Coast Guard station. You can also find docks for floatplanes, a terminal for business jets, and Vancouver Airport's South Terminal.
The British Columbia Institute of Technology has its Aerospace and Aviation Technology school on Sea Island. There are also two hotels, one run by Fairmont and another by Delta. A luxury designer outlet mall opened in July 2015. It is a partnership between Vancouver International Airport and the McArthurGlen Group.
The Burkeville neighbourhood has the Sea Island School. It was built in 1891 and teaches students from Kindergarten to Grade Three. After Grade Three, students travel to Lulu Island in Richmond for school.
See also
- Airport Station
- Mitchell Island
