Shearwater, British Columbia facts for kids
Shearwater is a small town on the coast of British Columbia, Canada. It's found on Denny Island, about three miles from a place called Old Bella Bella. This area is the traditional land of the Heiltsuk Nation, an Indigenous group.
Shearwater's Past
Shearwater has an interesting history. It was first built in 1941 during World War II. Back then, it was a special base for planes that looked for enemy submarines. But by 1944, the base was no longer needed and was left empty.
Later, someone bought the abandoned base. They turned it into a fun place for fishing holidays. It became a resort with a full-service marina for boats, a hotel, and a restaurant. Today, only the old airplane hangar and a bomb shelter remain from the original military base.
The town of Shearwater now mostly relies on its fishing resort. It also depends on the people who live there and the commercial fishermen who use its services. The town was named after a ship called HMS Shearwater. This Royal Navy ship sailed along the British Columbia coast for many years.
Life in Shearwater
Shearwater is a small but active community. It has a Canada Post office inside the local grocery and liquor store. You can also find a laundromat, gift shops, a clothing store, and a gardening store nearby.
The community has a small school for kids in kindergarten through grade seven. About 50 people live in Shearwater all year round. If you visit, you can stay at places like the Shearwater Resort, La La Land, the Denny Island B&B, or the Whiskey Cove B&B.
Getting to Shearwater
Getting to Shearwater usually involves a mix of travel. The Shearwater Resort runs a ferry service to Bella Bella every hour or two.
If you are traveling with BC Ferries, you can take the "Discovery Coast Passage" route. This route can take you south to Port Hardy or north/east to other towns. These towns include Bella Bella, Bella Coola, Klemtu, and Ocean Falls. Denny Island itself has only a few roads.
Many visitors fly to the area. Pacific Coastal Airlines has flights to Bella Bella from Vancouver International Airport South. They fly twice a day in the summer and daily in the winter. Air North also offers seasonal Charters from Vancouver International Airport South to Bella Bella. Once you arrive in Bella Bella, you can take a boat service directly to Shearwater.
