Triangle Island facts for kids
Triangle Island is a small island located off the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It covers about 119 hectares, which is roughly the size of 294 football fields. This island is very special because it has the largest seabird colony in British Columbia. Many birds, like the Cassin's auklet and the tufted puffin, live here. In fact, Triangle Island is home to the world's largest group of Cassin's auklets!
The island is part of the Scott Islands Marine Wildlife Area. It also contains the Anne Vallée Triangle Island Ecological Reserve. This reserve is named after a researcher who studied the island's wildlife and sadly passed away there in 1982. To visit Triangle Island, you need special permission from the British Columbia Ministry of Environment. Usually, only scientists and researchers go there. It is the most remote island in British Columbia, except for Haida Gwaii. The island got its name because it looks like a triangle on sea maps.
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History of Triangle Island
The Old Lighthouse
From 1909 to 1919, there was a lighthouse on Triangle Island. It helped guide ships safely past the coast. However, the lighthouse had to be abandoned because of very thick fog, strong hurricane-force winds, and harsh living conditions. It was just too difficult for people to live there.
Today, the island is mostly empty, except for a small cabin used by researchers. In 2004, the top part of the lighthouse, called the lantern room, was moved to the Sooke Region Museum. But the base of the lighthouse is still on Triangle Island.
Ancient Island Life
Long ago, First Nations people visited Triangle Island. They used the island for hunting and collecting bird eggs. This shows that the island has been important to people for a very long time.
Protecting Triangle Island
Access to Triangle Island is very carefully controlled. You must have a permit to visit. This helps protect the delicate wildlife and their homes. Environment and Climate Change Canada is working to make all of the Scott Islands and the waters around them a special marine national wildlife area. This would give even more protection to this important natural space under the Canada Wildlife Act.
