Gardner Canal
Encyclopedia
The Gardner Canal is one of the principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast
. Technically a side-inlet of the larger Douglas Channel
, the Gardner is still 90 km (56 mi) in length in its own right; total length of the waterways converging on the Douglas Channel
is 320 km (200 mi) making it one of the largest fjord
-complexes in the world. The entrance to the Gardner Canal is hidden behind Hawkesbury Island
, and is accessed via Devastation Sound or Varney Passage which form the northeast and southeast flanks of that island. It was named in 1793 by George Vancouver
in honour of his friend and former commander, Alan Gardner, 1st Baron Gardner
. One of his men, Joseph Whidbey
, first charted it the same year.
The Gardner Canal is important for being the location of the Kemano
generating station of the Nechako Diversion, which was built to supply power for an Alcan
aluminum smelter in Kitimat
. The generating station is located about halfway along the canal on its north bank, at the mouth of the Kemano River. At the head of the Gardner Canal is the mouth of the Kitlope River
, a major wildlife and wilderness preserve and area of outstanding natural beauty (and harsh weather).
Segments of the Gardner Canal are named "reaches". They are, from mouth to head, Alan Reach, Europa Reach, Barrie Reach,, Whidbey Reach, and Egeria Reach. The extreme head is called Kitlope Anchorage. Side inlets include Ochwe Bay, Triumph Bay, Kiltuish Inlet, Owyacumish Bay, and Chief Mathews Bay.
British Columbia Coast
The British Columbia Coast or BC Coast is Canada's western continental coastline on the Pacific Ocean. The usage is synonymous with the term West Coast of Canada....
. Technically a side-inlet of the larger Douglas Channel
Douglas Channel
Douglas Channel is one of the principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast. Its official length from the head of Kitimat Arm, where the aluminum smelter town of Kitimat to Wright Sound, on the Inside Passage ferry route, is 90 km...
, the Gardner is still 90 km (56 mi) in length in its own right; total length of the waterways converging on the Douglas Channel
Douglas Channel
Douglas Channel is one of the principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast. Its official length from the head of Kitimat Arm, where the aluminum smelter town of Kitimat to Wright Sound, on the Inside Passage ferry route, is 90 km...
is 320 km (200 mi) making it one of the largest fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
-complexes in the world. The entrance to the Gardner Canal is hidden behind Hawkesbury Island
Hawkesbury Island
Hawkesbury Island is an island in British Columbia, Canada. It is located in Douglas Channel, one of the major fjords of the British Columbia Coast. Hawkesbury is long and ranges in width from to . It is in area....
, and is accessed via Devastation Sound or Varney Passage which form the northeast and southeast flanks of that island. It was named in 1793 by George Vancouver
George Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...
in honour of his friend and former commander, Alan Gardner, 1st Baron Gardner
Alan Gardner, 1st Baron Gardner
Admiral Alan Gardner, 1st Baron Gardner was a British Royal Navy officer and peer of the realm. He became one of the Georgian era's most dashing frigate captains and, ultimately, a respected senior admiral.-Naval career:...
. One of his men, Joseph Whidbey
Joseph Whidbey
Joseph Whidbey was a member of the Royal Navy who served on the Vancouver Expedition 1791–1795, and later achieved renown as a naval engineer. He is notable for having been the first European to discover and chart Admiralty Island in the Alexander Archipelago in 1794.Little is recorded of...
, first charted it the same year.
The Gardner Canal is important for being the location of the Kemano
Kemano, British Columbia
Kemano is a settlement situated 75 km southeast of Kitimat in the province of British Columbia in Canada. It was built to service a hydroelectric power station, built to provide energy for Alcan to smelt aluminium from its ore. The powerhouse is built 427 m inside the base of Mt Dubose...
generating station of the Nechako Diversion, which was built to supply power for an Alcan
Alcan
Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. is a Canadian company based in Montreal. It was created on November 15, 2007 as the result of the merger between Rio Tinto PLC's Canadian subsidiary, Rio Tinto Canada Holding Inc., and Canadian company Alcan Inc. On the same date, Alcan Inc. was renamed Rio Tinto Alcan Inc..Rio...
aluminum smelter in Kitimat
Kitimat, British Columbia
Kitimat is a coastal city in northwestern British Columbia, in the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine. The Kitimat Valley, which includes the adjacent community of Terrace, is the most populous urban district in Northwest British Columbia...
. The generating station is located about halfway along the canal on its north bank, at the mouth of the Kemano River. At the head of the Gardner Canal is the mouth of the Kitlope River
Kitlope River
The Kitlope River is a river in the Kitimat Ranges in the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, flowing north into the head of the Gardner Canal to the south of the smelter town of Kitimat. It is named for the Gitlope group of Haisla, now part of the Haisla Nation government and community at...
, a major wildlife and wilderness preserve and area of outstanding natural beauty (and harsh weather).
Segments of the Gardner Canal are named "reaches". They are, from mouth to head, Alan Reach, Europa Reach, Barrie Reach,, Whidbey Reach, and Egeria Reach. The extreme head is called Kitlope Anchorage. Side inlets include Ochwe Bay, Triumph Bay, Kiltuish Inlet, Owyacumish Bay, and Chief Mathews Bay.
External Links
- "Engineers Invade Another Wilderness - Huge Canadian Power Project Marks 20th Century Frontier Boom" , by Richard Neuberger detailed 1951 Popular Science article on the Kemano Hydro Project