Masset, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Masset formerly Massett, is a village in Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands) in British Columbia
, Canada
. It is located on the northern coast of Graham Island
, the largest island in the archipelago, and is approximately 50 km (31.1 mi) west of mainland British Columbia. It is the western terminus of the Yellowhead Highway
. During the Maritime Fur Trade
of the early 19th century Masset was a key trading site.
vessel that was repaired with the assistance of the Haida citizens of Atewaas, Kayung and Jaaguhl. These three villages accepted the gift and adopted the name Masset to commemorate what might be the first ever contact between Europeans and the Haida.
During the early years of Canadian colonization the name Masset and the post office were adopted by the former Reverend Charles Harrison
as part of his scheme to sell land.
The name Masset is currently in use by the Village of Masset
, a municipality under Canada legislation and the Village of Old Massett, the original recipient of the name and a village under the Constitution of the Haida Nation.
According to Walbran Masset came from the Haida word, Masst or large island. Captain Douglas, on his second visit from Nootka Sound
aboard the Iphigenia on June 19, 1789 named the bay leading to the inlet McIntyre's Bay. This name was used on the charts of Dixon and Meares
. The American traders called the inlet, Hancock's River as shown in Ingraham's chart of 1792 after the American brig Hancock. In 1853 H.N. Knox of the Royal Navy, mate on HMS Virago, did a sketch survey of the harbour when the name Masset was adopted by the British. A survey was made in 1907 by Captain Learmouth on HMS Egeria
.
based military intelligence gathering station, CFS Masset
, that was key in monitoring communications in the northern portions of the former Soviet Union
during the Cold War
is located just outside Masset, near the northern tip of Graham island.
Summer temperatures are in the 15 degrees Celsius to 20 degrees Celsius range and the days are long - May, June, July boasting 18 to 20 hours of daylight. August and May general have the most sun but there is a fair degree of rain throughout the summer months. Winter months are mild with temperatures in the 0 - 8 degrees Celsius range and while precipitation is usually in the form of rain there can be some snowfall. Conditions can become severe without warning and Masset has registered wind gusts to 160 km/h (100 mph).
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located on the northern coast of Graham Island
Graham Island
Graham Island is the largest island in the Haida Gwaii archipelago , lying off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is separated only by a narrow channel from the other principal island of the group, Moresby Island Graham Island is the largest island in the Haida Gwaii archipelago (formerly...
, the largest island in the archipelago, and is approximately 50 km (31.1 mi) west of mainland British Columbia. It is the western terminus of the Yellowhead Highway
Yellowhead Highway
The Yellowhead Highway is a major east-west highway connecting the four western Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Although part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, the highway should not be confused with the more southerly, originally-designated...
. During the Maritime Fur Trade
Maritime Fur Trade
The Maritime Fur Trade was a ship-based fur trade system that focused on acquiring furs of sea otters and other animals from the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast and natives of Alaska. The furs were mostly sold in China in exchange for tea, silks, porcelain, and other Chinese...
of the early 19th century Masset was a key trading site.
Name
The name Masset was a gift from the Captain of a SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
vessel that was repaired with the assistance of the Haida citizens of Atewaas, Kayung and Jaaguhl. These three villages accepted the gift and adopted the name Masset to commemorate what might be the first ever contact between Europeans and the Haida.
During the early years of Canadian colonization the name Masset and the post office were adopted by the former Reverend Charles Harrison
Charles Harrison
Charles Harrison may refer to:*Charles "Chuck" Harrison, industrial designer at Sears Roebuck*Charles Custis Harrison , provost of the University of Pennsylvania*Charles Townsend Harrison , British art historian.*Charles W...
as part of his scheme to sell land.
The name Masset is currently in use by the Village of Masset
Old Massett Village Council
Old Massett Village Council is a band government of the Haida people, located at Old Masset, British Columbia, Canada, in the Queen Charlotte Islands, also known as Haida Gwaii . Old Massett Village Council is one of two band governments forming the Haida Tribal Society , the other is the...
, a municipality under Canada legislation and the Village of Old Massett, the original recipient of the name and a village under the Constitution of the Haida Nation.
According to Walbran Masset came from the Haida word, Masst or large island. Captain Douglas, on his second visit from Nootka Sound
Nootka Sound
Nootka Sound is a complex inlet or sound of the Pacific Ocean on the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Historically also known as King George's Sound, as a strait it separates Vancouver Island and Nootka Island.-History:The inlet is part of the...
aboard the Iphigenia on June 19, 1789 named the bay leading to the inlet McIntyre's Bay. This name was used on the charts of Dixon and Meares
John Meares
John Meares was a navigator, explorer, and maritime fur trader, best known for his role in the Nootka Crisis, which brought Britain and Spain to the brink of war.- Career :...
. The American traders called the inlet, Hancock's River as shown in Ingraham's chart of 1792 after the American brig Hancock. In 1853 H.N. Knox of the Royal Navy, mate on HMS Virago, did a sketch survey of the harbour when the name Masset was adopted by the British. A survey was made in 1907 by Captain Learmouth on HMS Egeria
HMS Egeria (1873)
HMS Egeria was a 4-gun screw sloop of the Fantome class launched at Pembroke on 1 November 1873. She was named after Egeria, a water nymph of Roman mythology, and was the second ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name...
.
Military base
A FRD-10Wullenweber
The Wullenweber is a type of Circularly Disposed Antenna Array sometimes referred to as a Circularly Disposed Dipole Array . It is a large circular antenna array used for radio direction finding...
based military intelligence gathering station, CFS Masset
CFS Masset
Canadian Forces Station Masset is a signals intercept site located near Masset, BC.Naval Radio Station Masset was constructed in 1942 and used as a HFDF intercept station and also as a ship to shore relay station....
, that was key in monitoring communications in the northern portions of the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
is located just outside Masset, near the northern tip of Graham island.
Notable people from Masset
- GuujaawGuujaawGuujaaw is a traditional singer, wood carver, traditional medicine practitioner and political activist. He is a Haida, of the Raven Clan of Skedans.-Background:Beginning in the 1970s, Guujaaw worked to protect Gwaii Haanas from logging activity...
(wood carverWood carvingWood carving is a form of working wood by means of a cutting tool in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation of a wooden object...
, musician, traditional medicineTraditional medicineTraditional medicine comprises unscientific knowledge systems that developed over generations within various societies before the era of modern medicine...
practitioner and political activist) - Michael Nicoll YahgulanaasMichael Nicoll YahgulanaasMichael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is a visual artist, and creator of Haida manga, from Delkatla in Masset on Haida Gwaii.His work is exhibited in Japan, Korea, England, and Canada. In addition to works on paper, mulberry bark, canvases and metal sculptures Yahgulanaas continues to publish books...
(Haida mangaHaida MangaHaida Manga is a new style of Haida comics and print cartoons that explores the elements of both traditional North Pacific indigenous arts and narrative, while also adapting contemporary techniques of artistic design from the Eastern portion of the North Pacific, namely the Japanese manga from...
artist) - Robert Davidson (artist)Robert Davidson (artist)Robert Charles Davidson, CM, OBC , is a Canadian artist of Haida heritage. His specialties are in carving , sculpture and painting....
- Florence DavidsonFlorence DavidsonFlorence Edenshaw Davidson was a Canadian First Nations artist from the Haida nation who created traditional basketry and button-blankets and was also a respected elder in her First Nations community, the Haida village of Masset, Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia.She was born in Masset on...
(artist) - Reg DavidsonReg DavidsonReg Davidson is a Canadian First Nations carver and a member of the Haida nation.He was born in 1954 at the Haida village of Masset on the Queen Charlotte Islands of British Columbia. His parents are Claude and Vivian Davidson and, through Claude, he is the grandson of the Haida artist and...
(carver)
Climate
The climate, moderated by a warm Pacific current from Japan, is generally mild with no extremes in temperature. Annual temperature varies only 20 degrees Celsius but is variable and unpredictable - even within a 24-hour period. This explains the often heard maxim, "If you don’t like the weather, wait 20 minutes." Average rainfall is 150 centimeters, snowfall 28 centimeters and there is generally a breeze, most often out of the southeast.Summer temperatures are in the 15 degrees Celsius to 20 degrees Celsius range and the days are long - May, June, July boasting 18 to 20 hours of daylight. August and May general have the most sun but there is a fair degree of rain throughout the summer months. Winter months are mild with temperatures in the 0 - 8 degrees Celsius range and while precipitation is usually in the form of rain there can be some snowfall. Conditions can become severe without warning and Masset has registered wind gusts to 160 km/h (100 mph).