Quatsino, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Quatsino is a small hamlet
of 91 people located on Quatsino Sound
in Northern Vancouver Island
, Canada
only accessible by boat or float plane. Its nearest neighbour is Coal Harbour, to the east, about 20 minutes away by boat, and Port Alice, to the south, about 40 minutes away by boat. The largest town in the region, Port Hardy, is located about an hour southeast by boat and vehicle.
's only still used public one room schoolhouses, a two story wooden building built in 1935. The oldest building on the North Island is also located in Quatsino, a woodland chapel called St. Olaf's Anglican Church, a popular site for weddings. It was built in 1897. Quatsino was originally settled by Norweign farmers from North Dakota who arrived via steam ship in 1894 when they answered the call to colonize, homestead and farm thirty 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) lots offered free through Crown Grants- publicized at the Chicago World Exposition of 1893. Soon freight service to Victoria was established, along with a post office and customs office and a government wharf. The area grew as resources were developed and the area boasted numerous mines, canneries, general stores, rental cabins, a hotel, a saloon, telegraph office and an Imperial Oil fuel station. The village was a thriving community up until the 1940s. The post office is still in operation and two cemeteries mark the history of the community. Located approximately one mile north of the community is Colony Lake, a favorite swimming spot and a popular destination for canoeing and lake trout fishing.
High speed internet via satellite arrived in the spring of 2007, replacing slow speed dial up in most of the community. The new destination for visitors to the area is the Quatsino Museum, which opened in the summer of 2007.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of 91 people located on Quatsino Sound
Quatsino Sound
Quatsino Sound is a complex of coastal inlets, bays and islands on northwestern Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is the northernmost of the five sounds that pierce the west coast of Vancouver Island, the others being Kyuquot Sound, Nootka Sound, Clayoquot Sound, and...
in Northern Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
, 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...
only accessible by boat or float plane. Its nearest neighbour is Coal Harbour, to the east, about 20 minutes away by boat, and Port Alice, to the south, about 40 minutes away by boat. The largest town in the region, Port Hardy, is located about an hour southeast by boat and vehicle.
Description
The village is known to have one of British ColumbiaBritish 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...
's only still used public one room schoolhouses, a two story wooden building built in 1935. The oldest building on the North Island is also located in Quatsino, a woodland chapel called St. Olaf's Anglican Church, a popular site for weddings. It was built in 1897. Quatsino was originally settled by Norweign farmers from North Dakota who arrived via steam ship in 1894 when they answered the call to colonize, homestead and farm thirty 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) lots offered free through Crown Grants- publicized at the Chicago World Exposition of 1893. Soon freight service to Victoria was established, along with a post office and customs office and a government wharf. The area grew as resources were developed and the area boasted numerous mines, canneries, general stores, rental cabins, a hotel, a saloon, telegraph office and an Imperial Oil fuel station. The village was a thriving community up until the 1940s. The post office is still in operation and two cemeteries mark the history of the community. Located approximately one mile north of the community is Colony Lake, a favorite swimming spot and a popular destination for canoeing and lake trout fishing.
High speed internet via satellite arrived in the spring of 2007, replacing slow speed dial up in most of the community. The new destination for visitors to the area is the Quatsino Museum, which opened in the summer of 2007.