View source for Princess Royal Island

{{Short description|Island in British Columbia, Canada}}
{{About|the island in British Columbia|the island in Nunavut Territory|Princess Royal Island (Nunavut)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox Islands
| name             = Princess Royal
| image_name       = Locmap-PrincessRoyalIsland.png
| image_caption    = Princess Royal Island is located on the [[Inside Passage]] to the east of [[Hecate Strait]]
| image_size       =
| native_name      =
| native_name_link =
| nickname         =
| location         = North Coast Archipelago ([[British Columbia Coast|Central Coast]])
| coordinates      = {{coord|52|55|N|128|50|W|display=inline}}
| archipelago      =
| total_islands    =
| major_islands    =
| area_km2         = 2251
| length_km        =
| width_km         =
| highest_mount    =
| elevation_m      =
| country          = Canada
| country_admin_divisions_title     = Province
| country_admin_divisions           = [[British Columbia]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_1   = [[Regions of Canada#British Columbia|Region]]
| country_admin_divisions_1         = [[British Columbia Coast|North Coast]]
| population       =
| population_as_of =
| density_km2 =
| ethnic_groups    = [[Tsimshian]] territory
| additional_info  =
}}
'''Princess Royal Island''' is the largest island on the [[British Columbia Coast|North Coast of British Columbia]], Canada. It is located amongst the isolated inlets and islands east of [[Hecate Strait]] on the [[British Columbia Coast]]. At {{convert|2251|km2|sqmi}}, it is the fourth largest island in British Columbia.<ref>[http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/learningresources/facts/islands.html/#pacific  Pacific Coast Islands] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122002132/http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/learningresources/facts/islands.html#pacific |date=2013-01-22 }}, The Atlas of Canada</ref> It was named in 1788 by Captain [[Charles Duncan (captain)|Charles Duncan]], after his ship {{ship||Princess Royal|1778 sloop|2}}.<ref>{{BCGNIS|30978|Princess Royal Island}}</ref>

==Access and settlements==
The island is located in an extremely remote area of British Columbia, {{convert|520|km|mi}} north of [[Vancouver]] and {{convert|200|km|mi}} south of [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia|Prince Rupert]]. It is accessible only by boat or air. The [[Inside Passage]] ferry and shipping lane runs along its eastern flank, in [[Princess Royal Channel]] separating it from the mainland.  The island is uninhabited, but used to be home to the community of [[Surf Inlet, British Columbia|Surf Inlet]], a gold-mining town at the inlet of the same name (though also known as Port Belmont or Belmont), and [[Butedale, British Columbia|Butedale]], a mining, cannery, fishing and logging town on the island's east coast.  The nearest communities today are [[Klemtu]], on [[Swindle Island]] and [[Hartley Bay]], on the mainland shore east of [[Gil Island (Canada)|Gil Island]].

==Indigenous reserves==
[[Indigenous reserve]]s on or adjacent to Princess Royal Island are:

[[Hartley Bay Indian Band]] reserves:
*'''Kahas Indian Reserve No. 7''', on the west coast of Princess Royal at Barnard Harbour, 16.50&nbsp;ha (40.8&nbsp;acres) {{coord|53|04|00|N|129|07|00|W|display=inline|source:BCNames|name=Kahas IR No. 7}}.<ref>[http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/65307.html BC Names/GeoBC entry "Kahas 7 (Indian reserve)"]</ref>
*'''Kayel Indian Reserve No. 8''', on the west shore of Princess Royal fronting on [[Campania Sound]], 1.60 ha. (4.0&nbsp;acres) at {{coord|53|04|00|N|129|10|00|W|display=inline|source:BCNames|name=Kayel IR No. 8}}.<ref>[http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/65310.html BC Names/GeoBC entry "Kayel 8 (Indian reserve)"]</ref>
*'''Lackzuswadda Indian Reserve No. 9''', on an island at the entrance to [[Surf Inlet, British Columbia|Surf Inlet]], on the southwest coast of Princess Royal, 2.20 ha. (5.4&nbsp;acres) at {{coord|52|54|00|N|129|09|00|W|display=inline|source:BCNames|name=Lackzuswadda IR No. 9}}.<ref>[http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/65309.html BC Names/GeoBC entry "Lackzuswadda 9 (Indian reserve)"]</ref>

[[Kitasoo/Xaixais First Nation]] reserves:
* '''Canoona 2''', on Princess Royal Island, north shore of [[Graham Reach]], 219.30 ha.
*'''Dil-ma-sow 5''', on Kent Islet southwest of the Princess Royal Islands<!--sic-->, 1.90 ha.
*'''Kinmakanksk 6''', on the southwest shore of Princess Royal Island on [[Laredo Channel]], 11.70 ha.
*'''Lattkaloup 9''', on Princess Royal Island at mouth of Fowles Creek, [[Laredo Inlet]], 0.40. ha.
*'''Saint Joe 10''', on Princess Royal Island at outlet of Bloomfield Lake into Laredo Inlet, 0.50 ha.
*'''Ulthakoush 1'''1, at head of Laredo Inlet on Princess Royal Island, 2.40 ha.

==History==
Twelve of the 17 crew of [[1950 British Columbia B-36 crash|U.S. Air Force 44-92075]] were found alive here in 1950, during the first lost nuclear/[[United States military nuclear incident terminology#Broken Arrow|Broken Arrow]] episode of the [[Cold War]]. The plane itself flew north after the crew bailed out, crashing on [[Mount Kologet]], east of the [[Nass River]] to the northwest of [[Hazelton, British Columbia|Hazelton]].
[[File:Cannery Ruins, Butedale, BC..jpg|right|thumb|Cannery Ruins in Butedale]]

==Geography==
The island's northern tip is [[Trivett Point]], its northwestern tip is [[Kingcome Point]].

The [[Canoona River]] drains the central part of the island, flowing east to the sea from [[Canoona Lake]].

==Ecology and environment==
The island is classified by the [[World Wildlife Fund]] as part of their system's [[Pacific temperate rain forest]] [[ecoregion]].  In the ecoregion system used by [[Environment Canada]], the island is in the [[Pacific Maritime Ecozone (CEC)|Pacific Maritime Ecozone]].  In the system of [[Biogeoclimatic zones of British Columbia|biogeoclimatic zones]] used by the British Columbia Ministry of Forests, the island is part of the [[Western hemlock|Coastal Western Hemlock]] zone.

<!--the following is disputed see talkpage: Princess Royal Island is best known as being home to the legendary white [[Kermode bear]], Spirit Bear of the North Coast of British Columbia. These magnificent bears are not found anywhere else in the entire world.-->Wildlife on Princess Royal Island includes [[kermode bear]]s, [[American black bear|black bear]]s, [[grizzly bear]]s, [[deer]], [[northwestern wolf|wolves]] and [[fox]]es, and nesting populations of [[golden eagle]]s, [[bald eagle]]s, and the endangered marbled murrelet. Marine life around the island includes abundant [[salmon]], [[elephant seal]]s, [[orca]]s and [[porpoise]]s.  Princess Royal Island is a core component of a regional preservationist campaign covering the North and Central Coast, which has been dubbed the [[Great Bear Rainforest]] by environmental groups.

==See also==
*[[Estevan Group]]
*[[Aristazabal Island]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.britishcolumbia.com/regions/towns/?townID=4014 Princess Royal Island on BritishColumbia.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051230134405/http://www.britishcolumbia.com/regions/towns/?townID=4014 |date=2005-12-30 }}

{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|52|55|N|128|50|W|display=title}}

[[Category:Islands of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Central Coast of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Uninhabited islands of British Columbia]]