- Forbidden Plateau
The Forbidden Plateau is a small, hilly
plateau in the east of theVancouver Island Ranges inBritish Columbia , located roughly between Mount Albert Edward to the southwest and Mount Washington (site of theMount Washington Alpine Resort ) to the northeast. The gently sloping sub-alpine terrain is broken by small, rugged hills and pitted with small lakes. Much of it is contained withinStrathcona Provincial Park , and a network of trails facilitatehiking ,cross country skiing , and access to Mount Albert Edward. A sub-alpine meadow on Mount Beecher in the southwest corner of the plateau is the only site in Canada of theOlympic onion (Allium crenulatum ). Schaan, Gary. 2004. "Managing Towards the Gold Standard—Ecological Values of Second Growth Small Woodlands on Vancouver Island." In T.W. Droscher and D.A. Fraser (eds). Proceedings of the 2003 Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Research Conference. CD-ROM or Online. Available: http://www.psat.wa.gov/Publications/03_proceedings/start.htm [http://www.psat.wa.gov/Publications/03_proceedings/PAPERS/ORAL/8d_schaa.pdf] [February 2004] ]In
1946 , it was theepicenter of anearthquake that registered 7.3 on theRichter scale , the strongest ever recorded on land in Canada. See1946 Vancouver Island earthquake .cite web | url = http://www.pep.bc.ca/shake46/shake46.html | accessdate = 2006-07-14 | title = Shake, Rattle and Roll in '46 Earthquake | author = Derek Sidenius | publisher = Victoria Times Colonist Islander Magazine | date = 1999-01-24]The Legend
When the
Comox people faced raids from other coastal tribes, they took their women and children to the plateau for safekeeping. Once, during a raid by the Cowichan, the women and children vanished without a trace and, since then, the Plateau has become taboo for it was believed that it was inhabited by evil spirits who had consumed those they had sent. [http://www.folklore.bc.ca/Locallegends.htm] [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2002428510_nootkaside09.html] [http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0774810556&id=LMzgxL7WhzAC&pg=PA164&lpg=PA164&dq=%22forbidden+plateau%22+legend&sig=xotONp7NZwbDC8J133FCPbrVpNg]Gallery
Notes and references
External links
* [http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/strath/forbid.html Official site]
* [http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/strath/strath_forbidden_area.pdf Map (PDF)]
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