Princess Louisa Inlet

Infobox Ocean
Ocean_name = Princess Louisa Inlet
image_Ocean =
caption_Ocean =
image_bathymetry =
caption_bathymetry=
location = East side of Queens Reach, New Westminster Land District
coords = coord|50|11|N|123|48|W |region:CA_type:waterbody |display=title,inline
type =
inflow =
outflow =
catchment =
basin_countries = Canada
length = convert|6|km|mi|abbr=on
width =
area =
depth =
max-depth = convert|179|m|ft|abbr=on
volume =
residence_time =
shore =
elevation =
islands = Malibu Isle, MacDonald Island
cities =
frozen =

Princess Louisa Inlet, on the British Columbia Coast is 6 km in length and lies at the north east end of Jervis Inlet. [BCGNIS|21235] It is entered through Malibu Rapids off Queens Reach. A portion of the area makes up Princess Louisa Marine Provincial Park. [ BCGNIS|39802|Princess Louisa Marine Provincial Park] Chatterbox Falls [BCGNIS|4968|Chatterbox Falls] lies at the north end of the Inlet.

History

In June 1792 Captain Vancouver, searching for the Northwest Passage, explored Jervis Inlet to its end and apparently found the entrance to Princess Louisa Inlet but did not enter as the tide was ebbing through Malibu Rapids at the time.rp|52 In 1860 Captain George Richards surveyed and mapped Jervis and Princess Louisa Inlets naming it and surrounding features. In the same year Commander Richard Charles Mayne explored the valley at the head of the inlet hoping that it would lead to the interior of British Columbia.rp|54

James F. "Mac" MacDonald purchased the core of the park, 45 acres, in 1919 and donated it to the Princess Louisa International Society in 1953. It was acquired by BC Parks in 1964. Much of the remaining land surrounding the inlet has been acquired and added to the park in following years. Hamilton Island, renamed MacDonald Island, is now a part of the park as well. [cite web | url = http://www.princesslouisa.bc.ca/index.html | title = Princess Louisa International Society | work = Mac and the Princess | accessdate = 2007-07-26]

In 1940 Herman Caspar, who was rumored to have homesteaded at the entrance of the inlet, sold the land to Thomas F. Hamilton for $500. Casper was actually a squatter and had no legal right to the land. Hamilton, an American aviation executive, did buy all the land surrounding Princess Louisa Inlet with the intent on developing it with a series of themed luxury resorts to cater to visiting yachtsmen and Hollywood celebrities. [Hitz, Charles W.(2003). "Through the Rapids - The History of Princess Louisa Inlet", p. 95. [http://www.sitka2.com Sitka 2 Publishing] ., Kirkland, WA. ISBN 0972025502.] However, only one resort was built at the entrance of the inlet call the Malibu Club and was named after Hamilton’s yacht the Malibu. In 1950, the resort was closed and abandoned due to a polio outbreak and quarantine. [Hitz, Charles W.(2003). "Through the Rapids - The History of Princess Louisa Inlet", p. 122. [http://www.sitka2.com Sitka 2 Publishing] ., Kirkland, WA. ISBN 0972025502.] The property was later sold to Young Life in 1953 and has successfully operated it as a non-denominational Christian summer camp for teenagers.

Naming of the Inlet

The inlet may have been named for Princess Louise, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria,cite book | last =Schweizer | first =William H. | title =Beyond Understanding: The Complete Guide to Princess Louisa, Chatterbox Falls, Jervis Inlet | publisher =EOS Publishing | date =1989 | location =Seattle | isbn =0-925244-00-7 ] rp|54 whose husband was the Marquess of Lorne, Governor General of Canada. The vice regal couple traveled extensively in Canada. Princess Louise spent three months in Victoria, British Columbia in 1876cite book | last =Ormsby | first =Margaret A. | title =British Columbia: A History | publisher =Macmillan | date =1958 | location =Vancouver | isbn = ] rp|287 and was popular to the point that when the Governor General announced that the awaited completion of the transcontinental railway would pass through the Selkirk Range at the Kicking Horse Pass into what has since become Vancouver, rather than by the Yellowhead Pass to Bute Inlet and then to Victoria, Premier Robert Beaven asked the Duke whether it would be possible for Vancouver Island to become a separate kingdom with Princess Louise as Queen.rp|289 Adjacent Prince of Wales Reach was named after Edward VII when he was the Prince of Wales. Princess Royal Reach was named after Empress Frederick of Germany. Five mountains around Queens Reach are named after children of Queen Victoria: Mount Victoria, Mount Albert, Mount Alice, Mount Arthur and Mount Helena. The more accepted theory is that the inlet is named for Queen Victoria's mother, Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld who was born Mary Louise Victoria.rp|54 The actual source of the name is uncertain.

Access

The nearest road access to the inlet is about 50 km away at the BC Ferries landing on Highway 101 at Earls Cove, British Columbia. The area is a popular destination for boaters and can also be accessed by float plane from various locations around the Strait of Georgia. Boaters should note that Malibu Rapids is a narrow entrance and at spring tide can have a current of 9 knots.cite book | last =Morris | first =Frank|last2=Heath|first2=Willis R | title =Marine Atlas, Vol 1 Olympia to Malcolm Island | publisher =Bayless Enterprises | date =1979 | location =Seattle | isbn = ] rp|28

See also

*Robert Genn Canadian Landscape painter of "Chatterbox Falls"
*Thomas Foster Hamilton, who built Malibu

External links

*coord|50|12|35|N|123|46|30|W |region:CA_type:isle |display=inline |name=Chatterbox Falls Chatterbox Falls
*coord|50|09|50|N|123|51|00|W |region:CA_type:isle |display=inline |name=Malibu Rapids Malibu Rapids
* [http://www.princesslouisa.bc.ca/ Princess Louisa International Society]
* [http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/princesl.html BC Parks] Princess Louisa Provincial Marine Park
* [http://www.britishcolumbia.com/parks/?id=54 BritishColumbia.com] Princess Louisa Marine Park
* [http://srmwww.gov.bc.ca/bcgn-bin/bcg10?name=4968 BCGNIS] Chatterbox Falls is at the NE end of Jervis Inlet at the mouth of Losquilts Creek.
* [http://princesslouisainlet.blogspot.com/ Princess Louisa Inlet Blog and Webcam] Up todate infomation, events, history, and realtime images of Princess Louisa Inlet.

Gallery

References