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Princess Louisa Inlet

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Coordinates: 50°11′N 123°48′W / 50.183°N 123.800°W / 50.183; -123.800
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Chatterbox Falls

Princess Louisa Inlet, on the British Columbia Coast is 6 km in length and lies at the north east end of Jervis Inlet[1]. It is entered through Malibu Rapids off of Queens Reach. A portion of the area makes up Princess Louisa Marine Provincial Park[2]. Chatterbox Falls[3] 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.[4]: 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.[4]: 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.[5] In 1940 Herman Caspar, who had homesteaded some of the land surrounding the inlet, sold it to Thomas F. Hamilton for $500. Hamilton, an American in the aviation business, built a luxury resort on the site of the former Malibu Steamer Landing at Malibu Rapids intending to cater to visiting yachtsmen. The club closed in 1950. The property was sold to Young Life in 1953. Young Life operates a non-denominational religious summer camp on the property.[4]: 56 

View of inlet from trappers cabin above Chatterbox Falls

Naming of the Inlet

The inlet may have been named for Princess Louise, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, [4]: 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 1876[6]: 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.[6]: 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. [4]: 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. [7]: 28 

See also

References

  1. ^ "Princess Louisa Inlet". BC Geographical Names.
  2. ^ "Princess Louisa Marine Provincial Park". BC Geographical Names.
  3. ^ "Chatterbox Falls". BC Geographical Names.
  4. ^ a b c d e Schweizer, William H. (1989). Beyond Understanding: The Complete Guide to Princess Louisa, Chatterbox Falls, Jervis Inlet. Seattle: EOS Publishing. ISBN 0-925244-00-7. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ "Princess Louisa International Society". Mac and the Princess. Retrieved 2007-07-26.
  6. ^ a b Ormsby, Margaret A. (1958). British Columbia: A History. Vancouver: Macmillan. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ Morris, Frank; Heath, Willis R (1979). Marine Atlas, Vol 1 Olympia to Malcolm Island. Seattle: Bayless Enterprises. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

50°11′N 123°48′W / 50.183°N 123.800°W / 50.183; -123.800

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