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'Gabriola Island' is one of many islands in the Strait of Georgia, in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Gabriola lies about east of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, to which it is linked by ferry. It has a land area of about and a resident population of slightly more than 4,000.
Gabriola has a mild climate, public beaches and forested parks, as well as housing, roads, shopping centres, restaurants, a library, and a museum. Its cultural life includes annual festivals related to art, gardens, music, boating, and fishing.

Contents

Geography

Demographics

Climate

Community

Wildlife

References

External links

Geography

Gabriola, part of the Regional District of Nanaimo, is the most northern of the Southern Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia between mainland BC to the east and Vancouver Island to the west. The Gulf Islands are an archipelago consisting of hundreds of islands of various sizes stretching from the San Juan Islands in the United States to the Northern Gulf Islands, north of Gabriola. The biggest of the Southern Gulf Islands are Gabriola Island, Galiano Island, Kuper Island, North and South Pender Island, Saltspring Island, Saturna Island, Thetis Island, and Valdes Island.
The Southern Gulf Islands consist mainly of former seabed sediments crumpled and gradually thrust upward by tectonic plate movement between 55 to 42 million years ago.^[1] Subsequent periods of glaciation scraped away topsoil and some of the bedrock. During the peak of the Fraser Glaciation, 30,000 to 11,000 years ago, Gabriola was covered with ice up to thick.^[2] Though melting glaciers left deposits of sand, gravel, and boulders, the main rocks exposed on Gabriola's surface are sandstone and shale. Differential erosion of relatively soft shales and relatively hard sandstones helped create cliffs, points, and bays along Gabriola's shoreline.^[3]
Gabriola is about long by wide on average with a land area of .[2] Statistics Canada. "Gabriola Island Trust Area, Nanaimo B Regional District Electoral Area, British Columbia." Retrieved on July 29, 2007. The topography varies from flat sandy beaches at sea level to forested hills rising to on Stoney Ridge in the center of the island.^[4]
Gabriola lies about east of Nanaimo, the second largest city on Vancouver Island, to which it is linked by BC Ferries. The ferry, which takes 20 minutes for the crossing, runs almost hourly from about 6 a.m. to about 10 p.m. daily. Residents of Gabriola who work or attend high school in Nanaimo use the ferry to commute. Gabriola may also be reached by float plane or small boat.
Islands and islets near Gabriola include Snake Island and Entrance Island to the north, the Flat Top Islands, Breakwater Island, and Valdes Island to the east, and Mudge Island, Link Island, and DeCourcy Island to the south. The 30-kilometre (18.6-mile) North Road-South Road loop is the main island highway. It passes near most parts of the island, including the ferry terminal at Descanso Bay.
The island has three provincial parks -- Gabriola Sands Provincial Park on the northwest shore, Sandwell Provincial Park on the northeast shore, and Drumbeg Provincial Park on the east shore -- as well as Descanso Bay Regional Park and an adjacent community park near the ferry terminal. Large coastal sandstone formations known as the Malaspina Galleries are preserved in this community park. The formations were named after the 18th century Spanish explorer Alejandro Malaspina.

Demographics

The population of Gabriola rose by 15 percent, from 3,522 to 4,050, between 2001 and 2006. This growth rate was higher than that for BC as a whole, which grew at a rate of 5.3 percent. The population density on Gabriola was 70.3/km² (182.1 mi²) in 2006 compared to 4.4/km² (11.4 mi²) for BC. [4] Statistics Canada. "Gabriola Island Trust Area, Nanaimo B Regional District Electoral Area, British Columbia." Retrieved on July 29, 2007.
The total number of private dwellings on Gabriola was 2,744 in 2006, of which 1,998 were occupied by the usual residents.[5] Statistics Canada. "Gabriola Island Trust Area, Nanaimo B Regional District Electoral Area, British Columbia." Retrieved on July 29, 2007.
The median age of the population in 2006 was 52.9 years compared to the BC median of 40.8. Of the total population, 1,960 were male and 2,090 were female.[6] Statistics Canada. "Gabriola Island Trust Area, Nanaimo B Regional District Electoral Area, British Columbia." Retrieved on July 29, 2007.

Climate

On Gabriola, the average annual temperature is around . The average annual maximum temperature is about , and the average annual minimum temperature is about . The warmest time of the year is July and August, when maximum temperatures average . The coolest time of the year is December, January, and February, when minimum temperatures average around .^[5]
Gabriola's average annual rainfall is . The average annual snowfall is , and the average total precipitation is . The island averages 138 days of rainfall greater than and only seven days of snowfall greater than .^[6]

Community

Island festivals include the annual Thanksgiving Weekend Studio and Gallery Tour, sponsored by the Gabriola Arts Council. The Dancing Man Music Festival is held in late April through early May and the Home and Garden Tour in June. The Non-Marine Boat Race, the Sand Sculpture Competition, the Annual Salmon Barbecue, and Gabriola Islander Day all occur in August.
Throughout the summer on Gabriola, the Saturday Market at the Agricultural Hall features local produce and baked goods from the island, as well as crafts and artwork.
Folklife Village, on North Road a few minutes beyond the ferry terminal, is the island's main shopping centre. It was bought and transferred to Gabriola after its role in Expo 86 in Vancouver. Other shopping areas can be found at Twin Beaches Mall on the north end of the island and Silva Bay on the south end.
Gabriola and surrounding islands have more than 70 known petroglyphs - sandstone carvings, some of which may be as old as 2,000 years or more.^[7] A small park at the Gabriola Museum contains reproductions of some of these petroglyphs.
Gabriola Island has a strong connection to the city of Nanaimo. Residents of Gabriola often refer to it as "The Rock" and to Vancouver Island as "The BIG Island."
Habonim Dror Camp Miriam, a Jewish summer camp, operates on the island from the end of June through the end of August.

Wildlife

Sea creatures near Gabriola include orcas (killer whales), sea lions, seals, otters, oysters, mussels, clams, wolf eels, octopuses, and salmon.^[8] Deer and raccoons are among the island's more common land animals.
In the winter months, the coast of Gabriola is visited by many species of waterfowl such as the scoter, bufflehead, Barrow's goldeneye, and harlequin duck. Shorebirds such as the black turnstone and ruddy turnstone frequent the island as do garden birds such as the ruby-crowned kinglet, golden- crowned kinglet, thrushes, warblers, pileated woodpeckers, and flickers. The bald eagle, European starling, and turkey vulture are common year round. More than 250 bird species live in or migrate through the Nanaimo-Gabriola area. ^[9]

References

1. [1] Capital Regional District. "Geological History of Vancouver Island." Retrieved on July 30, 2007.
2. Doe, Nick. "Sandstone and Shale -- Gabriola's Origins," ''Shale: Journal of the Gabriola Historical and Museum Society'', Vol. 1, No. 1, November 2000, page 34.
3. Doe, Nick. "Sandstone and Shale -- Gabriola's Origins," ''Shale: Journal of the Gabriola Historical and Museum Society'', Vol. 1, No. 1, November 2000, page 31.
4. [3] Gabriola Co-op Radio. Retrieved on July 30, 2007.
5. [7] Environment Canada. “Canadian Climate Normals 1971-2000: Gabriola Island, British Columbia.” Retrieved on July 29, 2007.
6. [8] Environment Canada. “Canadian Climate Normals 1971-2000: Gabriola Island, British Columbia.” Retrieved on July 29, 2007.
7. [9] Gabriola Historical and Museum Society. "Gabriola Petroglyphs." Retrieved on July 31, 2007.
8. [10] Shangaan Webservices, Inc. "Gabriola Island." Retrieved on July 28, 2007.
9. [11] Black Press, Ltd. "Bird Watching." Retrieved on July 31, 2007.

External links

★ Gabriola Island Chamber of Commerce

★ Gabriola Life, Calendar of Events on Gabriola Island

★ Gabriola Island Discussion forum

★ Gabriola Island coming events and photo gallery, etc

★ Gabriola Museum

★ Scuba Diving Charters and Water Taxi

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