Burrard Inlet
Burrard Inlet | |
---|---|
səl̓ilw̓ət ( Halkomelem) | |
Location | Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
Coordinates | 49°17′55″N 123°05′07″W / 49.29861°N 123.08528°W |
Type | Fjord |
Part of | Salish Sea |
Max. length | 44 km (27 mi) |
Sections/sub-basins | English Bay, False Creek, Indian Arm |
Burrard Inlet (
Burrard Inlet opens west into the
At the eastern end of the harbour, Burrard Inlet narrows again into a 350-metre-wide (1,150 ft) strait between
History
What is now known as Burrard Inlet has been home to the
In 1888, the inlet was described in The British Columbia Pilot published by the
Burrard inlet differs from most of the great sounds of this coast in being comparatively easy of access to steam vessels of any size or class, and in the convenient depth of water for anchorage which may be found in almost every part of it; its close proximity to Fraser river, with the great facilities for constructing roads between the two places, and its having become the terminus of the Pacific and Canadian Railway, likewise add considerably to its importance. It is divided into three distinct harbours, viz., English bay or the outer anchorage; Vancouver (formerly called Coal harbour), above the First Narrows; and Port Moody at the head of the eastern arm of the inlet.[6]
Geography
The inlet runs almost directly east from the Strait of Georgia to Port Moody. About two-thirds of the way east from the mouth of the inlet, the steep-sided Indian Arm branches off to the north between Belcarra and Deep Cove on into the Pacific Ranges.
Near the mouth of the inlet, a small section of the inlet along the curved stretch of the Burrard Peninsula is named English Bay. From English Bay, a small inlet named False Creek branches off to the east and incises the peninsula.
Extent
The extent of Burrard Inlet is defined as a line between Point Atkinson and Point Grey on the west, the end of Port Moody Arm on the east, and the head of Indian Arm on the north.[7] The inlet is about 31 kilometres (19 mi) long from the Strait of Georgia to Port Moody, or about 44 kilometres (27 mi) from the Strait of Georgia to the head of Indian Arm.
Settlements
Settlements on the shores of Burrard Inlet include Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver,
Port of Vancouver
Protected from the open ocean, the calm waters of Burrard Inlet form Vancouver's primary port area, an excellent one for large ocean-going ships. While some of the shoreline is residential and commercial, much is port-industrial, including railyards, terminals for container and bulk cargo ships, grain elevators, and (towards the eastern end) oil refineries. Freighters waiting to load or discharge cargoes in the inlet often anchor in English Bay, which lies south of the mouth of the inlet and is separated from it by Vancouver's downtown peninsula and Stanley Park.
On the main inlet, a few park areas remain forested as they were centuries ago, but the steep slopes of Indian Arm are so impassable that most have seen no development, despite the proximity of such a major city. Only in 2003 was a rough wilderness hiking trail around the whole of Indian Arm completed, and it was the work of one man over many years.[8]
Major crossings
The major crossings of Burrard Inlet, from west to east, are as follows:
- Lions Gate Bridge
- SeaBus
- Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing, or
- Second Narrows Bridge
References
- ^ "Burrard Inlet". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
- ^ "səl̓ilw̓ət (Sleilwaut) - Burrard Inlet/Indian Arm (Tsleil-Waututh) - The Bill Reid Centre - Simon Fraser University". www.sfu.ca. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ISBN 0-87062-203-X.
- ^ Bartroli, Thomas. Genesis of Vancouver City. Vancouver: (Self-published). 1997
- ISBN 0-7748-0636-2
- ^ Hydrographic Office of the British Admiralty (1888). The British Columbia Pilot. London, UK: Hydrographic Department of the Admiralty. Page 136.
- ^ "BC Geographical Names". apps.gov.bc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03.
- ^ Charles Montgomery (Oct 2001). "The Blazer". Western Living Magazine. Archived from the original on 2007-02-27.
External links
- 2002 Aerial Photos of Vancouver, including several views of Burrard Inlet and its shores