Haddington Island (British Columbia)

Coordinates: 50°36′05″N 127°01′21″W / 50.6014°N 127.0225°W / 50.6014; -127.0225
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Haddington Island
Haddington Island is located in British Columbia
Haddington Island
Haddington Island
Location within British Columbia
Geography
Coordinates50°36′05″N 127°01′21″W / 50.6014°N 127.0225°W / 50.6014; -127.0225
Adjacent toBroughton Strait
Administration
Canada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
Regional districtMount Waddington

Haddington Island (

Mount Waddington Regional District
.

The closest major community to Haddington Island is Port McNeill.[4]

Geology

Haddington Island is a member in the chain of eroded volcanoes that run from

ocean crust of the Juan de Fuca and the Explorer Plate melts, it creates magma that penetrates the crust, causing periodic eruptions of the volcanoes. The western end of the Alert Bay Volcanic Belt is now approximately 80 km (50 mi) northeast of the Nootka Fault, which separates the Explorer and Juan de Fuca plates. However, at the time of its formation Haddington Island may have been coincident with the subducted plate boundary.[5] Also, the timing of volcanism corresponds to shifts of plate motion and changes in the locus of volcanism along the Pemberton and Garibaldi volcanic fronts. This brief interval of plate motion adjustment approximately 3.5 million years ago may have triggered the generation of basaltic magma along the descending plate edge.[5]

Although commonly referred to as andesite, by chemical composition the Haddington Island volcanic rocks are in fact

groundmass comprises 80-85% plagioclase feldspar, with lesser quartz, biotite and magnetite.[6] Small, 1–2 mm plagioclase phenocrysts are distributed through the rock mass, and form approximately 1% of its volume.[6]

Quarrying

The grey to bluff andesite on Haddington Island is considered by many to be British Columbia's finest building stone because it is easily profiled and carved. Some of British Columbia's landmark buildings were faced with Haddington Island andesite, including the Hotel Vancouver and the British Columbia Parliament Buildings.[7] Further information on the historic use of andesite on buildings in Vancouver can be found in the article Andesite in Vancouver Matters, BlueImprint Books, 2008 by Rob Brownie and Annabel Vaughan.

The Haddington Island Quarry initially operated between 1896 and 1966. It was reopened in 2004 by Haddington Island Stoneworks of Vancouver, BC.

History

The island was named after Thomas Haddington.[2] A provincial ferry, the Queen of Prince Rupert, ran up on the rocks here in 1967.[8]: 102 

See also

References

  1. ^ "Haddington Island". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Haddington Island". BC Geographical Names. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Haddington Passage". BC Geographical Names. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Mineral Resources Education Program of BC". Archived from the original on 2008-12-04. Retrieved 2008-06-26.
  5. ^
    ISBN 0-521-43811-X
    .
  6. ^
    doi:10.12789/gs.v35i2.11087
    . Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  7. ^ Natural Landscape Stones - Bedrock Granite Sales, Andesite, Basalt, Rhyolite, Sandstone - Vancouver, BC, Canada
  8. ISBN 0-7748-0636-2
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Haddington_Island_(British_Columbia)&oldid=1211074233"