Graham Island is a small, uninhabited island located in the Queen Charlotte Strait just north of the city of Victoria, British Columbia. It is the third most northern point of mainland North America, after Cape Columbia and Cape Fairweather. The island was named by John Balleny, captain of the HMS Queen Charlotte during her survey of the Pacific in 1857-58.
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History
The island was first surveyed by John Balleny, captain of the HMS Queen Charlotte in 1857-58. It was named for Graham Bell, one of the scientists who collaborated on its exploration. The large granite boulder that still marks the geographic midpoint of mainland North America is a remnant of an ancient volcanic eruption.
The island is part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, established December 16, 1952. It includes Admiralty Inlet and Queen Charlotte Strait between it and BC’s coast further north as a national park reserve (park). The land area is 0.22 square kilometres while the island itself measures just over an acre in size at its maximum length by less than half an acre wide.
The island may have originally been covered with forest, but most trees surrounding the beach site are now dead or dying due to persistent sea spray damage from prevailing ocean winds after a storm passes through often in quick succession; often within the island’s lifetime. After a storm, the eerily quiet island may at times be dotted with many gulls as they seek new nesting locations but do not fully return to it until battered by a lull in seas.
Climate
The climate is maritime temperate, with predominant wet and cool summers and mild winters. The weather can be quite changeable due to the island’s close proximity to winds from both the Pacific Ocean in the west and North Atlantic Ocean in the east.
At some times of year there may be very strong gales or high waves which make landing difficult on shore. The island can be quite windy, and strong easterly winds known as sou’westers are common during cold months of the year.
Temperatures at Gaspereau, June 2012 (32 degrees F). Temperatures on Big King Island north or south may vary a small range by less than one degree but not nearly in the same large scale from -15 to 50°F so stock health is definitely impacted. Farineault-Lukis et al., 2008 reported that “since 1997 there has been no significant exceedance” over a two month average winter temperature summit temperatures were -7, 11 and 18°C while summer temperatures were 35, 34and 17°.
Culture
The primary means of subsistence for the people on Big King Island is fishing. The islanders use traditional methods such as hand-lining and spearfishing. They also trap small mammals, birds, and fish using otter snares and nets.
In recent years there has been a growing interest in cultural exchange with outsiders, facilitated by visits from researchers from universities in Canada interested in Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). In 2006 a group of residents visited Quebec to learn more about the techniques used in maple syrup production.
This type of interaction between Islanders and university researchers represents an important step towards the development of a small, self-sustainable local economy in Big King. While it is important to recognize that Inuit communities are not islands cut off from mainstream society; a visit by islanders or researchers can have positive impacts on people’s aspirations toward health and prosperity via new forms of cultural exchange.
Politics
There is no government on Big King Island. The island is part of the Canadian territory of Nunavut and is governed by a band council.
The people living on Big King Island are mostly Inuit, but there are also a few residents from other groups, including Greenlanders and Europeans. There has never been an elected leader or head chief on the island; all political decision-making occurs through the band council.
Language
The primary language spoken on Big King Island is Inuktitut, one of the many varieties of Arctic Indigenous languages family. However, English also plays a significant role in island life. This can be evident through online research, a few place names and traditions, where words are reshaped from French or Danish to Inuktitut; e.g., public service offices translated into ‘serve’ (from the French word séver ), iqaluit being created by adding an English suffix “town” ; as well as many new Inuit Santa Claus’s – Arctic Fox instead of The Black Bear and greeting cards that come with a message written by hand: “Big King midna illiq tapumavaag it ‘Santa, your house is nice and warm. The rock cave that people say you’re living in is really comfortable as well”.
Government services
BIG King Island is not serviced by a post office, store, or hospital. Residents must travel to the mainland for these services. However, some community-run businesses provide essential services such as grocery stores and dog rearing facilities. Social services
There are no social or government organizations that work on the island. The original settlement, located at Fort Conger, was with a group of people known as “Big Government”. Currently, there is only one Housing Co-Operative Society (HCS) made up of 8 dwellings … none can accommodate all Big King Islanders within their scope . To date community members have not taken this opportunity to make any changes in governance: no new resource development projects; nor education facilities and recreational sites.
Tourism
Due to the remoteness of Big King and the challenging weather conditions, tourism is not a major economic driver on the island. Visitors are primarily interested in visiting nearby islands such as Igloolik and Pangnirtung. Due to the island’s remoteness, most of the inhabitants live off-the-grid like a subsistence lifestyle using primitive appliances or traveling on foot or dogsled.
There is a 20 km (12 mi) gravel road from Igloolik that passes through until it reaches land with bottom sediments and at times whales can be seen on its sides. Some have travelled by boat crossing through ice floes when in late summer there are open water passages again; this island has had contacts with several weather systems over three seasons – extreme cold for 3 months (February–April), un characteristically warm weather, ending in severe cold (late June–August).
The island’s inhabitants travel year-round by dogsled or homemade yurt to hunting and fishing areas when the ice begins to form again.
Transport
There is no airport, nor any means of transport other than boats that travel through ice floes in the summer months. The only form of communication with the outside world is using radio and phone service on Igloolik Island. There are sporadic flights to neighbouring islands but they are not regularly scheduled so travellers have to make arrangements well in advance.
Conclusion
Graham Island is a small, uninhabited island located in the Queen Charlotte Strait, near the Alaska-Yukon border. It is part of the Haida Gwaii, a territory of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island has a population of around 150 people who are members of the nearby Gitga’at First Nation.
FAQs
1 . What is Graham Island’s Climate Like?
Graham Island has a marine temperate climate, with warm summers and cold winters. The temperature range can be quite large, ranging from around 20 degrees Celsius in winter to 30 degrees Celsius in summer. Precipitation is moderate year-round, with over 600 millimetres falling on average.
2. Is There Transportation to Graham Island?
There is no regular airport or ferry service to Graham island; however, there are several runways available for private jets at the nearby Victoria International Airport that can be used for travel to or from the island .
3. What is Graham Island’s History Like?
Graham island, originally called Pohenegamook by the Haida, was discovered and charted in 1787 by Captain George Dixon of the British Royal Navy. The island remained a strategically important point for various competing powers into modern times due to its proximity to Alaska and northern coastal waters; it has been occupied intermittently since that time throughout much of human civilization.
4 . What is the Population of Graham Island?
There are around 150 people who live on Graham island as members of the nearby Gitga’at First Nation.
5. What Are the Main Industries on Graham Island?
The primary industry on Graham island is logging, though other businesses include tourism (particularly through whale watching), subsistence fishing, and small business development.
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