Bamfield, British Columbia

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Bamfield is a community is surrounded by Crown land, Indian reserves, and portions of the Pacific Rim National Park. On Barkley Sound, Vancouver Island in British Columbia at 48°49′49″N, 125°8′15″W. The community, with a population of 245 as of 2001^[1], is divided by Bamfield Inlet.

[edit] History

Bamfield was populated by Huu-ay-aht people of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations. Europeans founded a small fishing community sometime in the late 1800's.

In 1902, the Bamfield Cable station was constructed as the western terminus of a worldwide undersea cable called by some the All Red Line as it passed only through countries and territories controlled by the British Empire. The cable initially went to Fanning Island, a tiny coral atoll in the mid-Pacific, and from there continued to Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia. A second building, made of concrete was built on the site in 1926 to replace the old wood structure. This building, designated a historic site in 1930, is now used by the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre.

In 1953 the cables were extended up the Alberni Inlet to Port Alberni and station closed on June 20, 1959. Following the closure, only the large concrete building, two cable storage tanks and an adjacent building survived, as all the rest had been torn down.

Commercial fishing was based in Bamfield up to the mid-80s, but instead it is now home to several sport fishing lodges, which pursue primarily salmon or halibut. Bamfield is also the northern end of the West Coast Trail, a world-famous hiking trail built in 1907 along the west coast of Vancouver Island to help survivors of the area's many shipwrecks find their way back to civilization. The trail runs 77 kilometres along extremely rugged terrain.

Today Bamfield is primarily a tourist destination, either for the West Coast Trail, ocean kayaking or sport fishing. Bamfield also receives many university students who attend semesters at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre.

[edit] Reference

1. ^ Population of Bamfield. 2001 Census data.

[edit] External links

• Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre previously Bamfield Marine Station
• Vancouver Island.com on Bamfield
• Bamfield Chamber of Commerce
• Whistle Buoy Retreat - Bamfield Accommodation and Booking Service

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