Prevost Island | |
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Location of Prevost Island in British Columbia | |
Coordinates: 48°50′00″N 123°23′00″W / 48.83333°N 123.38333°W | |
Country | Canada |
Province | British Columbia |
Area | |
• Total | 6.75 km2 (2.61 sq mi) |
Prevost Island is an island in the southern Gulf Islands of the South Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located east of Ganges Harbour and midway between the southeastern extremity of Salt Spring Island (W) and the southern end of Galiano Island (E). The island was named for James Charles Prevost, who was British Commissioner for the San Juan Island boundary dispute of 1859-1870 and captain of HMS Satellite. Prevost Harbor on nearby Stuart Island, Washington is also named after Prevost and Satellite Island, within Prevost Harbor, is named after his ship.[1] The Satellite played a critical role in the Lamalcha War in the same area in 1863.[citation needed]
Most of the island was bought as a farm in the 1920s by Digby de Burgh, an Irishman from County Limerick, who used it to raise sheep, goats and cattle. His descendants still own much of the island, which is still primarily a sheep and cattle farm. A few smaller private homes were built on the northwest side of the island.