| Gardner Canal | |
|---|---|
 Gardner Canal near Kemano | |
  Gardner Canal Location in British Columbia | |
| Location | British Columbia,Canada |
| Coordinates | 53°26′35″N128°23′30″W / 53.44306°N 128.39167°W /53.44306; -128.39167 (Gardner Canal) |
| Type | Fjord |
TheGardner Canal[1] is one of the principalinlets of theBritish Columbia Coast. Technically a side-inlet of the largerDouglas Channel, the Gardner Canal is still 90 km (56 mi) in length in its own right; total length of the waterways converging on the Douglas Channel is 320 km (200 mi) making it one of the largestfjord-complexes in the world.
It was named in 1793 byGeorge Vancouver in honour of his friend and former commander,Alan Gardner, 1st Baron Gardner.[2] One of his men,Joseph Whidbey, first charted it the same year.[3]
The entrance to the Gardner Canal is hidden behindHawkesbury Island, and is accessed viaDevastation Channel or Varney Passage which form the northeast and southeast flanks of that island.
Segments of the Gardner Canal are named "reaches". They are, from mouth to head, Alan Reach,[4] Europa Reach,[5] Barrie Reach,[6] Whidbey Reach,[7] and Egeria Reach.[8] The extreme head is called Kitlope Anchorage.[9] Side inlets include Ochwe Bay,[10] Triumph Bay,[11] Kiltuish Inlet,[12] Owyacumish Bay,[13] and Chief Mathews Bay.[14]
The Gardner Canal is the location of theKemano Generating Station of theNechako Diversion, which was built to supply power for anAlcan aluminum smelter inKitimat. The generating station is located about halfway along the canal on its north bank, at the mouth of theKemano River. At the head of the Gardner Canal is the mouth of theKitlope River a major wildlife and wilderness preserve, theKitlope Heritage Conservancy, an area of outstanding natural beauty and harsh weather.
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