Qwiquallaaq/Boat Bay Conservancy
- What are your views? A management plan for this conservancy is currently under development; you are invited to participate through the management planning web page for this conservancy. Click here to provide your comments.
- This site is under construction; more information on this conservancy will be added when it becomes available.
About This Conservancy
Qwiquallaaq/Boat Bay Conservancy protects forested lands, protected bays and coves, small islands, and cliffs, and supports a natural and scenic setting for visitors.
The conservancy is located in the Johnstone Strait, directly across from the Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve, a reserve that protects key habitat for killer whales and prevents their harassment.
The Qwiquallaaq/Boat Bay Conservancy was identified for consideration as a protected area as a result of the Central Coast Land and Resource Management Plan planning process. Following Government-to-Government discussions between the Province and First Nations, the central coast land use decisions (February 7, 2006) confirmed that Qwiquallaaq/Boat Bay would become a conservancy. The area was legally designated as Qwiquallaaq/Boat Bay Conservancy in Spring 2007.
The conservancy contains: rustic campground and picnic sites used by small boaters, especially kayakers; a seasonal killer whale monitoring and research camp; and, anchorages at Growler Cove and Boat Bay for recreational and commercial boaters.
Location and Maps
The conservancy is comprised of 639 ha of upland. It occupies the western end of West Cracroft Island in the Johnstone Strait and is 72 km southeast of Port Hardy, 103 km northwest from Campbell River, and 300 km northwest of Vancouver.
Nature and Culture
The Conservancy is within the traditional territories of the Mamalilikulla – Qwe’Qwa Sot’Em and Tlowitsis First Nations.
Sources of fresh water and protected beaches made the Boat Bay area an important stopover site for First Nations’ journeys requiring travel through the key transportation corridor between the northern and southern Kwakwaka’wakw’ First Nation communities. Marine and terrestrial resources such as salmon, crab, groundfish, wildlife, medicines, berries, and cedar were conveniently available to First Nations travelling through the area.
Visitors to the conservancy are often attracted by its proximity to the whale activity and other wildlife in the region. High shoreline cliffs in the conservancy provide excellent viewpoints for observing whales in the strait.
Management Planning
There is an active management planning project underway for this conservancy.
