Discovery Passage (Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ Passage)

Origin of place name: As noted in the Encyclopedia of Raincoast Place Names, this passage between Vancouver Island and Quadra Island was named after HMS Discovery, the ship that Captain George Vancouver sailed to explore the Pacific Northwest in 1791-95. The 303-tonne, 29-metre sloop carried a crew of 100, and was itself named after one of Captain James Cook's vessels.

The  Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ [pronounced Lee-gwilth-daxw] Nations (We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum and Kwiakah) are asking the province to change the official name of this body of water to Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ Passage. See the Cortes Currents for more information.