Gardner Canal

Gardner Canal is a coastal inlet in British Columbia extending roughly 90 kilometers as a branch of Douglas Channel, characterized by steep rocky walls and mountain peaks. The passage is accessed by traveling behind Hawkesbury Island through either Devastation Channel or Varney Passage.

Captain George Vancouver explored and mapped this inlet in 1793, naming it after Admiral Alan Gardner of the British Admiralty who supported his expedition. This survey became part of the broader European mapping efforts along the Pacific Northwest coast.

The Kemano River confluence marks where a hydroelectric station supplies power to aluminum production facilities downstream.

Access to the inlet is by boat only, as there are no road connections to the area. Visitors should prepare for significant tidal ranges and rapidly changing weather conditions typical of coastal British Columbia.

The water appears in striking blue tones created by fine glacial sediments suspended from surrounding mountains. Numerous waterfalls plunge directly from snow-covered peaks into the inlet, creating a striking visual scene.