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History
Egmont is named after the HMS Egmont, which served under Rear-Admiral Sir John Jervis at the Battle of St. Vincent on 14th February 1797.
Location
A small waterfront village on Secret Bay in Sechelt Inlet, Egmont is located a short distance east of the BC Ferries terminal at Earls Cove. It is at the northern end of the Sechelt Peninsula on BC's famous Sunshine Coast, just 6 kilometres off of Highway 101. Travellers can reach the Sunshine Coast by taking the ferry from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver.
Places to See
- Bathgate General Store, Resort, & Marina
Located on the waterfront in the village of Egmont, the Bathgate General Store, Resort, and Marina is gateway to the majestic beauty of British Columbia's Hotham Sound, Harmony Islands, Jervis and Sechelt Inlets, and world famous Princess Louisa Inlet.
Built in 1948, the historic Bathgate complex, complete with old time country general store, new motel and beautiful gardens, is an ideal vacation spot or weekend getaway.
The General Store is remarkably well stocked, offering an excellent selection of groceries, including fresh produce, meat, dairy products, ice cream, and baked goods. A wide variety of fishing equipment, including frozen bait, tackle, fishing licenses, marine charts, tide books, hardware and marine supplies, and cube and block ice are also available. There are practical items for the household such as toiletries, clothing, and even movie rentals.
Bathgate Marina offers gas, diesel propane, laundromat facilities, block and cube ice, boat rentals, secure guest moorage with power, water, bait, a big selection of fishing tackle, fishing licenses, marine charts, and tide books.
- Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park
Depart Egmont for a 45-minute hike into the park. In Salish, Skookumchuck means "strong or turbulent waters". At Roland Point, you can actually hear bubbling, boiling tidal rapids roar. They can reach up to 16 knots when they shoot through the narrows. Check local tide tables to time your arrival when tidal flows are at their peak.
- Hotham Sound
East of Egmont, protected from the open sea, the wilderness comes right to the edge of ultra-calm waters; a large tidal exchange feeds teeming marine life. The Sound also features the 365 metre (1,200-feet) Freil Falls and enchanting Harmony Islands.
- Princess Louisa Marine Provincial Park
Far inland, approached from the Strait of Georgia by way of Jervis Inlet, Princess Louisa Inlet has a charm and scenic beauty that must be seen and experienced.
Glaciation of millennia past carved the magnificent granite-walled gorge through the snow-tipped mountains that rise sharply from the water's edge to heights in excess of 2,100 metres (7,000 feet). As placid as a mountain lake, the ocean waters of Princess Louisa Inlet move constantly with the tides, but currents are practically nonexistent, except for the seven to ten-knot Malibu Rapids at the entrance. The inlet, almost completely enclosed, is 300 metres (1,000 feet) deep and never over 800 metres (1/2 mile) wide in its eight-kilometre (five-mile) length.
Until mid-June, the warm sun melting the mountain snow-pack creates more than sixty waterfalls that cascade and spume down precipitous walls to mingle with the waters of Princess Louisa Inlet. Beautiful Chatterbox Falls at the head of the inlet tumbles 40 metres (120 feet).
This spectacular park contains a number of campsites, a ranger cabin, picnic shelter, and toilets. For boaters there is a mooring buoy, stern pins, a boat dock, and a dinghy dock.
Things to Do
- Kayaking
It takes the better part of a day to paddle the 22 miles (35 km) from the federal dock in Sechelt to Egmont at the north end of the inlet via Skookumchuk Narrows. You can reduce the paddle time by launching at Porpoise Bay Provincial Park or private Tillicum Bay Marina.
- Diving
The HMCS Chaudiere, a retired Canadian Forces destroyer escort, off Kunechin Point in Sechelt Inlet, now rests on its side in deep water (20 to 40 metres). Several descent lines lead divers to the 118 metre hull of the ship and assist as guides to the surface. Kunechin Point, in Sechelt Inlets Provincial Marine Recreation Area, is also the site of a marine park campground and can be reached by boat from either Sechelt or Egmont.
- Whitewater Rafting
Go on an exciting whitewater rafting trip through the magnificent Skookumchuck Rapids. On a 10 foot tide, over 2 billion gallons of water roar through the narrow channel forming the Sechelt Rapids - the largest and fastest salt water rapids in North America.
- Fishing
Ruby Lake and Sakinaw Lake, located between Madeira Park and Earls Cove, are noted for trout fishing in season.
- Hiking
The hiking trail between Ruby Lake and Klein Lake is also part of the Suncoaster Trail system. At 4 kilometres, the trail is not overly long but is quite steep as it climbs north between the two lakes.
Events
- Sechelt Arts Festival
Features free workshops in painting, dance, and theatre, plus live music, street dance, and art displays.
Contact Information
Sechelt Visitor Centre
Seaside Centre
5790 Teredo Street
Sechelt, BC V0N 3A0
Telephone: 604-885-1036
Toll-Free: 1-877-885-1036
Fax: 604-885-2656
E-mail: visitorinfo@dccnet.com
Website: www.secheltvisitorinfocentre.com
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