(From www.travel-british-columbia.com) Egmont is a small waterfront village on Secret Bay in Sechelt Inlet named after the HMS Egmont, which served under Rear-Admiral Sir John Jervis at the Battle of St. Vincent on 14th February 1797.
Location
Egmont is located 6 km (4 mi) east of the BC Ferry terminal at Earls Cove at the north end of the Sechelt Peninsula on the Sunshine Coast. From Vancouver, take the Horseshoe Bay Ferry in West Vancouver to Langdale and drive 85 km (53 mi) to Egmont via Highway 101.
Things to See and Do
- Egmont Heritage Centre
The Egmont Heritage Centre was opened in 2006 and is located across from the Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park. The Centre tells the story of the Native and early pioneer settlers of the area with emphasis on the logging and fishing heritage. There are special collections of Vivian and Easthope engines, antique bottles, Depression glass and a gift shop featuring local books, arts and crafts. There are outdoor displays and picnic areas.
- Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park
Skookumchuk Narrows attracts thousand of visitors anually who come to see 200 billion gallons of water forced through the narrows twice a day. It is a 4 km (2.5 mi) walk into the narrows from Egmont. 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.
- 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 one hundred 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). Tours are available from Egmont to the Falls.
- Diving
There are over 100 popular dive sites on the Sunshine Coast. Sechelt Inlet is rated one of the world’s top 20 recreational dives by Scuba Diving Magazine. A popular dive site is the 366-foot wreck of the HMCS Chaudiere at the mouth of Salmon Inlet, which was scuttled in 1992 by the Artificial Reef Society of BC. Giant Pacific octupus can be found in channels near Egmont.
- Fishing
The Sunshine Coast offers many wonderful opportunities for both saltwater and lake fishing, whether on your own or on a guided tour. The Strait of Georgia is a migratory route for salmon and the deep waters of Pender Harbour are excellent for lingcod. Shellfish in the area include prawns, oysters, crab and clams. Ruby Lake and Sakinaw Lake, located between Madeira Park and Earls Cove, are noted for trout fishing in season.
- Hiking the Suncoaster Trail
The Suncoaster Trail moves through rural communities and wilderness settings. The 37 km (23 mi) of natural trail travels through old crown land forest roadways along a series of lakes and connects trails blazed through the brush with exit points near Sunshine Coast communities. The trail head is located at the corner of Highway 101 and Egmont Road minutes from Earls Cove ferry terminal. This trail currently terminates in Halfmoon Bay.