Gabriola Island Place Names

Ann Turner is the financial and budget manager of the University of
British Columbia Library.

One of the Gulf Islands, Gabriola Island lies off Vancouver Island’s
east coast, sheltering Nanaimo’s harbor from the Gulf of Georgia. The
island has been settled for more than 150 years, and its place names
reveal much of its natural and social history (identifying, for example,
those who explored the island, successive generations of residents, and
some of its natural features). Extensive subdivision over the past 20
years has added many new street names to the catalogue.

The authors, longtime residents of Gabriola, began studying the
island’s history more than 30 years ago by interviewing its residents.
Their research of place-name origins grew out of that work and is
ongoing (readers are invited to search their memories and fill in any
gaps they can). The easy-to-use book is organized alphabetically.
Local-history enthusiasts and Gabriola residents will find this an
interesting little volume to browse.