Port Renfrew
Port Renfrew is a small unincorporated community located on the south shore of Port San Juan, an inlet on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Port Renfrew has a population of 262 (as of the 2021 Canadian census)[3] and has been touted as "the Tall Tree Capital of Canada".[4][5]
Port Renfrew | |
|---|---|
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| Nickname(s): The Land of Plenty, The Tall Tree Capital of Canada | |
  Port Renfrew Location of Port Renfrew within the Capital Regional District | |
  Port Renfrew Location of Port Renfrew  Port Renfrew Port Renfrew (British Columbia)  Port Renfrew Port Renfrew (Canada) | |
| Coordinates: 48°33′N 124°25′W[1] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Area | |
| • Land | 8.69 km2 (3.36 sq mi) |
| Population (2016) | |
| • Total | 144 |
| • Density | 16.6/km2 (43/sq mi) |
| Postal code | V0S 0A1 & V0S 1K0 |
| Website | https://www.portrenfrew.com |
History
Port Renfrew has been the home of First Nations since time immemorial. The Pacheedaht First Nation, meaning "People of the Sea Foam", have traditional village sites in and around the main town centre.
Originally named Port San Juan, the original settlers changed the name to honour Lord Renfrew who planned to settle crofters there. The name change was due to mail being sent to the San Juan Islands instead of Port San Juan and the inlet the town sits beside retains the name. Like many coastal Vancouver Island communities, Port Renfrew has a rich history of forestry and fishing.
Between 1830 and 1925, 137 major shipping tragedies occurred in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This stretch of coastline around Port Renfrew became known as the Graveyard of the Pacific.
Geography
Located at the head of the Port San Juan inlet, Port Renfrew lies adjacent to this natural harbour as well as the San Juan River. The other end of the inlet is located on the Strait of Juan de Fuca near its confluence with the Pacific Ocean. The San Juan Valley lies northeast of the town, surrounded by mountains on all sides.
Port Renfrew can be accessed from Victoria via British Columbia Highway 14 or from Lake Cowichan via Pacific Marine Road.
Climate
The climate is classic oceanic (Köppen: Cfb), because it is close to the Strait of Juan de Fuca towards the interior, the Mediterranean trend of rainfall patterns begins to be evidenced with high annual rainfall (proximity to the Csb), in terms of temperature is similar the Channel Islands. Summers are warm and almost fresh and winters are mild, one of the mildest in all of Canada.[6][7]
| Climate data for Port Renfrew Climate ID: 1016335; coordinates 48°35′30″N 124°19′35″W; elevation: 10.0 m (32.8 ft); 1981-2010 normals | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 19.0 (66.2) |
16.5 (61.7) |
20.0 (68.0) |
24.5 (76.1) |
27.5 (81.5) |
31.0 (87.8) |
31.7 (89.1) |
33.5 (92.3) |
28.9 (84.0) |
24.0 (75.2) |
17.2 (63.0) |
15.0 (59.0) |
33.5 (92.3) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 6.3 (43.3) |
7.5 (45.5) |
9.7 (49.5) |
12.3 (54.1) |
15.2 (59.4) |
17.4 (63.3) |
19.4 (66.9) |
20.0 (68.0) |
17.8 (64.0) |
12.9 (55.2) |
8.5 (47.3) |
5.9 (42.6) |
12.7 (54.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.1 (39.4) |
4.6 (40.3) |
6.2 (43.2) |
8.4 (47.1) |
11.1 (52.0) |
13.4 (56.1) |
15.3 (59.5) |
15.6 (60.1) |
13.4 (56.1) |
9.6 (49.3) |
6.1 (43.0) |
3.8 (38.8) |
9.3 (48.7) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 1.8 (35.2) |
1.6 (34.9) |
2.7 (36.9) |
4.3 (39.7) |
6.9 (44.4) |
9.4 (48.9) |
11.0 (51.8) |
11.1 (52.0) |
9.0 (48.2) |
6.3 (43.3) |
3.7 (38.7) |
1.6 (34.9) |
5.8 (42.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −12.5 (9.5) |
−10.5 (13.1) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
0.0 (32.0) |
1.7 (35.1) |
5.0 (41.0) |
2.2 (36.0) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
−11.5 (11.3) |
−11.1 (12.0) |
−12.5 (9.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 555.7 (21.88) |
376.6 (14.83) |
362.3 (14.26) |
258.7 (10.19) |
154.7 (6.09) |
107.9 (4.25) |
50.5 (1.99) |
82.4 (3.24) |
123.9 (4.88) |
371.2 (14.61) |
579.7 (22.82) |
481.0 (18.94) |
3,504.6 (137.98) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 544.0 (21.42) |
362.0 (14.25) |
356.0 (14.02) |
258.1 (10.16) |
154.6 (6.09) |
107.9 (4.25) |
50.5 (1.99) |
82.4 (3.24) |
123.9 (4.88) |
371.0 (14.61) |
575.4 (22.65) |
468.9 (18.46) |
3,454.7 (136.01) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 11.8 (4.6) |
14.6 (5.7) |
6.3 (2.5) |
0.6 (0.2) |
0.1 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.1) |
4.3 (1.7) |
12.1 (4.8) |
50.0 (19.7) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 22.8 | 18.4 | 22.3 | 19.3 | 16.7 | 13.9 | 9.0 | 9.6 | 11.1 | 18.8 | 23.1 | 22.4 | 207.3 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 22.1 | 17.8 | 22.0 | 19.3 | 16.7 | 13.9 | 9.0 | 9.6 | 11.1 | 18.8 | 22.8 | 21.5 | 204.7 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 2.9 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 0.33 | 0.04 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.08 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 11.1 |
| Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada[6] | |||||||||||||
Attractions
Port Renfrew sits at the head of Port San Juan and the mouth of the San Juan River, affording it a variety of recreational activities such as fishing, kayaking, and birding. The surrounding mountains and coastline are home to a variety of hiking trails, most notably the West Coast Trail to the north and Juan de Fuca Marine Trail to the southwest. The San Juan Valley to the east is home to numerous old growth forests and many of Canada's largest and oldest trees.
In town
- Government Wharf - western terminus of Highway 14
- Tall Tree Music Festival - held annually on the last weekend in June since 2010
Nearby
- Avatar Grove - old growth forest preserved by the Ancient Forest Alliance
- Juan de Fuca Provincial Park
- Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
- San Juan River Estuary Ecological Reserve
See also
- Jordan River, British Columbia - a small settlement southeast of Port Renfrew
References
- "Port Renfrew". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
- "Port Renfrew". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
- Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (8 February 2017). "Census Profile, 2016 Census - Port Renfrew, Unincorporated place [Designated place], British Columbia and British Columbia [Province]".
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - Peterson, Dave (1 September 2014). "Tall Tree Capital of Canada: Port Renfrew, B.C." Northwest Travel Magazine. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- "Port Renfrew Lodging". 17 August 2020
- "1981 to 2010 Canadian Climate Normals". Environment and Climate Change Canada. 25 November 2021. Climate ID: 1016335. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
- "Climate & Weather | Vancouver Island, BC | Destination BC – Official Site". 11 September 2017. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2019.