Minstrel Island
There is a government dock at the southeast side of the island bordering Chatham Channel. The community of Minstrel Island is located on the east side of the island. The island has a floatplane base, Minstrel Island Water Aerodrome.
Name origin
The name is believed to have derived from a visit by a boat, believed to be HMS Amethyst, carrying Lord Dufferin, then Governor-General of Canada, and his wife which carried the viceregal couple on a voyage up the coast to Metlakatla in 1876. According to one of the crew, a Patrick Riley, Amethyst's crew performed regularly as a troupe of "minstrels", white people made up in blackface, who provided entertainment for shipmates and visitors, and the name likely commemorates a performance in these waters. Bones Bay and Sambo Point nearby are related names, referring to stock characters in minstrel shows.
See also
References
50°37′09″N 126°19′14″W / 50.61917°N 126.32056°W