Sunshine Coast 4.19

The Sunshine Coast is a region of the southern mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada, on the eastern shore of the Strait of Georgia, and just northwest of Greater Vancouver. The region includes the coastal areas of the regional district of Sunshine Coast, where the name originated, and more recently the regional district of Powell River up to and including the village of Lund, much farther up the coast.While populous and frequently visited by tourists, the Sunshine Coast can only be reached by ferry (commonly BC Ferries) or by float/airplane; because of the steep, rugged terrain, no access roads have been built around or across the fjords to connect with the rest of the province. The area around Powell River, also on the mainland and inaccessible by road, is considered by some to be part of the Sunshine Coast, while others use the name to refer only to the area between Langdale (near the Town of Gibsons in the south) and Egmont (in the north).Population centres on the Lower Sunshine Coast include Gibsons (near the BC Ferries terminal at Langdale for vessels coming from Vancouver), Roberts Creek, and Sechelt on the isthmus. On the Sechelt Peninsula are Halfmoon Bay, Secret Cove (in between Sechelt and Pender Harbour) and Pender Harbour. At the north end of the peninsula, the ferry to Powell River docks north of Egmont at Earl's Cove. These small settlements are near Skookumchuck Narrows, where the skookumchuck or "strong water", the world's biggest tidal marine rapids, channels the tidal flow in and out of the fiord known as Sechelt Inlet.