Date Published:
January 2005

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

Strait of Juan de Fuca

Juan de Fuca strait, a passage between the southern end of Vancouver island and the state of Washington, leading from the Pacific ocean to the strait of Georgia, and lying between the 47th and 48th parallels of latitude. It was first discovered in 1592 by the Greek pilot Juan de Fuca, whose real name was Apostolos Valerianos, and who was sent north by the viceroy of Mexico on a voyage of discovery. He sailed up the strait to the strait of Georgia, and noted at its entrance, near Tatooche island, the "high pinnacle or spired rock" which is still known as De Fuca's pillar. In 1787 the strait was re-discovered and re-named by Captain Barkley, who recognized it as the long lost strait of Juan de Fuca, on whose pretensions as a discoverer doubt and scorn had long been poured by geographers. Barkley did not explore the strait, but Vancouver sailed up it in 1792.

Source : W. Stewart WALLACE. Ed., The Encyclopedia of Canada , Vol. III, Toronto, University Associates of Canada, 1948, 396p., pp. 315.