Adopted in the 17th Report of the Geographic Board of Canada, 31 March 1921, as labelled on Arrowsmith's 1859 map, and on British Admiralty Charts, 1860 et seq, and on BC map 2C, 1919.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

Named in 1837 by officers of the Hudson's Bay Company after HBC's paddle steamer Beaver, the first steam vessel on the northwest coast (the Tilica was the first steamer on the Pacific Coast, but she was not north of the Panama area). The Beaver was leased to the British Admiralty during the 1860's, and it was from this vessel that Captains Richards and Pender conducted their hydrographic surveys along the BC coast. HBC sold her in 1874, and thereafter she was used as a freight and tow boat. The Beaver was wrecked off Stanley Park, running aground at Prospect Point at the entrance to Vancouver Harbour during the night of 26 July 1888.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

The Beaver was built in London of British oak, elm, greenheart and teak, copper fastened and sheathed. Her length was 101 feet, beam over the paddle boxes 33 feet. Launched 9 May 1835.... left London on 29 August under the command of Captain David Home, and with the company's barque, Columbia, built at the same time and commanded by Captain Darby. The Beaver was outfitted as a brig for the passage out, paddles unshipped, and came out via Cape Horn under sail alone. After calling at Juan Fernandez and Honolulu, she arrived off the Columbia River 18 March 1836.... anchored off Fort Vancouver 10 April. Here the paddles were shipped and boilers and engines connected. For additional details see Walbran, pp 40, 41.

Source: Walbran, John T; British Columbia Coast Names, 1592-1906: their origin and history; Ottawa, 1909 (republished for the Vancouver Public Library by J.J. Douglas Ltd, Vancouver, 1971)

In 1792 Galiano and Valdez named this harbour "Puerto de Guemes" after the Viceroy of Mexico; labelled "Daedalus Harbour" on an 1850 sketch by Mr. Dillon, RN; first labelled "Beaver Harbour" on Lieut. Mansell's 1851 plan of the harbour.

Source: Walbran, John T; British Columbia Coast Names, 1592-1906: their origin and history; Ottawa, 1909 (republished for the Vancouver Public Library by J.J. Douglas Ltd, Vancouver, 1971)