Birnie Island
| Feature Type: | Island - Land area surrounded by water or marsh. |
| Status: | Official |
| Name Authority: | BC Geographical Names Office |
| Relative Location: | Between Inskip and Rushbrook Passages in entrance to Port Simpson, off NW side of Tsimpsean Peninsula N of Prince Rupert, Range 5 Coast Land District |
| Latitude-Longitude: | 54°35'45"N, 130°27'34"W at the approximate centre of this feature. |
| Datum: | WGS84 |
| NTS Map: | 103J/9 |
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Origin Notes and History:
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Birnie Island adopted 5 April 1927 on Ottawa file OBF 1045; not "Bernie Island" as spelled on BC map 3M, 1916. Confirmed 3 March 1949 on C.3844 and 4 August 1960 on 103J/9. Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |
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Named in 1836 by officers of the Hudson's Bay Company, after James Birnie, born at Aberdeen, Scotland, 1800. Like many enterprising young Scots, Birnie left home for Canada, arriving 1816. Joined the North West Company in 1818 as a clerk, and presumably continued in service to the HBC. Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |