| Language of origin | Salishan language family ʔayʔaǰuθəm language |
| Feature Type: | Island - Land area surrounded by water or marsh. |
| Status: | Official |
| Other Names: | Harwood Island, Ahgykson Island |
| Name Authority: | BC Geographical Names Office |
| Relative Location: | NE side of Strait of Georgia, just W off Powell River (city), New Westminster Land District |
| Tags: | Indigenous |
| Latitude-Longitude: | 49°51'38"N, 124°39'09"W at the approximate centre of this feature. |
| Datum: | WGS84 |
| NTS Map: | 92F/15 |
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Origin Notes and History:
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"Harwood Island" adopted 27 April 1945 on Hydrographic Chart #3591, as labelled on Captain Vancouver's map, 1798, and on British Admiralty Chart 580, 1862 et seq. Name changed to "Ahgykson Island" under provisions of the Tla'amin Treaty, 5 April 2016. Spelling changed 5 April 2025 to ʔaʔgayqsən (island) on map 92F/15, as recommended by the Tla'amin Nation, 2024. Source: BC place name cards & correspondence, and/or research by BC Chief Geographer & Geographical Names Office staff. |
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ʔaʔgayqsən is a word in the ʔayʔajuθəm language, belonging to ɬaʔamɩn (Tla'amin), ƛoʔos (Klahoose), χʷɛmaɬku (Homalco) and k’ómoks (K'omoks) people (information provided by Tla'amin Nation, 2025). Source: included with note |
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The name ʔaʔgayqsən translates to "pointed nose" in reference to [the island's] shape. ʔaʔgayqsən was also a village site for thousands of years as evidenced by numerous archaeological sites. Today, many Tla'amin people still utilize the island to gather a variety of traditional foods and medicines (information provided by Tla'amin Nation, 2025). Source: included with note |