Fanny Bay, British Columbia

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**Fanny Bay, British Columbia, Canada**
Motto: n/a
Fanny Bay, British Columbia, Canada.
Census division	n/a
Regional District	Comox-Strathcona
Area:	n/a km²
Founded	n/a
Incorporated	n/a
Population Settlement	744 (2001)
Population density	?/km²
Time zone	Pacific: UTC -8
Postal code span	V0R 1W0
Latitude Longitude	49°29′30″N, 124°48′40″W
Elevation	0 m MSL
Highways	Highway 19
Waterways	Baynes Sound
Mayor
Governing body	n/a

^1(sc) According to the Canada 2001 Census. ^2(gr) Geographic references.

Fanny Bay is a small hamlet in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is located on Baynes Sound on the east coast of Vancouver Island. In 2001, its population was listed as 744.^[1] It is best-known for its fine oysters.

[edit] Origin of the Name

There is no consensus on the origin of the name "Fanny Bay" and none of the various explanations — comical, romantic, local or historical — can be considered without scepticism. The name first appeared on British Columbia maps in 1913 and was officially adopted by the government in 1923. This adoption was based on British Admiralty charts of the 1860s, taken from surveys by Royal Navy Captain G.H. Richards. However, if Capt. Richards knew who "Fanny" was, he did not record the information.^[2] Geographer A.B. McNeill wrote in his book Origin of Station Names, Esquimalt and Nanaimo Division that "...Fanny Bay was named after a sea captain who lived in this vicinity". Alas, like Capt. Richards, McNeill provides no dates or any other supporting information.^[3] A popular and persistent local theory holds that Fanny Bay was named by Captain George Vancouver in 1792. However, Capt. Vancouver's nautical charts and journals only describe the east side of the nearest body of water, the Strait of Georgia (including Texada Island). He had nothing more than a rough outline of the eastern shore of Vancouver Island between Nanaimo and Comox, and his charts omitted several nearby islands and other features.^[4] Therefore, it seems highly unlikely that Capt. Vancouver would have been able to proffer this name.

[edit] References

^ BC Stats – Census 2001
^ Akrigg, Helen B. and Akrigg, G.P.V; British Columbia Place Names; Sono Nis Press, Victoria 1986 or University of British Columbia Press 1997
^ BC Geographical Names Information System
^ Ibid.