The soldiers called it "Going Yorkie." Stationed on a small rock in Johnstone Strait with no enemy to fight, no town to visit, and no fresh water of their own, the garrison of Yorke Island developed a particular brand of stir-craziness that became its own unofficial diagnosis. Men who served on the island at the same time never met each other -- the fort's layout and the segregation of duties created invisible walls within an already tiny world. It was only at reunions, decades after the war, that some of these soldiers first shook hands.
Yorke Island occupies one of the most strategically significant positions on the British Columbia coast. The islet sits at the north end of Hardwicke Island, where Johnstone Strait splits around the island and Sunderland Channel branches off to the east. Every vessel traveling the Inside Passage between the mainland and Vancouver Island must pass this point. In 1938, when Major Treatt of the Canada War Department surveyed the west coast for coastal defense sites, Yorke Island's potential was obvious: it commanded the "back door" approach to Vancouver, the route an enemy fleet could use to bypass the more heavily defended Strait of Georgia. If the Japanese navy ever pushed into these waters, Yorke Island would be where Canada made its stand.
The fort was armed with two 4.7-inch quick-firing guns, later upgraded to two 6-inch Mk7 guns transferred from the Stanley Park Battery in Vancouver. A 6-pounder Hotchkiss served as an examination gun for stopping and inspecting passing vessels. Anti-aircraft defense came from two 40mm Bofors guns positioned at separate sites, and three 800-million-candlepower carbon arc searchlights gave the garrison the ability to fight at night. Supporting the fort on the water were examination vessels -- requisitioned fishing boats crewed by their own fishermen, nicknamed the "Gumboot Navy" for their decidedly unmilitary appearance. These boats patrolled the strait, stopping and checking every vessel that passed. Approximately sixty buildings were constructed to house and supply the garrison on this speck of rock.
Yorke Island had no drinking water. This single fact shaped daily life more than any tactical consideration. Initially, Union Steamships delivered water along with construction materials, but this proved wildly inefficient. A scow with a large tank was eventually brought in to fill the fort's 50,000-gallon cement cistern from the nearest creek on Hardwicke Island. It was during one of these water resupply runs that the fort suffered its only death. Gunner Brunt was aboard a skiff returning from a maintenance trip to Hardwicke Island when the small boat was swamped. His leg became tangled in the tow line, and when the boat sank, he went with it. Recovery efforts failed. The war never reached Yorke Island, but the island's own logistics claimed a life.
The garrison was decommissioned by early 1946, and the fort was abandoned. Today Yorke Island is a BC Parks Conservancy, and volunteer groups have cut and marked trails to the fort's remaining structures. The remnants are extensive: bunkers, gun emplacements, and the foundations of sixty buildings, all built on bedrock with over 100,000 cubic feet of concrete. Barbed wire still lines much of the island's perimeter -- still effective enough that visitors are warned against random landings along the shore. The wartime dock has been dismantled, making Courtenay Bay the safest approach by boat, though tides and winds make even that landing tricky. There are no tour operators with permits to bring visitors ashore. The island remains what it was during the war: difficult to reach, difficult to leave, and surrounded by water that does not forgive mistakes.
Located at 50.45N, 125.98W at the junction of Johnstone Strait and Sunderland Channel, off the north tip of Hardwicke Island. The islet is small and forested, visible from low altitude as a dark patch between the larger islands. The strategic position is apparent from the air -- the strait narrows here, and all vessel traffic must pass close to the island. Look for the remains of concrete structures along the shoreline. Nearest airport: Campbell River (CYBL) approximately 35 km to the southeast. The Inside Passage shipping lane runs directly past the island, so commercial vessel traffic is usually visible. Caution: this is an active float plane area with traffic between Campbell River and points north.