Pearse Island is an island in western British Columbia, Canada, in the Portland Inlet, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean. The island was first charted in 1793 by George Vancouver during his 1791-95 expedition. It was named by George Henry Richards, captain of HMS Plumper (1848), circa 1860, in honour of William Alfred Rombulow Pearse of the Royal Navy, who had been commander of HMS Alert (1856).

Location and territorial claims

The island is 210 km2 in size. It is separated from the mainland of Alaska by the 2 km wide Pearse Canal, which forms part of the Canada–United States border in this area. The island is 56 km north of Prince Rupert, British Columbia. It and neighbouring islands figured in one of the territorial and marine-boundary quarrels of the Alaska boundary dispute (the island was formerly claimed by the United States).

Features

The former Pearse Island Indian Reserve No. 43 is on the northeast end of the island. It is now named Wil Milit as a result of the Nisga'a Treaty and is no longer an Indian Reserve, but is fee-simple.

Pearse Canal Island

Pearse Canal Island is located at the southern end of the Pearse Canal, at 54.78333°N, -130.6°W, and is the site of a light operated by the Canadian Hydrographic Service.