Introduction
For other uses, see Masset (disambiguation).
Village in British Columbia, CanadaMassetVillageVillage of MassetMassetLocation of Masset in British ColumbiaShow map of British ColumbiaMassetMasset (Canada)Show map of CanadaCoordinates: 54°00′36″N 132°08′17″W / 54.01000°N 132.13806°W / 54.01000; -132.13806CountryCanadaProvinceBritish ColumbiaRegionHaida GwaiiRegional districtNorth CoastRegistered1907Incorporated11 May 1961Government • Governing bodyMasset Village Council • MayorSheri DisneyArea • Total19.45 km2 (7.51 sq mi)Elevation10 m (33 ft)Population (2021) • Total838 • Density43.1/km2 (112/sq mi)Time zoneUTC−8 (PST) • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)Highways Highway 16 (TCH)WaterwaysDixon EntranceWebsitemassetbc.com
Masset (/ˈmæsɪt/; formerly Massett) is a village in the Haida Gwaii archipelago in British Columbia, Canada. It is located on Masset Sound on the northern coast of Graham Island, the largest island in the archipelago, and is approximately 50 km (31 mi) west of mainland British Columbia. It is the primary western terminus of Trans-Canada Highway 16 (the Yellowhead Highway) and is served by Masset Airport, with flights to Vancouver and Prince Rupert. During the maritime fur trade of the early 19th century, Masset was a key trading site. It was incorporated as a village municipality on May 11, 1961.
Name
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The name Masset was a gift from the captain of a Spanish vessel that was repaired with the assistance of the Haida citizens of Atewaas, Kayung, and Jaaguhl. These three villages accepted the gift and adopted the name Masset to commemorate what might be the first ever contact between Europeans and the Haida. Masset came from the Haida word masst, or "large island".
During the early years of Canadian colonization the name Masset and the post office were adopted by the (former) Reverend Charles Harrison as tactic for his land-selling scheme.
Currently, the name Masset is in use by two places: The Village of Masset – a municipality under Canadian legislation – and by the village of Old Massett, the original recipient of the name and a village under the Constitution of the Haida Nation. Masset's name in the local dialect of the Haida language is Uttewas, "white slope", probably referring to a small hill south of the village.
According to Walbran (1971), Captain Douglas, on his second visit from Nootka Sound aboard the Iphigenia on 19 June 1789, named the bay leading to the inlet McIntyre's Bay. This name was used on the charts of Dixon and Meares. The American traders called the inlet, Hancock's River as shown in Ingraham's chart of 1792 after the American brig Hancock. In 1853 H.N. Knox of the Royal Navy, mate on HMS Virago, made a survey sketch of the harbour when the name Masset was adopted by the British. A survey was made in 1907 by Captain Learmouth on HMS Egeria.
