Kuper Island is the former name of the island of Penelakut. Penelakut belongs to the Penelakut First Nation and is located in the southern Gulf Islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland Pacific coast of British Columbia, Canada. The island has a population of about 300 members of the Penelakut Band. The island has an area of 8.66 km². There is frequent car and passenger ferry service to Penelakut from Chemainus on Vancouver Island.
A Mediterranean climate of mild winters and warm, dry summers supports a unique ecosystem and an ideal living environment. the island is in the rain shadow of Vancouver Island, with an annual rainfall of about 850 mm. There is a Roman Catholic Church and a longhouse, but no commercial establishments on the island. From 1890 to 1978, the Catholic Church had a Residential School on the island, and there is still much bitterness over its brutal practices . The present comprehensive school is run by the Penelakut. Because it is an Indian reserve, property is not available for purchase. (There is one private lot dating from the events of 1863).
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