According to Scott, some sources posit that the name comes from a naval practice that
required repaired naval vessels at Esquimalt to complete a “trial run” around the islands to test their seaworthiness.1 However, Scott claims that this origin is likely false, due to the fact that the
name appears on charts that antecede the construction of the repair facilities at
Esquimalt Harbour.2 A more likely inception of the name comes from the difficulty with which a vessel
rounds the Trial Islands—which represents a “trial” of a captain's skills.3 The Trial Islands are the home to a number of wrecks; as well, many individuals have
perished in the rough seas around the islands' shores.4
1. Andrew Scott, The Encyclopedia of Raincoast Place Names (Madeira Park, BC: Harbour Publishing, 2009), 601.