Powell River, British Columbia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Location | |
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| City Information | |
| Established: | 1912 |
| Area: | 29.77 km² |
| Population:
- City (2001) |
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| Population density: | 436.1/km² |
| Time zone: | Pacific: UTC -8 |
| Postal code span: | V8A |
| Local area code: | 604 |
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Latitude: |
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| Elevation: | 50 m MSL |
| Government | |
| Mayor: | Kevin Nauer
List of mayors of Powell River, British Columbia |
| Governing body: | Powell River City Council |
| 1(sc) According to the Canada 2001 Census. 2(gr) Geographic references.Template help Edit Template  |
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Powell River, British Columbia is a small city on the south mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada, located on the shores of the Strait of Georgia. This area is sometimes referred to as the upper Sunshine Coast. It is the seat of the Powell River Regional District. The city is bounded by the Strait of Georgia to the south and west, Lund & Desolation Sound Marine Park to the north, and the Pacific Coast Ranges with Jervis Inlet to the east. These unique geographical surroundings explain Powell River's reputation as a remote community, despite a relative proximity to Vancouver and other populous areas of the BC coast.
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[edit] Recreation
Common recreational activities within a 30 minute drive Powell River include:
- Hiking
- 3 Day Canoe Route
- Kayaking Ocean, River and Lake
- Mountain Biking
- Rock Climbing
- Sailing
- Paint Ball
- Snow shoeing
- ATV/Snow mobile trails
- Horse back trails
- Fishing
- Camping
- Hunting
[edit] Transportation
While not on an island, Powell River is accessible to vehicles only by ferry; the surrounding inlets (fjords) banked by mountainous terrain have made inland roads thus far unfeasible, however, a proposal has been made for the construction of a road to Squamish. BC Ferries serves Powell River from Comox on Vancouver Island to the west, and from the Sunshine Coast to the south east, via a route from Earl's Cove near Skookumchuck Narrows. Since the Sunshine Coast is similarly isolated from the rest of the BC mainland, vehicles traveling to Powell River from Vancouver must take two ships to reach it (across Howe Sound and the Jervis Inlet if travelling via Sechelt, and across Georgia Strait twice if going via Nanaimo). Powell River is also accessible via plane, either private or via Pacific Coastal Airlines, which offers 20 to 25 minute flights to Vancouver departing from the South Terminal of Vancouver's International Airport. Flight times vary depending on equipment used.
[edit] City of Powell River
The City of Powell River includes the original Townsite, as well as the more populous Westview, and the Cranberry Lake and Wildwood areas. On October 15, 2005, coinciding with its 50th Anniversary of Incorporation, Powell River was officially designated a City.
The Mayor of Powell River, presently serving his third term, is Stewart Alsgard.
[edit] Ecosystem
Powell River is situated within a temperate coastal rainforest, which includes many increasingly rare species of plants, trees, and woodland animals. An extensive trail system of more than 200 km offers easy access to wilderness areas, from temperate wetlands to subalpine meadows (and even semi-permanent glaciers). The Powell River area is also home to numerous marine parks, the most famous of which is Desolation Sound.
The Powell River itself is known as the third shortest river in the world (500m).
[edit] History
The river was named for Israel Wood Powell, who was at that time superintendent of Indian Affairs for BC. He was travelling up the coast of BC in the 1880s and the river and lake were named in his honour.
The pulp mill was started in 1912, with a corresponding townsite built. Similarly, large logging companies moved in to take advantage of the huge timber. Brooks, Scanlon Obrien; Bloedel, Stewart and Welch; and Theodosia Logging were but a few companies.
The pulp mill in Powell River was at one time the largest pulp mill in the world. It has significantly cut back on production and now produces specialty paper for Catalyst Paper Corporation. The subsequent diversification of the local economy led to an increased focus on ecotourism and the arts, in addition to more traditional resources like mining, fishing, and general forestry. In recognition of its strong arts & cultural programs, Powell River was named a "Cultural Capital of Canada" in 2004.
The population of the Powell River Regional District is (2001 Census) 19,765. Of this 12,983 live in the District Municipality of Powell River. Although these numbers have remained static since the 1970s, recent (2006) figures indicate that the regional population is showing signs of renewed growth, and may have reached 22,000.[citation needed]
The Powell River area is the traditional home to the Sliammon Salish nation who still reside there to this day.
See Also
