Burns Lake | |
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The Corporation of the Village of Burns Lake [1] | |
Location of Burns Lake in British Columbia | |
Coordinates: 54°13′45″N125°45′45″W / 54.22917°N 125.76250°W | |
Country | Canada |
Province | British Columbia |
Region | Nechako Country |
Regional district | Bulkley-Nechako |
Incorporated | 1923 |
Government | |
• Type | Municipal |
• Governing body | Burns Lake Village Council |
• Mayor [2] | Henry Wiebe |
• Councillors [3] | Darrell Hill Kevin White Charlie Rensby Kristy Bjarnson |
Area | |
• Total | 6.59 km2 (2.54 sq mi) |
• Land | 6.59 km2 (2.54 sq mi) |
• Water | 0.00 km2 (0.00 sq mi) |
Elevation | 720 m (2,360 ft) |
Population (2021) | |
• Total | 1,659 [4] |
• Density | 269.8/km2 (699/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC−08:00 (PST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−07:00 (PDT) |
Area code | 250 |
Highway | British Columbia Highway 16 |
Waterways | Burns Lake |
Website | Village of Burns Lake |
Burns Lake is a rural village in the North-western-Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, incorporated in 1923. The village had a population of 1,659 as of the 2021 Census. [5]
The village is known for its rich First Nations heritage, and for its network of mountain biking trails, which have received acclaim by becoming Canada's first IMBA Ride Centre. [6] In winter, cross country skiing trails and snowmobile wilderness trails are created. [7] Burns Lake is located in the midst of a large networks of lakes called the Lakes District, with fishing and hunting year round, and water activities in the summer months.
There are two First Nations reserves that are part of the town, and another four nearby, making it one of the few communities in the province that have almost equal populations of persons of native or European descent. Local nations include Wetʼsuwetʼen First Nation, Lake Babine Nation, Cheslatta Carrier Nation, Ts'il Kaz Koh First Nation, Skin Tyee First Nation and Nee-Tahi-Buhn Band.
The town serves as a hub for the local logging, saw-milling, mining and tourist industries. It also serves as the main commercial centre for the surrounding area including François Lake, Colleymount, Grassy Plains, Rose Lake, Topley, and Granisle. There are three pubs, several cafes and restaurants a selection of stores, hotels and motels, and services including a library and a hospital. It is also the location of the head offices of the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako.
Burns Lake's first inhabitants were the Dakelh (once known colonially as Carrier, an identification term never self-selected by any of the collection of cultures to which it was applied) and Wet'suwet'en First Nations communities that spanned much of the Lakes District and beyond.
Burns Lake, as pertains to the municipality of today, began as a small rest stop for travellers on their way to the Yukon Gold Rush. Many of these travellers spotted opportunity in the rich forestry, fur, and mining opportunities in Burns Lake and the surrounding area.
Burns Lake acquired its name after Michael Byrnes, who was an explorer for the Collins Overland Telegraph scheme. Byrnes passed Burns lake in about 1866 while surveying a route from Fort Fraser to Hagwilget. [8] : 33 Recent research indicates that Byrnes was also a miner during the Cariboo Gold Rush and had staked a claim on William's Creek earlier, in 1861. On the 1866 trail map of the area, the name 'Byrnes' Lake appears; after 1876 however, the maps indicate it as Burns Lake. [9]
Bob Gerow, one of the main founders of Burns Lake, entered into partnership with Jack Seely and Howard Laidlaw to create Burns Lake Trading Company. Together, they built a store/hotel and a sawmill on Gerow Island, which would become the hub of trade for the surrounding area. [10] The Village was incorporated on December 6, 1923. The first Mayor was G. M Gerow.
The first newspaper in Burns Lake was called the Observer, published and edited by Sidney Godwin. In the late 1950s, another newspaper, also called the Observer, was operated by Ralph Vipond. It closed in 1961.
The town continued to grow throughout the 20th century, despite damage suffered in an earthquake in August 1963. Its current industries have become forestry and tourism, though many workers commute to jobs in the mining industry.
Burns Lake received nationwide attention on January 20, 2012, when a fatal explosion destroyed Babine Forest Products, a wood mill which was one of the town's primary employers. [11]
The village of Burns Lake is infamous within the trucking and commercial transportation industries for its narrow, twisting main road which made the transportation of large loads to adjacent communities difficult at times. However, the serpentine route also displays the town's business district while many other highway communities have their downtowns bypassed.
A number of historic buildings still stand including:
First built in 1931 by the Women's Missionary Society of the United Church of Canada. Once the largest and finest public buildings between Prince George and Prince Rupert, it was famous for its fine gardens. It was later occupied by a senior citizens apartment complex, then declared a heritage building in 1982 and redeveloped as an office building by its owner, the Burns Lake Native Development Corporation.
Located adjacent to the Lakes District Museum, this square-cut log building is a former fur trade post which later became a gambling den. Due to the nature of gambling, fights broke out in the building, earning its name. It now contains a display of historical artifacts from the life of Barney Mulvaney, one of the founders of Burns Lake.
Burns Lake has a subarctic climate (Dfc,) although it is on the borderline of a humid continental climate. It has short warm summers and cold winters. Average winter snowfall is approximately 190 cm (74.8 in).
In June 1982 Burns Lake recorded 376.5 hours of sunshine. This is most sunshine ever recorded in British Columbia during the month of June. [12] [ citation needed ]
Climate data for Burns Lake | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high humidex | 11.0 | 10.0 | 14.4 | 24.5 | 37.6 | 34.4 | 35.9 | 37.4 | 29.5 | 25.0 | 14.3 | 10.8 | 37.6 |
Record high °C (°F) | 11.0 (51.8) | 10.3 (50.5) | 15.4 (59.7) | 27.3 (81.1) | 34.0 (93.2) | 33.3 (91.9) | 32.8 (91.0) | 33.4 (92.1) | 30.9 (87.6) | 25.6 (78.1) | 14.5 (58.1) | 11.3 (52.3) | 34.0 (93.2) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −5.7 (21.7) | −1.5 (29.3) | 4.4 (39.9) | 9.8 (49.6) | 14.6 (58.3) | 18.0 (64.4) | 21.0 (69.8) | 20.7 (69.3) | 16.1 (61.0) | 9.5 (49.1) | 0.2 (32.4) | −5.3 (22.5) | 8.5 (47.3) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −10.5 (13.1) | −7.4 (18.7) | −2.0 (28.4) | 3.5 (38.3) | 8.3 (46.9) | 11.7 (53.1) | 14.3 (57.7) | 13.9 (57.0) | 9.9 (49.8) | 4.9 (40.8) | −3.2 (26.2) | −9.7 (14.5) | 2.8 (37.0) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −15.3 (4.5) | −13.3 (8.1) | −8.4 (16.9) | −2.9 (26.8) | 2.0 (35.6) | 5.4 (41.7) | 7.6 (45.7) | 7.1 (44.8) | 3.7 (38.7) | 0.2 (32.4) | −6.6 (20.1) | −14.1 (6.6) | −2.9 (26.8) |
Record low °C (°F) | −46.7 (−52.1) | −40.0 (−40.0) | −40.0 (−40.0) | −18.9 (−2.0) | −7.0 (19.4) | −2.2 (28.0) | −0.6 (30.9) | −0.8 (30.6) | −8.9 (16.0) | −21.5 (−6.7) | −37.3 (−35.1) | −42.7 (−44.9) | −46.7 (−52.1) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 41.1 (1.62) | 27.2 (1.07) | 25.1 (0.99) | 16.7 (0.66) | 35.1 (1.38) | 51.2 (2.02) | 43.3 (1.70) | 42.8 (1.69) | 41.1 (1.62) | 44.6 (1.76) | 48.2 (1.90) | 44.1 (1.74) | 460.8 (18.14) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 5.1 (0.20) | 2.3 (0.09) | 3.3 (0.13) | 10.4 (0.41) | 33.9 (1.33) | 51.2 (2.02) | 43.3 (1.70) | 42.8 (1.69) | 40.5 (1.59) | 37.7 (1.48) | 16.9 (0.67) | 4.0 (0.16) | 291.3 (11.47) |
Average snowfall cm (inches) | 42.3 (16.7) | 29.0 (11.4) | 23.2 (9.1) | 6.0 (2.4) | 1.2 (0.5) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.7 (0.3) | 7.2 (2.8) | 34.4 (13.5) | 45.8 (18.0) | 189.8 (74.7) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 13.6 | 11.1 | 11.0 | 8.0 | 12.6 | 14.4 | 12.3 | 12.0 | 12.5 | 13.8 | 13.9 | 13.2 | 148.1 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 57.0 | 94.1 | 138.7 | 190.4 | 233.8 | 242.7 | 267.5 | 242.3 | 155.1 | 105.7 | 52.0 | 43.9 | 1,823.2 |
Source: Environment Canada [13] |
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Burns Lake had a population of 1,659 living in 689 of its 765 total private dwellings, a change of -6.7% from its 2016 population of 1,779. With a land area of 6.54 km2 (2.53 sq mi), it had a population density of 253.7/km2 (657.0/sq mi) in 2021. [14]
According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Burns Lake included: [15]
Burns Lake is located on Highway 16. Major commercial airlines fly into Smithers Airport, which is approximately 150 km (93 mi) west of Burns Lake, as well as Prince George Airport which is approximately 230 km (140 mi) east of Burns Lake.
Via Rail's Jasper–Prince Rupert train calls at the Burns Lake station several times per week.
BC Bus has the bus service through the area twice a week. Alternatively, there is a BC Transit bus which operated between Prince George and Smithers throughout the week.
A free ferry is available to cross Francois Lake which is directly south of Burns Lake. The ferry is used frequently to get to Grassy Plains.
Burns Lake is surrounded by a rich First Nations culture. There are six First Nations Groups in the area:
The Lakes District Arts Council [21] holds several arts events every year, bringing in acts from all over the globe with a variety of different types of performances including, music, theatre, and a variety of other performances.
Burns Lake hosts annual Performing Arts and Alternative Arts Festivals, drawing talent and audiences from across the region. Burns Lake also hosts an annual Aboriginal Day Celebration (the second largest in the province) which draws people from around the region and an annual Canada Day Celebration, each of which have celebratory parades. [22]
Burns Lake has gained world renown from the International Mountain Biking Association for its network of trails on Boer Mountain. The trails, maintained by a volunteer group called the Burns Lake Mountain Biking Association, [23] includes 23 km (14 mi) of downhill and 40 km (25 mi) of cross country trails. The trails continue to draw mountain bikers from all over the world and are expanding every season. In the winter months cross country skiing is popular at the Omineca Ski Club. Its facilities have hosted several national championships.[ citation needed ] The facilities include 25 km of groomed trails, four km of which are lit for nighttime skiing. There is also a facility for biathlon skiing.
In 2014 The Village of Burns Lake completed work on the Lakeside Multiplex and renovations to the Tom Forsyth Memorial Arena. This facility includes a hockey rink, curling rink, rock climbing gym, a squash/racquetball court, a fitness facility, and multi-use rooms. The facility is located on Spirit Square, a large outdoor park with a playground, a beach, a walking path, outdoor fitness equipment, two tennis courts, and a skateboard park.
The 1.9 kilometre Opal Bed Trail leads to an active rock hounding destination, where users can look for precious minerals. [24]
Burns Lake is considered to be the gateway to Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area. (The North Park is a wilderness area with no services or supplies; it cannot be accessed by road. [25] ) Fly-in tours for sightseeing, hunting and fishing are offered by local outfitters. [26]
The book Unmarked: Landscapes Along Highway 16 , written by Sarah de Leeuw, includes a short essay on Burns Lake titled "Screamed on a Fence, Beside a Passing Train". Climate
Carole Alison James is a Canadian politician and former public administrator, who represented Victoria-Beacon Hill in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 2005 to 2020. A member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party (NDP), she was the party's leader and Leader of the Opposition in British Columbia from 2005 to 2011. Following her resignation as leader, she stayed in politics and served as the 14th deputy premier of British Columbia and minister of finance under John Horgan, from 2017 to 2020.
The Dakelh or Carrier are the indigenous people of a large portion of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Another name the Dakelh/Carrier call themselves is Yinka Dene, the Babine-Witsuwitʼen-speaking bands prefer the equivalent Yinka Whut'en.
Squamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway. The population of the Squamish census agglomeration, which includes First Nation reserves of the Squamish Nation although they are not governed by the municipality, is 24,232.
Vanderhoof is a district municipality near the geographical centre of British Columbia, Canada. Covering 2.92 square kilometers, it has a population of about 4,500 within town limits, and offers services to nearly 10,000 people in nearby rural communities. Its main industries are forestry, agriculture, and related businesses. Tourism is also growing, and mining operations are being developed in the area. It has many elementary schools, and one major secondary school, Nechako Valley Secondary School (NVSS), comprising School District 91 Nechako Lakes. The College of New Caledonia has a regional campus there.
The Wetʼsuwetʼen are a First Nation who live on the Bulkley River and around Burns Lake, Broman Lake, and François Lake in the northwestern Central Interior of British Columbia.
Houston is a forestry, mining and tourism town in the Bulkley Valley of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its population as of 2021 was 3,052, with approximately 2,000 in the surrounding rural area. It is known as the "steelhead capital" and it has the world's largest fly fishing rod. Houston's tourism industry is largely based on ecotourism and Steelhead Park, situated along Highway 16. Houston is named in honour of the pioneer newspaperman John Houston.
Fort Babine is an unincorporated community that borders the Skeena and Omineca regions of central British Columbia. This First Nations settlement is on the east shore of the Babine River at the northern tip of Babine Lake. By road, the location is about 105 kilometres (65 mi) northeast of Smithers.
Babine Lake Marine Park is on Babine Lake, which borders the Skeena and Omineca regions of central British Columbia. This provincial park comprises six separate sites around the lake. Vehicle access to the lake, via BC Highway 16 and Nilkitkwa forestry service road, is by road about 105 kilometres (65 mi) northeast of Smithers; via BC Highway 16 and Central Babine Lake Highway, is about 132 kilometres (82 mi) east of Smithers; or via Babine Lake Road, is about 20 kilometres (12 mi) northeast of Burns Lake.
Babine–Witsuwitʼen or Nadotʼen-Wetʼsuwetʼen is an Athabaskan language spoken in the Central Interior of British Columbia. Its closest relative is Carrier. Because of this linguistic relationship together with political and cultural ties, Babine–Witsuwitʼen is often referred to as Northern Carrier or Western Carrier. Specialist opinion is, however, that it should be considered a separate, though related, language.
François Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located at the east end of Francois Lake. The total park area is 7,214 hectares. It is about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) off BC Highway 16, southwest of the town of Fraser Lake. There is no potable water at the site so campers should bring their own.
The Wetʼsuwetʼen First Nation is a Wetʼsuwetʼen First Nations band located outside of the village of Burns Lake, British Columbia, Canada. It was formerly known as the Broman Lake Indian Band and is still usually referred to as Broman Lake although this is no longer its official name. Its members speak the Wetʼsuwetʼen dialect of Babine-Witsuwitʼen, a Northern Athabaskan language. The main community is on Palling Indian Reserve No. 1.
The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council is a tribal council representing six First Nations in the Central Interior of British Columbia. It was originally known as the Lakes District Tribal Council. The CSTC was incorporated in 1981 and is a registered non-profit society.
Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, which along with Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park and Entiako Provincial Park were once part of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, then B. C.'s largest park, 9,810 square kilometres (3,790 sq mi) located in the Coast Range.
Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park is a provincial park covering parts of the eastern Kitimat Ranges, northern Pacific Ranges, and the Rainbow Range in British Columbia, Canada. It was established on May 21, 1938 in the western interior of the province, to protect its important natural features. The park hosts a variety of recreation activities for visitors. This park encompasses a range of diverse species in this park including bears, moose, and various fish. There are also a few at risk species in this park.
The Nechako Plateau is the northernmost subdivision of the Interior Plateau, one of the main geographic regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It spans the basin of the Nechako River and its tributaries the Stuart River and Endako Rivers, and is bounded on the south by the West Road River, south of which is the Chilcotin Plateau and on the north by the Nation River and the valleys of Babine and Takla Lakes, beyond which are the Omineca Mountains (N) and Skeena Mountains (NW). To the west, it abuts the various ranges of the Hazelton Mountains while on its east it is bounded by the pass between Prince George, British Columbia and the Parsnip Arm of Williston Lake, beyond which is the McGregor Plateau, which skirts the Northern Rockies. Some classification systems include the plateau area on the east bank of the Fraser River beyond the city of Prince George; this area neighbours the northernmost reaches of the Quesnel Highland and Cariboo Mountains.
The Nadleh Whut'en First Nation is a First Nations government of the Dakelh people, whose territory is located in the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, around the east end of Fraser Lake. The nation has seven reserves which Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Development Canada refer to as IR#1-9.. Until 1990, it was referred to as the Fraser Lake Indian Band.
The Morice River is the outflow of Morice Lake southwest of Houston, British Columbia, Canada. Morice Lake and Morice River are named after Father Adrien-Gabriel Morice. The Morice has many small creeks joining it along its length, but retains the clear glacial hue for its length. The Morice River continues on to the town of Houston, at which point the river is joined by a small tributary river called the Little Bulkley River, and the two rivers joined become the Bulkley River. They become the Bulkley, not the Morice, despite the fact that the Morice is larger. This was done by Poudrier, a government cartographer who, it is rumoured, never saw the region.
The Cheslatta Carrier Nation or Cheslatta T'En, of the Dakelh or Carrier people (Ta-cullies, meaning "people who go upon water" is a First Nation of the Nechako River at the headwaters of the Fraser River.
The Nee-Tahi-Buhn Band is a First Nation located in the Interior of British Columbia near Burns Lake.
The lack of treaties between the First Nations of British Columbia (BC) and the Canadian Crown is a long-standing problem that became a major issue in the 1990s. In 1763, the British Crown declared that only it could acquire land from First Nations through treaties. Historically, only two treaties were signed with the First Nations of British Columbia. The first of these was the Douglas Treaties, negotiated by Sir James Douglas with the native people of southern Vancouver Island from 1850 to 1854. The second treaty, Treaty 8, signed in 1899, was part of the Numbered Treaties that were signed with First Nations across the Prairie regions. British Columbian Treaty 8 signatories are located in the Peace River Country or the far north-east of BC. For over nine decades no more treaties were signed with First Nations of BC; many Native people wished to negotiate treaties, but successive BC provincial governments refused until the 1990s. A major development was the 1997 decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in the Delgamuukw v. British Columbia case that Aboriginal title still exists in British Columbia and that when dealing with Crown land, the government must consult with and may have to compensate First Nations whose rights are affected.
During the winter, Olympic quality cross-country skiing trails and facilities draw in competitors and recreational skiers from across the province. Snowshoe enthusiasts can follow in their tracks too. Additionally, Burns Lake is a snowmobiler's paradise, with vast wilderness trails near town.
Lohn Clayton White was the cartographer and artist for the Collins Overland Telegraph and would have applied the names to his 1866 map of the trail. Byrnes Lake, which appeared on maps after 1876 as Burns Lake, was the third feature named after Byrnes.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)The community hosts numerous festivals and events
Burns Lake lays at the bottom of the Bulkley Basin next to the largest Provincial Park in British Columbia - Tweedsmuir Park and the smallest - Deadman's Island Provincial Park