Fort Nelson, British Columbia

Last updated

Fort Nelson
Nicknames: 
Mile 300, Fort Nelly, F-N
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Fort Nelson
Location of Fort Nelson in British Columbia
Canada location map 2.svg
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Fort Nelson
Fort Nelson (Canada)
Coordinates: 58°48′21.3″N122°41′47.3″W / 58.805917°N 122.696472°W / 58.805917; -122.696472
CountryCanada
Province British Columbia
Regional Municipality Northern Rockies
Incorporated1971
Amalgamated2009
Government
 • Governing bodyNorthern Rockies Regional Council
 •  MP Bob Zimmer (Cons - Peace River)
 •  MLA Dan Davies (Lib - Peace River North)
Area
 (2016) [1]
 • Total4.68 km2 (1.81 sq mi)
Elevation
410 m (1,350 ft)
Population
 (2016) [1]
 • Total3,366
 • Density719.1/km2 (1,862/sq mi)
Time zone UTC−07:00 (MST [2] )
Postal code span
V0C
Area code 250 / 778 / 236
Highways BC-97.svg Hwy 97
Website Fort Nelson
Northern Rockies Regional Municipality

Fort Nelson is a community in northeast British Columbia, Canada, within the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (NRRM). [3] It held town status prior to 6 February 2009, when it amalgamated with the former Northern Rockies Regional District to form the NRRM, [3] [4] becoming its administrative centre. The NRRM is the first regional municipality in the province. [5]

Contents

The community lies east of the northern Rocky Mountains in the Peace River region along the Alaska Highway at Mile 300. [6] The town is approximately a four hour drive from the nearest urban centre, Fort St. John, but could potentially take six hours under winter driving conditions. [7] The Alaska Highway both north and south of Fort Nelson is most often very well plowed in the winter and offers scenic views year round.

According to the 2016 Canadian Census, the population was 3,366, a drop of 5.5% from the 2011 Census. [1]

History

Fort Nelson, named in honour of the British naval hero Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, was established by the North West Trading Company in 1805 as a fur-trading post. [8] Due to fires, floods and feuds, Fort Nelson is in its fifth location.

World War II

Fort Nelson Airport was a valuable asset for allied military forces in World War II, as it served as an airbase for the United States Air Force and for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Contrary to popular belief that the construction of the Alaska Highway commenced in Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson was the original Mile 0 on the Alaska Highway because of the existence of a previously constructed road from Fort St. John to Fort Nelson. [9] The United States Army built perhaps the most notable historical artifact in the area, the Alaska Highway. Construction began in 1942 out of a firm belief that Alaska faced a significant threat of Japanese invasion. Initial highway construction was performed by over 11,000 U.S. soldiers. After approximately nine months, the highway was finally completed, making Fort Nelson a bustling service-centre along the road. After the Japanese surrender of 1945, the U.S. Army ceded the Canadian portion of the highway to the Canadian government, which it made accessible to the public in 1948. [10]

Post-World War II

In the early 1950s the first five acres were sold to locals, which marked the start of the community as a separate entity from the military. Oil and gas exploration in the early 1950s provided Fort Nelson with the industrial sector that it required[ citation needed ] to jump-start expansion of the community into what would eventually become the village of Fort Nelson in 1971. However, due to collapse in oil price in 2014, most gas fields and associated rigs have been shut down and put out of operation on an indefinite basis. [11] After the completion of BC Hydro's natural gas power plant to provide electricity to the region, Fort Nelson experienced true growth. A railway was built by the Pacific Great Eastern Railway (BC Rail) up to Fort Nelson in 1971 which allowed efficient transportation of the local industry's major products (lumber, and gas) to larger markets in the south. The railway was left in abandoned state due to lack of use in the 2010s and was subsequently closed down. No facility has since been built to replace the railway to ship commodity to markets. Renewable energy company Peak Renewables is currently in negotiations with the provincial government and CN Rail to make improvements to the rail line as they develop their Pellet Plant in Fort Nelson.

Post-millennium

Fort Nelson held its first annual Northern Lights Festival in March 2019. The community welcomed hundreds of international visitors to experience the northern British Columbia lifestyle. The festival included dog sled races, trips to Liard Hot Springs, northern lights viewing, indigenous handgames and cultural celebrations, concerts from celebrated Canadian musicians, and many other events.

The closure of both forestry mills officially ended the major economic pillar in 2008, mainly due to the collapse in US housing prices and subprime mortgage crisis. [12] The 2014 collapse in oil prices decimated the natural gas industry. Without oil production in the Horn River Basin and lack of pipeline access, many major oil companies, including Apache, Nexen and Encana, shut down their local production. With the bankruptcy of Endurance energy, many local workers were laid off. [13] The Community Forest or boreal caribou protection initiative, with support of local First Nations and Mayor Gary Foster, impacted the potential logging quota and possible areas for new gas well development. [14] The Community Forest would be 193,262 ha (477,560 acres) out of a total of 1,465,000 ha (3,620,000 acres). [15]

Since 2012, lack of access to maternal care has deterred many young professionals from relocating to Fort Nelson for work. [7] In 2019, outages in electrical power, [16] telephone service [17] and internet access in 2017 [18] disrupted the municipality. Lack of basic infrastructure, including user-friendly facilities, have deterred many tourists from enjoying local attractions. [19] On 26 March 2020, the shuttered Tackama mill was set on fire and suffered significant damage. Circumstances were suspicious and RCMP was called to investigate for any criminal element. [20]

Due to the collapse of LNG price and the closure of the biggest private employer in the local region, Fort Nelson suffered an exodus of residents, including former business owners who cannot find jobs in their birthplace, and amongst the casualties of this economic downturn included the Fort Nelson dollar store. The owner of the Fort Nelson dollar store told CBC Daybreak North host Carolina de Ryk that '[she] just had no choice but to decide to close and try and make it out of here paying off people I owe money to.' [21] The owner of the dollar store predicted that 'A lot of people are hurting. A lot of people are leaving Fort Nelson and leaving their houses, either renting them out or just downright giving them back to the banks.' [21] Average house values dropped from 282,000 in 2014 to 103,000 in 2019. Over a 5-year period, the house price dropped by 63.4%. [22] [23] [24]

On May 10, 2024, the entire town was evacuated [25] as the result of a massive wildfire by nearby Parker Lake. [26] The evacuation order was rescinded and residents were allowed to return on May 27. [27] Due to the wildfire and a lack of a stable supply of gas, NorthRiver Midstream shut down their natural gas plant and laid off 42 unionized employees and 6 non-unionized employees. [28]

Geography

Fort Nelson lies near the confluence of Fort Nelson River (which took the name from the community), Muskwa River and Prophet River. The entire region of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, of which Fort Nelson is the largest community, constitutes 10% of the province's total landmass. Fort Nelson is well known to be surrounded by mountainous beauty pertaining to the northern portion of the Rocky Mountains. [29]

Muskwa River Muskwa River.jpg
Muskwa River

Wildlife

The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality is home to an extensive variety of wildlife which attracts many tourists and hunters to the region. Wildlife found in the area include animals such as moose, black bear, grizzly bear, caribou, deer (white-tail and mule), elk, bison, stone sheep, mountain goat, wolves, and several more. The region, especially the area around the Liard Hot Springs, is home to several bird species such as the golden eagle, the bald eagle, and the great horned owl. [29]

Bison in Northern Rockies Canadian Bison.JPG
Bison in Northern Rockies

Climate

Fort Nelson has a climate right on the boundary between a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) and a subarctic climate (Dfc), with a mean average of 4 months above 10 degrees Celsius placing it just within the former category. [30] Winters, except when dry chinook winds blow from the Pacific Ocean, tend to be severely cold and generally dry with an average monthly snow depth of only 18 cm (7.1 in), while summers are warm and occasionally rainy, though spells of hot weather are rare. [31] Unusual for such a cold place, all 12 months have seen a temperature of above 10 °C (50 °F).

Fort Nelson is colder than anywhere else in British Columbia from November through February, but the mean average temperature during the summer is warmer than coastal areas even far south such as Victoria and comparable to Vancouver.

Climate data for Fort Nelson (Fort Nelson Airport)
WMO ID: 71945; coordinates 58°50′11″N122°35′50″W / 58.83639°N 122.59722°W / 58.83639; -122.59722 (Fort Nelson Airport) ; elevation: 381.9 m (1,253 ft); 1991–2020 normals
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high humidex 9.013.316.126.733.936.441.236.632.326.717.810.441.2
Record high °C (°F)11.6
(52.9)		15.0
(59.0)		17.8
(64.0)		27.3
(81.1)		32.1
(89.8)		34.6
(94.3)		36.7
(98.1)		34.4
(93.9)		32.8
(91.0)		26.7
(80.1)		18.3
(64.9)		10.7
(51.3)		36.7
(98.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)−16.1
(3.0)		−8.7
(16.3)		−1.3
(29.7)		9.6
(49.3)		17.1
(62.8)		21.5
(70.7)		23.3
(73.9)		21.6
(70.9)		15.4
(59.7)		5.7
(42.3)		−7.9
(17.8)		−14.4
(6.1)		5.5
(41.9)
Daily mean °C (°F)−20.3
(−4.5)		−14.4
(6.1)		−8.0
(17.6)		3.0
(37.4)		10.2
(50.4)		15.2
(59.4)		17.3
(63.1)		15.3
(59.5)		9.4
(48.9)		1.0
(33.8)		−11.9
(10.6)		−18.3
(−0.9)		−0.1
(31.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)−24.4
(−11.9)		−20.1
(−4.2)		−14.6
(5.7)		−3.6
(25.5)		3.3
(37.9)		8.8
(47.8)		11.0
(51.8)		9.0
(48.2)		3.3
(37.9)		−3.7
(25.3)		−15.8
(3.6)		−22.2
(−8.0)		−5.8
(21.6)
Record low °C (°F)−51.7
(−61.1)		−48.3
(−54.9)		−39.4
(−38.9)		−34.4
(−29.9)		−15.0
(5.0)		−1.5
(29.3)		1.1
(34.0)		−4.5
(23.9)		−16.7
(1.9)		−28.6
(−19.5)		−41.1
(−42.0)		−47.8
(−54.0)		−51.7
(−61.1)
Record low wind chill −55.0−55.6−51.5−37.6−19.9−3.30.0−3.8−19.7−39.2−51.6−54.6−55.6
Average precipitation mm (inches)21.5
(0.85)		14.9
(0.59)		18.8
(0.74)		18.9
(0.74)		49.0
(1.93)		63.0
(2.48)		78.4
(3.09)		71.3
(2.81)		40.2
(1.58)		32.6
(1.28)		25.6
(1.01)		18.0
(0.71)		452.1
(17.80)
Average rainfall mm (inches)0.3
(0.01)		0.1
(0.00)		0.3
(0.01)		7.4
(0.29)		42.4
(1.67)		62.9
(2.48)		78.4
(3.09)		70.7
(2.78)		37.4
(1.47)		12.1
(0.48)		0.7
(0.03)		0.2
(0.01)		312.6
(12.31)
Average snowfall cm (inches)28.6
(11.3)		22.4
(8.8)		27.2
(10.7)		15.7
(6.2)		7.5
(3.0)		0.1
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.6
(0.2)		3.4
(1.3)		23.3
(9.2)		35.3
(13.9)		26.8
(10.6)		190.8
(75.1)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm)10.58.78.96.410.312.914.612.710.710.311.19.8126.9
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm)0.30.10.42.89.512.914.612.710.15.00.50.369.2
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm)11.29.59.34.41.90.00.00.21.26.811.810.666.7
Average relative humidity (%)71.363.650.841.342.045.250.551.653.866.377.975.257.5
Mean monthly sunshine hours 64.399.4166.3236.4267.3285.2273.7258.2170.697.660.448.32,027.7
Percent possible sunshine 29.338.145.554.751.251.950.053.944.130.625.724.441.6
Source 1: Environment and Climate Change Canada [32]
Source 2: Environment and Climate Change Canada [31]
Climate data for Fort Nelson (Fort Nelson Airport); coordinates 58°50′11″N 122°35′50″W; elevation: 381.9 m (1,253 ft); 1991–2020 normals; extremes 1937-present
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high humidex 9.013.316.126.733.936.441.236.632.326.717.810.441.2
Record high °C (°F)10.7
(51.3)		15.0
(59.0)		17.8
(64.0)		27.3
(81.1)		32.1
(89.8)		33.9
(93.0)		36.7
(98.1)		34.4
(93.9)		32.8
(91.0)		26.7
(80.1)		18.3
(64.9)		10.7
(51.3)		36.7
(98.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)−16.1
(3.0)		−8.7
(16.3)		−1.3
(29.7)		9.6
(49.3)		17.1
(62.8)		21.5
(70.7)		23.3
(73.9)		21.6
(70.9)		15.4
(59.7)		5.7
(42.3)		−7.9
(17.8)		−14.4
(6.1)		5.5
(41.9)
Daily mean °C (°F)−20.3
(−4.5)		−14.4
(6.1)		−8.0
(17.6)		3.0
(37.4)		10.2
(50.4)		15.2
(59.4)		17.3
(63.1)		15.3
(59.5)		9.4
(48.9)		1.0
(33.8)		−11.9
(10.6)		−18.3
(−0.9)		−0.1
(31.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)−24.4
(−11.9)		−20.1
(−4.2)		−14.6
(5.7)		−3.6
(25.5)		3.3
(37.9)		8.8
(47.8)		11.1
(52.0)		9.0
(48.2)		3.3
(37.9)		−3.7
(25.3)		−15.8
(3.6)		−22.2
(−8.0)		−5.7
(21.7)
Record low °C (°F)−51.7
(−61.1)		−48.3
(−54.9)		−39.4
(−38.9)		−34.4
(−29.9)		−15.0
(5.0)		−1.1
(30.0)		1.1
(34.0)		−4.5
(23.9)		−16.7
(1.9)		−28.6
(−19.5)		−41.1
(−42.0)		−47.8
(−54.0)		−51.7
(−61.1)
Record low wind chill −55.0−55.6−51.5−37.6−19.9−3.30.0−3.8−19.7−39.2−51.6−54.6−55.6
Average precipitation mm (inches)23.5
(0.93)		16.2
(0.64)		22.3
(0.88)		15.9
(0.63)		44.3
(1.74)		75.2
(2.96)		81.1
(3.19)		70.2
(2.76)		38.1
(1.50)		24.3
(0.96)		28.9
(1.14)		18.4
(0.72)		458.4
(18.05)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm)10.78.59.66.49.713.514.212.610.69.811.910.2127.7
Mean monthly sunshine hours 64.399.4166.3236.4267.3285.2273.7258.2170.697.660.448.32,027.7
Percent possible sunshine 29.338.145.554.751.251.950.053.944.130.625.724.441.6
Source: Environment Canada [30]

Demographics

In the 2016 Canadian Census, Fort Nelson had a population of 3,336 living in 1,424 of its 1,682 total dwellings, a -5.5% change from its 2011 population of 3,561. With a land area of 4.68 km2 (1.81 sq mi), it had a population density of

As of the 2016 Canadian Census Fort Nelson had 760 Indigenous people made up of 415 First Nations, 300 Métis and 25 Inuit. [1] Fort Nelson is a fairly young community in comparison to the rest of the province, with 26.68% of the population being under the age of 19. [1] Approximately 31.92% of Fort Nelson residents over the age of 25 have attained an education beyond a high school certificate or equivalent in the forms of trades, colleges, or universities. [1]

Historical populations
YearPop.±%
2001 4,188—    
2006 4,514+7.8%
2011 3,902−13.6%
2016 3,366−13.7%

Fort Nelson is home to 3,336 residents, representing 69.05% of the NRRM's total population of 4,831 in 2016.

In a 2017 report the vacancy rate was 49% and rental was $1,000. [33]

According to the 2016 census, only 225 people are aged 65 or over, representing only fewer than 7% of the overall town population. [1]

Economy

Due to major decrease in oil price in 2014 [34] and lack of pipeline access to the lucrative Asian market, the abundant natural gas in the Horn River Basin remains untapped. [35] [36] Fort Nelson has experienced substantial contraction in economy, noted by significant reduction in business licenses, long term decline in school enrolment and increase in mortgage foreclosures. [36] [37] Before 2014, natural gas, forestry, tourism and agriculture made up the majority of local industry. Nowadays, the town heavily relies upon the government sector and tourism.

The majority of Fort Nelson's economic activity is currently concentrated in the tourism industry and government sector, and until recently, natural gas extraction and forestry. [35] [38] [39] The forests surrounding Fort Nelson are part of Canada's boreal forest. Fort Nelson is on the southwest edge of the Greater Sierra oil and gas field.

In March 2021 the Fort Nelson First Nation received $40.5 million to develop the Clarke Lake Geothermal Project. Project developers are optimistic that this geothermal project will lead to significant economic development in the Fort Nelson region and serve as a model for other indigenous clean energy projects across Canada.[ citation needed ]

Natural gas

Unconventional gas exploration was the premier industry in Fort Nelson, employing a large percentage of Fort Nelson's community members. The region's natural gas industry centres around the Horn River Basin, Liard basin, and the Cordova basin which all contain vast amounts of gas in shale rock formations. Many of the world's most recognizable oil and gas companies have actively divested their capital and sold their operations in the region, including Encana, Nexen, Apache, Imperial Oil. [40] The most common form of gas extraction is the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, in which a drill bit is first vertically, then horizontally inserted deep into the ground in an attempt to reach poorly accessible shale gas formations. As with any gas operation in North America, there are significant concerns to the environmental pollution, First Nations rights, market access and social effects of the industry on the surrounding area. Water is withdrawn from nearby lakes and rivers, which continues to be a hot topic in the region and within the oil and gas industry. The boreal woodland caribou protection initiative also significantly curtailed the area allowed for gas extraction, further dampening investor interest. [41]

On 1 January 2020, NorthRiver Midstream, a subsidiary of Brookfield Infrastructure, announced the completion of purchase of Enbridge assets in northeastern British Columbia, one of which includes the biggest private employer in the town. [42] Shortly afterward on 28 February 2020, NorthRiver Midstream announced the complete shutdown and deactivation of the only gas plant and associated pipelines, resulting in significant job losses of eight local people. [43] [44]

Responding to the February 2020 announcement of the closure of the Fort Nelson gas plant, local MP Bob Zimmer stated, "This announcement is very unfortunate for all in the North and most of all the residents of Fort Nelson. One consistent source of work for residents in Fort Nelson, when other sectors have struggled, has been the Fort Nelson North Processing Facility and now that's gone." [43]

Forestry

Fort Nelson Forestry Fort Nelson Forestry.JPG
Fort Nelson Forestry

Fort Nelson is surrounded by vast plains and mountains of boreal forest. The relatively untouched timber supply was the contributing factor to companies such as Canfor constructing large factories that employed hundreds of people. In recent years, both the Canfor mill and the Tackama mill have completely ceased operations based on high costs and a struggling US housing market. The closure of the mills proved to be devastating for locals, displacing several hundreds of local employees and their families.[ citation needed ] At present, the municipal government is the largest employer in the region, based on its need for service roads, grant administration, and deforested operational land.

Tourism

Although very seasonal in Fort Nelson, tourism continues to be an important economic sector in Fort Nelson's economy. Approximately 300,000 tourists, most of whom are retired RV travellers heading to or from Alaska, visit Fort Nelson on an annual basis. [45] The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality is also home to several world-renowned tourist attractions such as the Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park, Muncho Lake Provincial Park, and the Alaska Highway. Hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, dog sledding, birdwatching and hiking are all popular outdoor recreational activities that draw thousands of tourists to the region every year. Due to coronavirus outbreak, the Northern Lights festival struggled to attract any tourist into the region in 2020. Organisers hope that the next year will have a better turnout.

Attractions

Fort Nelson Heritage Museum located on the Alaska Highway Fort Nelson Museum.JPG
Fort Nelson Heritage Museum located on the Alaska Highway

On 18 June 2005, people in Fort Nelson held a water balloon fight with over 40,000 water balloons being tossed in less than three minutes. At the time, it was a world record. [53]

Government

Fort Nelson was originally incorporated as a village in 1971, but established itself as an unregistered community shortly before that. In 1960, based on significant growth in the oil and gas industry of the region, the Fort Nelson Improvement District was formed in order to provide community members with essential infrastructural needs such as water and sewer services. Harry Clarke was elected the first mayor of Fort Nelson in 1971 and since then, Fort Nelson has consistently elected one regional representative, although not always historically referred to as a mayor. In February 2009, citizens of the region voted heavily in favour of officially amalgamating the region's governing bodies into The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality. The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality is the first of its kind in British Columbia.

Infrastructure

Health

The Fort Nelson General Hospital was constructed in 1944 and continues to serve the community. [54] As of 2012, citing a lack of a qualified physician, Northern Health advised all pregnant patients that they must travel to other regions (Fort St. John, Grande Prairie, Kelowna) to give birth. All expecting mothers are asked to sign a waiver of understanding. The travel fee and accommodation expenses are not reimbursed. [7]

Despite its small population, there are currently two operating pharmacies. [55]

Due to a shortage in nursing staff, the Fort Nelson General Hospital has advised the public to use the hospital for emergency medical services only. [56]

Roads

Fort Nelson is located along Highway 97 (Alaska Highway), south of the intersection with the Liard Highway (British Columbia Highway 77).

Sierra Yoyo Desan Road was the main oilfield road in the area starting in Fort Nelson and ending 188 km (117 mi) east north east. With numerous resource roads and winter ice roads entering Alberta through Rainbow Lake or Zama City.

In 2017, national broadcaster CBC said the highway was "one of the deadliest stretches of highway in the province." based on a 2015 Global News report. [7] [57]

Greyhound Canada ceased to operate a bus depot in the community in 2018. [58] [59] Since the departure of Greyhound, residents have found it increasingly difficult to gain access to medical appointments because BC Bus North only has once-weekly scheduled service to serve the community. [60]

Airport

The Fort Nelson Airport or Northern Rockies Regional Airport [61] (NRRA) is located 3.8 nautical miles (7.0 km; 4.4 mi) east northeast [62] of Fort Nelson. The airport is a Tier-2 regional airport facility in Canada. The only scheduled airline company serving the airport is Central Mountain Air, which has since reduced its service from seven days a week to six days a week and from five daily flights to only one daily trip. Passengers are able to connect to the outside world via Prince George Airport. The Northern Rockies Regional Airport is designated as a non-secure airport and does not offer passenger screening. [63] A business case was proposed in 2015, but due to the lack of demand, the federal government did not approve the provision of Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) agents. [64] Charter flights are available to other Canadian destinations and the NRRA hosts a number of providers of rotary wing service.

Rail

CN Rail operates a former BC Rail line that has its northern terminus in Fort Nelson. CN currently brings fuel bi-weekly to supply the area.

Education

Fort Nelson is home to three public elementary schools (G.W. Carlson, and J.S. Clark, both grades K - 4, and R.L. Angus, grades 5 - 7) and one public high school (Fort Nelson Secondary School, grades 8 - 12), as well as an independent school owned and operated by the Fort Nelson First Nation (Chalo School). The Northern Lights College has a small campus situated in Fort Nelson that awards several trades certificates and diplomas to students.

School District 81 Fort Nelson registered the second highest decrease in overall enrolment in British Columbia. The total number of students has decreased by 12.5% since the 2015/16 school year, making the district a significant outlier in reduced enrolment, due to the collapse in population. [65]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liard River</span> River in Canada

The Liard River of the North American boreal forest flows through Yukon, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, Canada. Rising in the Saint Cyr Range of the Pelly Mountains in southeastern Yukon, it flows 1,115 km (693 mi) southeast through British Columbia, marking the northern end of the Rocky Mountains and then curving northeast back into Yukon and Northwest Territories, draining into the Mackenzie River at Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories. The river drains approximately 277,100 km2 (107,000 sq mi) of boreal forest and muskeg.

The Fort Nelson River, often shortened to simply the Nelson River, is in north-eastern British Columbia, Canada. It flows 517 kilometres (321 mi) generally north-westward to the Liard River, a tributary of the Mackenzie River, which empties into the Arctic Ocean. The river drains a watershed of 55,900 square kilometres (21,600 sq mi) and is formed by the confluence of the Fontas River flowing from the east, and the Sikanni Chief River flowing from the south. These, along with the Sahtaneh and Muskwa Rivers, constitute the major tributaries. The source of the Sikanni Chief, on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, is ultimately the headwater of the Fort Nelson River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peace River Regional District</span> Regional district in British Columbia, Canada

The Peace River Regional District is a regional district in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. The regional district comprises seven municipalities and four electoral areas. Its member municipalities are the cities of Fort St. John and Dawson Creek, the district municipalities of Tumbler Ridge, Chetwynd, Taylor, and Hudson's Hope, and the village of Pouce Coupe. The district's administrative offices are in Dawson Creek.

Tumbler Ridge is a district municipality in the foothills of the B.C. Rockies in northeastern British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Peace River Regional District. With a population of 2,399 (2021) living in a townsite, the municipality encompasses an area of 1,558 km2 (602 sq mi) of mostly Crown land. The townsite is located near the confluence of the Murray River and Flatbed Creek and the intersection of Highway 52 and Highway 29 and includes the site of the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and Tumbler Ridge Airport. It is part of the Peace River South provincial electoral district and the Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies federal riding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chetwynd, British Columbia</span> District municipality in British Columbia, Canada

Chetwynd is a district municipality located in the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains, in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. Situated on an ancient floodplain, it is the first town eastbound travellers encounter after emerging from the Rockies along Highway 97, and acts as the gateway to the Peace River Country. The town developed during the construction of infrastructure through the Rocky Mountains in the 1950s; additionally, it was used as a transshipment point during the building of hydroelectric dams, in the 1960s and 1970s, and the new town of Tumbler Ridge, in the early 1980s. Home to approximately 2,600 residents, the town’s population has increased little—if at all—since the 1980s, but is significantly younger than the provincial average.

The Kaska or Kaska Dena are a First Nations people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group living mainly in northern British Columbia and the southeastern Yukon in Canada. The Kaska language, originally spoken by the Kaska, is an Athabaskan language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Rockies Regional Municipality</span> Regional district in British Columbia, Canada

The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (NRRM), formerly the Northern Rockies Regional District (NRRD), and before that the Fort Nelson–Liard Regional District, is a municipality in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. Although portrayed as a regional municipality in its official name, and existing on the same administrative level as a regional district, it is actually classified as a district municipality. The NRRM's offices are located in Fort Nelson, formerly an incorporated town that amalgamated with the NRRD on February 6, 2009, to form the NRRM. With the Peace River Regional District as the southern part, it was the northern part of the Peace River-Liard Regional District, which was split into two on October 31, 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peace River Country</span> Region of Canada in Alberta and British Columbia

The Peace River Country is an aspen parkland region centring on the Peace River in Canada. It extends from northwestern Alberta to the Rocky Mountains in northeastern British Columbia, where a certain portion of the region is also referred to as the Peace River Block.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocky Mountain Trench</span> Long valley in British Columbia

The Rocky Mountain Trench, also known as the Valley of a Thousand Peaks or simply the Trench, is a large valley on the western side of the northern part of North America's Rocky Mountains. The Trench is both visually and cartographically a striking physiographic feature extending approximately 1,600 km (1,000 mi) from Flathead Lake, Montana, to the Liard River, just south of the British Columbia–Yukon border near Watson Lake, Yukon. The trench bottom is 3–16 km (1.9–9.9 mi) wide and is 600–900 m (2,000–3,000 ft) above sea level. The general orientation of the Trench is an almost straight 150/330° geographic north vector and has become convenient as a visual guide for aviators heading north or south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kechika River</span> River in British Columbia, Canada

The Kechika River is a tributary of the Liard River, about 300 kilometres (190 mi) long, in northern British Columbia, Canada. The Kechika flows generally northwest through the northernmost section of the Rocky Mountain Trench before turning east to join the Liard, a major branch of the Mackenzie River system. The river's 22,700 km2 (8,800 sq mi) drainage basin is characterized by high glaciated peaks, boreal forest, and open tundra. With no settlements, roads or dams along its course, the Kechika is considered "one of British Columbia's finest examples of wilderness and undisturbed wildlife habitat."

Toad River/Mile 422 Airport is located adjacent to Toad River, British Columbia, Canada. Located within the boundaries of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (NRRM). Toad River is home to a school, a community hall, recreational and tourism-based businesses making it an attractive stop and destination for travelers. The airport has one runway which is 3,000 by 80 ft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toad River, British Columbia</span> Place in British Columbia, Canada

Toad River, originally Toad's River Post, is a highway service community in northern British Columbia, Canada, located at historic Mile 422 on Highway 97, the Alaska Highway, near the confluence of the Toad and Racing Rivers. The community primarily serves travelers and tourists with a highway maintenance station; a lodge with a restaurant, campground and gas station; a public telephone and a private 3000 foot airstrip. The Toad River Lodge boasts a "world famous" collection of over 10,000 hats (2016) thumbtacked to the ceiling, many of them donated by passersby on the Alaska Highway. Two miles north, The Poplars Campground offers camping, and motel rooms during the summer months (2011).

Pink Mountain Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada.

Liard River is a river in the Yukon Territory, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, Canada. The Liard River is an officially named Grand Canyon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Alberta</span> Geographic region of Alberta, Canada

Northern Alberta is a geographic region located in the Canadian province of Alberta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Columbia Interior</span> Interior region of British Columbia, Canada

The British Columbia Interior, popularly referred to as the BC Interior or simply the Interior, is a geographic region of the Canadian province of British Columbia. While the exact boundaries are variously defined, the British Columbia Interior is generally defined to include the 14 regional districts that do not have coastline along the Pacific Ocean or Salish Sea, and are not part of the Lower Mainland. Other boundaries may exclude parts of or even entire regional districts, or expand the definition to include the regional districts of Fraser Valley, Squamish–Lillooet, and Kitimat–Stikine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Pimm</span> Canadian politician

Pat Pimm is a Canadian politician, who was elected as a BC Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2009 provincial election, and represented the riding of Peace River North. He has lived in Fort St. John, British Columbia and has a business background working at an instrumentation company that specializes in the oil and gas sector. He spent 12 years on the Fort St. John city council before his election to the Legislative Assembly. In the 39th Parliament of BC Pimm served on several committees and first became involved with the Executive Council in October 2010 when former B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell appointed Pimm as the Parliamentary Secretary for the Natural Gas Initiative under the Ministry of Energy. When Christy Clark became Premier of British Columbia in March 2011, she retained Pimm at the same position.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Census Profile, 2016 Census Fort Nelson [Population centre], British Columbia and Northern Rockies, Regional municipality [Census subdivision], British Columbia". Statistics Canada. 29 November 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  2. ↑ Reaburn, Adam (21 February 2015). "Fort Nelson to change time one last time this March". Energeticcity.ca. Fort St. John. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Fort Nelson". Northern Rockies Regional Municipality. Archived from the original on 14 August 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  4. ↑ "Statistics Relating to Regional and Municipal Governments in BC 2011" (PDF). Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development. p. 21 of 30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  5. ↑ "Fort Nelson becomes B.C.'s first Regional Municipality". Brent Hodson. 10 February 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  6. ↑ "Northern Rockies". Northern Rockies. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 4 No maternity ward, unreliable medevac, dangerous roads: why doctors tell pregnant women to leave Fort Nelson
  8. ↑ "Northern Rockies & Alaska Highway". Destination British Columbia. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  9. ↑ "Fort Nelson History". Fort Nelson Museum. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  10. ↑ "History of Northeastern British Columbia". Fort Nelson Public Library. Archived from the original on 20 November 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  11. ↑ Northeast B.C. Rig Report - 17 October
  12. ↑ Ebner, David (24 December 2008). "As forestry dies, a lumber town starts drilling". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  13. ↑ Larsen, Karin (23 June 2016). "Gas industry downturn devastating Fort Nelson B.C." Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  14. ↑ "Province's caribou plan threatens forestry restart in the Northern Rockies". Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  15. ↑ "Fort Nelson Community Forest Community Forest Agreement Application and Management Plan No. 1 (v4)" (PDF). Fort Nelson Forest Corporation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2018.
  16. ↑ "Large power outage in Fort Nelson". Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  17. ↑ "Northwestel reporting major network outage for landline customers in Northern BC". energeticcity.ca. 12 August 2019.
  18. ↑ "Northwestel internet service restored for affected businesses and Whitehorse airport". CBC News . 22 December 2017. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022.
  19. ↑ 'Frustrated' wheelchair user calls for ramp at hot springs after he can no longer access pools
  20. ↑ "Shuttered Tackama Mill goes up in smoke". Archived from the original on 28 March 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  21. 1 2 Sign of the times: Fort Nelson dollar store to close amid economic downturn
  22. ↑ Peace region home values continue to drop as 2020 assessments mailed out
  23. ↑ "Fort Nelson house values drop nearly one third". Archived from the original on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  24. ↑ Tumbler Ridge sees largest decline as 2016 property assessments released
  25. ↑ "Evacuation Order - NRRM & FNFN". Northern Rockies Regional Municipality. 10 May 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  26. ↑ "British Columbia 'extremely concerned' as wildfire threatens to destroy town". 13 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  27. ↑ "Evacuation Alert for Fort Nelson and Fort Nelson First Nation". Northern Rockies Regional Municipality. 27 May 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  28. ↑ "NorthRiver Midstream regretfully suspends Fort Nelson gas processing facility operations – NorthRiver Midstream". NorthRiver Midstream. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  29. 1 2 "Official Community Plan Bylaw". Northern Rockies Regional Municipality. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  30. 1 2 "Fort Nelson Airport". Canadian Climate Normals 1991-2020. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  31. 1 2 "Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010 Station Data". Environment and Climate Change Canada . Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  32. ↑ "Canadian Climate Normals 1991-2020 Station Data". Environment and Climate Change Canada . Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  33. ↑ Northern Rockies Report Card on the shape of the community from census figures
  34. ↑ LNG in an era of lower oil prices
  35. 1 2 As LNG promise fades, property assessments decline in B.C.'s north
  36. 1 2 Oil & gas crash makes enrolment projection difficult for Fort Nelson schools
  37. ↑ Fort Nelson struggles to rebuild ‘devastated’ forestry sector
  38. ↑ "Fort Nelson mayor on gas plant scale back: "We're at wit's end with jobs here"". 31 May 2017.
  39. ↑ "Canfor closes Tackama plywood plant indefinitely". ForestTalk.com. 8 October 2008. Archived from the original on 12 December 2008. Retrieved 27 June 2009.
  40. ↑ Endurance will use more manpower than Encana
  41. ↑ Caribou conservation, LNG development lock horns
  42. ↑ "NorthRiver Midstream completes purchase of Enbridge assets in Northeast B.C." Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  43. 1 2 NorthRiver Midstream closes Fort Nelson Northern Complex
  44. ↑ NorthRiver Midstream announces closure of Fort Nelson North Processing Facility
  45. ↑ "Tourism". Northern Rockies Regional Municipality. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  46. ↑ "Fort Nelson Heritage Museum". Fortnelsonmuseum.ca. 17 January 2009. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  47. ↑ Poplar Hills Golf & Country Club Club
  48. ↑ Phoenix Theatre
  49. ↑ Recreation Services
  50. ↑ "Events". Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  51. ↑ Northern Lights Festival
  52. ↑ Trade Show
  53. ↑ "40,000 water balloons tossed in B.C. fight". CBC News. 20 June 2005. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  54. ↑ "Fort Nelson General Hospital celebrates 50 years". Northeast News. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  55. ↑ Find a Pharmacy or Registrant
  56. ↑ Fort Nelson General Hospital experiencing nursing shortage: Northern Health
  57. ↑ British Columbia’s 12 deadliest highways
  58. ↑ Greyhound is leaving northern British Columbia: Here's what you need to know
  59. ↑ Greyhound to cancel multiple northern B.C. routes
  60. ↑ Greyhound's departure leaves 'gaping wound' in northern B.C. one year on
  61. ↑ Fly Northern Rockies
  62. ↑ Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901 Z 16 July 2020 to 0901Z 10 September 2020.
  63. ↑ Know Before You Go
  64. ↑ "From the "Bear Pit"" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  65. ↑ British Columbia School District Revenue and Expenditure Information 2019/2020
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