Christina Lake (British Columbia)
Encyclopedia
Christina Lake is a lake
located along the Crowsnest Highway
in the south-central area of British Columbia
known as Boundary Country
, which separates the Okanagan
region from the West Kootenays. It is located 23 kilometers east of Grand Forks
, just 1 km north of the United States
border. The region experiences very hot, dry summers which results in July and early August water temperatures averaging in the 23°C (73.4 Degrees Fahrenheit) range. Divers will experience thermocline
s beginning at a depth of approximately 10 feet in the summer.
chief factor Angus McDonald of Fort Colville
(1852–1871).
The Kettle Valley
region had been inhabited by the Kettle Indians for thousands of years before the arrival of European settlers. They lived in villages along the Kettle River, leaving their legacy in pictographs on rocks along the shores of Christina Lake — visible from a boat only.
, Dewdney Trail and the Kettle Valley Railway
Trail
all merge at the lake, attracting visitors to the area from all over. The region is frequented by hikers and bikers along the local trails in the lake area.
Vacation homes surround the lake and outdoor adventure providers cater to adventure enthusiasts. Not considered a great sport fishing lake, it is home to trout
, smallmouth bass
and kokanee salmon
, which can be found spawning along McRae Creek and Sandner Creek each fall.
The lake has many beaches in Gladstone Provincial Park
, which surrounds the entire northern half of the lake. Boat access recreation sites are available on the western shore, at various locations. Several boat access beaches offer camping, swimming and fishing on the west shore. Christina Lake Provincial Park
, located at the south end of the lake is home to the largest of the public beaches. The lake is surrounded by the Christina and Rossland Ranges of the Monashee Mountains
.
The area is also home to Christina Lake Golf Club, an 18-hole, 6685 yards (6,112.8 m) championship course designed by golf course architect Les Furber. The course has a rare feature, black sand traps.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
located along the Crowsnest Highway
Crowsnest Highway
The Crowsnest Highway, also known as the Interprovincial or, in British Columbia, the Southern Trans-Provincial, is an east-west highway, in length, through the southern parts of British Columbia and Alberta, providing the shortest highway connection between British Columbia's Lower Mainland and...
in the south-central area of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
known as Boundary Country
Boundary Country
The Boundary Country is a historical designation for a district in southern British Columbia lying, as its name suggests, along the boundary between Canada and the United States. It lies to the east of the southern Okanagan Valley and to the west of the West Kootenay. It is often included in...
, which separates the Okanagan
Okanagan
The Okanagan , also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as Okanagan Country is a region located in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. As of 2009, the region's population is approximately 350,927. The...
region from the West Kootenays. It is located 23 kilometers east of Grand Forks
Grand Forks, British Columbia
-Schools:Schools in the region are operated by School District 51 Boundary which has its main office in Grand Forks but also serves Midway, Greenwood, Beaverdell, and Rock Creek....
, just 1 km north of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
border. The region experiences very hot, dry summers which results in July and early August water temperatures averaging in the 23°C (73.4 Degrees Fahrenheit) range. Divers will experience thermocline
Thermocline
A thermocline is a thin but distinct layer in a large body of fluid , in which temperature changes more rapidly with depth than it does in the layers above or below...
s beginning at a depth of approximately 10 feet in the summer.
History
Christina Lake was named after a Metis woman named Christina McDonald, the daughter of the Hudson's Bay CompanyHudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
chief factor Angus McDonald of Fort Colville
Fort Colville
The trade center Fort Colville was built by the Hudson's Bay Company at Kettle Falls on the Columbia River, a few miles west of the present site of Colville, Washington in 1825, to replace Spokane House as a regional trading center, as the latter was deemed to be too far from the Columbia River...
(1852–1871).
The Kettle Valley
Kettle River (Columbia River)
The Kettle River is a tributary of the Columbia River in northeastern Washington in the United States and southeastern British Columbia in Canada. Its drainage basin is large, of which are in Canada and in the United States.-Course:...
region had been inhabited by the Kettle Indians for thousands of years before the arrival of European settlers. They lived in villages along the Kettle River, leaving their legacy in pictographs on rocks along the shores of Christina Lake — visible from a boat only.
Attractions
The Trans Canada TrailTrans Canada Trail
The Trans Canada Trail is a proposed corridor in Canada. The creation of the trail was announced as part of Canada's 125th anniversary celebrations in 1992. It is expected that when complete, it will be the longest recreational trail in the world...
, Dewdney Trail and the Kettle Valley Railway
Kettle Valley Railway
The Kettle Valley Railroad was a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway that operated in the Thompson-Okanagan region of southern British Columbia....
Trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
all merge at the lake, attracting visitors to the area from all over. The region is frequented by hikers and bikers along the local trails in the lake area.
Vacation homes surround the lake and outdoor adventure providers cater to adventure enthusiasts. Not considered a great sport fishing lake, it is home to trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
, smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
and kokanee salmon
Sockeye salmon
Sockeye salmon , also called red salmon or blueback salmon in the USA, is an anadromous species of salmon found in the Northern Pacific Ocean and rivers discharging into it...
, which can be found spawning along McRae Creek and Sandner Creek each fall.
The lake has many beaches in Gladstone Provincial Park
Gladstone Provincial Park
Gladstone Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, surrounding and north of the north end of Christina Lake in that province's Boundary Country.-History:The park was established July 1995...
, which surrounds the entire northern half of the lake. Boat access recreation sites are available on the western shore, at various locations. Several boat access beaches offer camping, swimming and fishing on the west shore. Christina Lake Provincial Park
Christina Lake Provincial Park
-See also:* Christina Lake - lake* Christina Lake, British Columbia - community-References:...
, located at the south end of the lake is home to the largest of the public beaches. The lake is surrounded by the Christina and Rossland Ranges of the Monashee Mountains
Monashee Mountains
The Monashee Mountains are a mountain range mostly in British Columbia, Canada, extending into the U.S. state of Washington. They stretch from north to south and from east to west. They are a subrange of the Columbia Mountains...
.
The area is also home to Christina Lake Golf Club, an 18-hole, 6685 yards (6,112.8 m) championship course designed by golf course architect Les Furber. The course has a rare feature, black sand traps.
