Coquihalla Pass
Encyclopedia
Coquihalla Summit is a highway summit along the Coquihalla Highway in British Columbia
, Canada
. It is the highest point on the highway between the cities of Hope
and Merritt
. It is located just south of the former toll booth plaza on the Coquihalla Highway, about 50 km (31.1 mi) north of Hope, and 65 km (40.4 mi) south of Merritt and is the divide between the Coquihalla River
and the Coldwater River
.
The ascent to the Coquihalla Summit is very steep, especially from the south. The ascent is particularly steep after passing northbound through the Great Bear snow shed
.
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...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is the highest point on the highway between the cities of Hope
Hope, British Columbia
Hope is a district municipality located at the confluence of the Fraser and Coquihalla rivers in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Hope is at the eastern end of both the Fraser Valley and the Lower Mainland region, and is at the southern end of the Fraser Canyon...
and Merritt
Merritt, British Columbia
Merritt is a city in the Nicola Valley of the south-central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Situated at the confluence of the Nicola and Coldwater rivers, it is the first major community encountered after travelling along Phase One of the Coquihalla Highway and acts as the gateway to all...
. It is located just south of the former toll booth plaza on the Coquihalla Highway, about 50 km (31.1 mi) north of Hope, and 65 km (40.4 mi) south of Merritt and is the divide between the Coquihalla River
Coquihalla River
The Coquihalla River is located in the Cascade Mountains near the town of Hope, British Columbia. It originates in the Coquihalla Lakes and empties into the Fraser River at Hope....
and the Coldwater River
Coldwater River (British Columbia)
The Coldwater River is located in south central British Columbia, Canada. It is the largest tributary of the Nicola River, joining it at the city of Merritt. Its traditional native name is Ntstlatko ....
.
The ascent to the Coquihalla Summit is very steep, especially from the south. The ascent is particularly steep after passing northbound through the Great Bear snow shed
Snow shed
An avalanche snow bridge or simply snow bridge is a type of rigid snow-supporting structure for avalanche control . Avalanche bridges can be made of steel, prestressed concrete frames, or timber....
.
History
- The pass was first used in 1986 after construction of the first phase of the Coquihalla Highway (from Hope to Merritt). The pass was previously in use by the southern mainline of the Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
, generally known as the Kettle Valley RailwayKettle Valley RailwayThe Kettle Valley Railroad was a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway that operated in the Thompson-Okanagan region of southern British Columbia....
, parts of the roadgrade of which are now part of the Trans-Canada Trail network, including the Othello Tunnels of the Coquihalla River section, which are accessible via exits from the Coquihalla Highway.
- It is named after both the Coquihalla Highway and the Coquihalla River, after which the highway also derived its name. Kw'ikw'iya:la (Coquihalla) in the Halq'emeylem languageHalkomelem languageHalkomelem is a language of the First Nations peoples of southeastern Vancouver Island from the west shore of Saanich Inlet northward beyond Nanoose Bay, and of the mainland around the Fraser River Delta upriver to Harrison Lake and the lower...
of the Stó:lōStó:loThe Sto:lo , alternately written as Stó:lō, Stó:lô or Stó:lõ and historically as Staulo or Stahlo, and historically known and commonly referred to in ethnographic literature as the Fraser River Indians or Lower Fraser Salish, are a group of First Nations peoples inhabiting the Fraser Valley of...
, is a place name meaning "stingy container". It refers specifically to a fishing rock near the mouth of what is now known as the Coquihalla River. This rock is a good platform for spearing salmon. According to Sto;lo oral history, the skw'exweq (water babies or naiadNaiadIn Greek mythology, the Naiads or Naiades were a type of nymph who presided over fountains, wells, springs, streams, and brooks....
s, underwater people) who inhabit a pool close by the rock, would swim out and pull the salmon off the spears, allowing only certain fisherman to catch the salmon.
