Devine, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Devine is a rural locality located in the Gates Valley
of the Lillooet Country
in the southwestern Interior
of British Columbia
, Canada
, about 3 km (2 mi) from D'Arcy
, at the head of Anderson Lake.
Devine gets its name from being the location of a lumber mill run by Andy Devine which employed Japanese-Canadians who had been Japanese Canadian internment
relocated to McGillivray Falls (now McGillivray) which was just inside the 100-mile "quarantine zone" from the British Columbia Coast
. Devine was able to hire the Japanese, who were experienced loggers and millworkers from the Coast, as the area was inaccessible from the Coast, other than by the rail line as no road to the Coast was open until the 1960s. The post office at Devine opened in 1951 and closed in 1964. Remains of the old mill can still be found in the woods around Devine and until recently the old burner from Andy Devine's mill was the tallest man made
structure around.
Devine today is a recreational community with a few year round residents. The nearest services are at D'Arcy, a few miles southwest and Birken
, a few miles farther northeast along the road and rail line to Mount Currie
and Pemberton
.
Gates Valley
The Gates Valley is a valley and group of communities in the Lillooet Country of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located between the summit of Pemberton Pass and the head of Anderson Lake at the community of D'Arcy...
of the Lillooet Country
Lillooet Country
The Lillooet Country, also referred to as the Lillooet District., is a region spanning from the central Fraser Canyon town of Lillooet west to the valley of the Lillooet River, and including the valleys in between, in the Southern Interior of British Columbia. Like other historical BC regions, it...
in the southwestern Interior
British Columbia Interior
The British Columbia Interior or BC Interior or Interior of British Columbia, usually referred to only as the Interior, is one of the three main regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, the other two being the Lower Mainland, which comprises the overlapping areas of Greater Vancouver...
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...
, 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...
, about 3 km (2 mi) from D'Arcy
D'Arcy, British Columbia
D'Arcy is an unincorporated community in the Canadian province of British Columbia, approximately 150 kilometres northeast of the city of Vancouver...
, at the head of Anderson Lake.
Devine gets its name from being the location of a lumber mill run by Andy Devine which employed Japanese-Canadians who had been Japanese Canadian internment
Japanese Canadian internment
Japanese Canadian internment refers to confinement of Japanese Canadians in British Columbia during World War II. The internment began in December 1941, following the attack by carrier-borne forces of Imperial Japan on American naval and army facilities at Pearl Harbor...
relocated to McGillivray Falls (now McGillivray) which was just inside the 100-mile "quarantine zone" from the British Columbia Coast
British Columbia Coast
The British Columbia Coast or BC Coast is Canada's western continental coastline on the Pacific Ocean. The usage is synonymous with the term West Coast of Canada....
. Devine was able to hire the Japanese, who were experienced loggers and millworkers from the Coast, as the area was inaccessible from the Coast, other than by the rail line as no road to the Coast was open until the 1960s. The post office at Devine opened in 1951 and closed in 1964. Remains of the old mill can still be found in the woods around Devine and until recently the old burner from Andy Devine's mill was the tallest man made
structure around.
Devine today is a recreational community with a few year round residents. The nearest services are at D'Arcy, a few miles southwest and Birken
Birken, British Columbia
Birken is an unincorporated community, located at Birken Lake in the Gates Valley of the Lillooet Country in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, approximately midway in the route known as the Long Portage or Pemberton Pass, which connects the Pemberton Valley to the Fraser Canyon via...
, a few miles farther northeast along the road and rail line to Mount Currie
Mount Currie, British Columbia
Mount Currie is a small community in British Columbia, 164 kilometres north-west of Vancouver and 40 kilometres north-west of Whistler along Highway 99....
and Pemberton
Pemberton, British Columbia
Pemberton is a village north of Whistler in the Pemberton Valley of British Columbia in Canada, with a population of 2,192. Until the 1960s the village could be accessed only by train but that changed when Highway 99 was built through Whistler and Pemberton.-Climate:The climate of Pemberton is...
.