Dewdney, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Dewdney is an unincorporated community in the Central Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada, about 15 km east of the town of Mission
. It was incorporated as a district municipality
in 1893 but has since become unincorporated and is now represented as part of Electoral Area 'G' in the regional government, which currently is the Fraser Valley Regional District
.
Dewdney is located at the western end of Nicomen Island
, one of the larger settled islands in the Fraser, and at the southeast corner of Hatzic Prairie, a lowland floodplain at the south end of which is Hatzic Lake
, an oxbow lake
with a community of the same name on the island in its centre.
Downtown Dewdney spans the Nicomen Slough, which is fed by Norrish Creek
(aka Suicide Creek), one of the main water supplies for the District of Mission. Running east on the north side of the slough is the famous Hawkins Pickle Road (famous mostly for its name). Dewdney has a couple of stores, an elementary school, and other businesses and is a service centre for other nearby communities, most of which are more rural in character. Though situated in rich farmland Dewdney also has a history and continuing economic presence in lumbering and milling community, and also in relation to the fishery and shipping on the river
Dewdney was the destination of the Dewdney Trunk Road
, one of the Fraser Valley's earliest main roads, which ran from Port Moody to Dewdney. The Dewdney Trunk Road, or Dewdney Trunk as it is often called, should not be confused with the Dewdney Trail, which is a colonial-era route from Hope to the East Kootenay region built by Edgar Dewdney
, for whom the community of Dewdney is named and who later was Lieutenant-Governor of the Northwest Territories
and also later Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia. The community is the namesake of the historical Dewdney provincial electoral district
and also of the now-dismantled Dewdney-Alouette Regional District
(DARD).
Mission, British Columbia
Mission, the core of which was formerly known as Mission City, is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River overlooking the City of Abbotsford and with that city is part of the Central Fraser Valley. Mission is the...
. It was incorporated as a district municipality
District municipality
A district municipality is a designation for a class of municipalities found in several locations, including Canada, Lithuania, and South Africa.-Usage in British Columbia:...
in 1893 but has since become unincorporated and is now represented as part of Electoral Area 'G' in the regional government, which currently is the Fraser Valley Regional District
Fraser Valley Regional District
The Fraser Valley Regional District is a regional district in British Columbia, Canada. The FVRD covers an area of 13,361.74 km²...
.
Dewdney is located at the western end of Nicomen Island
Nicomen Island
Nicomen Island is an island in the Fraser River east of Mission and between Deroche and Dewdney . Located on the river's north side, and separated from the foot of the Douglas Ranges by Nicomen Slough, the island is near-totally given over to agriculture and constitutes a rural community in its...
, one of the larger settled islands in the Fraser, and at the southeast corner of Hatzic Prairie, a lowland floodplain at the south end of which is Hatzic Lake
Hatzic Lake
Hatzic Lake is an oxbow lake adjoining the Fraser River on the east side of Mission, British Columbia, Canada, immediately below that district municipality's neighbourhood of Hatzic, which is on a benchland above and to the west of the lake...
, an oxbow lake
Oxbow lake
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped body of water formed when a wide meander from the main stem of a river is cut off to create a lake. This landform is called an oxbow lake for the distinctive curved shape, named after part of a yoke for oxen. In Australia, an oxbow lake is called a billabong, derived...
with a community of the same name on the island in its centre.
Downtown Dewdney spans the Nicomen Slough, which is fed by Norrish Creek
Norrish Creek
Norrish Creek is a tributary of the Fraser River. It is located in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada.- Course :Norrish Creek has its source in Dickson Lake, a medium sized, seldom visited reservoir at the bases of Mount Wardrop and Catherwood. The creek flows alongside Norrish Creek...
(aka Suicide Creek), one of the main water supplies for the District of Mission. Running east on the north side of the slough is the famous Hawkins Pickle Road (famous mostly for its name). Dewdney has a couple of stores, an elementary school, and other businesses and is a service centre for other nearby communities, most of which are more rural in character. Though situated in rich farmland Dewdney also has a history and continuing economic presence in lumbering and milling community, and also in relation to the fishery and shipping on the river
Dewdney was the destination of the Dewdney Trunk Road
Dewdney Trunk Road
The Dewdney Trunk Road was one of the earliest major roads in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada, originally running from Port Moody to its original destination at Dewdney, just east of Mission...
, one of the Fraser Valley's earliest main roads, which ran from Port Moody to Dewdney. The Dewdney Trunk Road, or Dewdney Trunk as it is often called, should not be confused with the Dewdney Trail, which is a colonial-era route from Hope to the East Kootenay region built by Edgar Dewdney
Edgar Dewdney
Edgar Dewdney, PC was a Canadian politician born in Devonshire, England. He served as Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Territories and the fifth Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.-Early life and career:...
, for whom the community of Dewdney is named and who later was Lieutenant-Governor of the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
and also later Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia. The community is the namesake of the historical Dewdney provincial electoral district
Dewdney (electoral district)
Dewdney was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its predecessor was the riding of Westminster-Dewdney, which was created for the 1894 election from a partition of the Westminster riding, which was a rural-area successor to the original New Westminster...
and also of the now-dismantled Dewdney-Alouette Regional District
Dewdney-Alouette Regional District
The Dewdney-Alouette Regional District was a regional district in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada, comprising the district municipalities of Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge and Mission and uncincorporated areas east to the Harrison River and north to the southern end of Lillooet Lake...
(DARD).