Hudson's Hope, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Hudson's Hope is a district municipality
in northeastern British Columbia
, Canada
, in the Peace River Regional District
. It covers an area of 927 square kilometres (357.9 sq mi) with a population of 1,157 people. Having been first settled in 1805, it is the third oldest community in the province, although it was not incorporated until 1965. Its main economic support is the nearby W. A. C. Bennett Dam
and Peace Canyon Dam
, as well as timber
logging
.
There is debate about the origin of Hudson's Hope's name. One theory derives the word "Hudson's" from the Hudson's Bay Company
and "Hope" from the Scottish word "hope" meaning a "small enclosed valley". Another theory has the name derived from a prospector named Hudson who came to the area searching gold. The crest
uses elements that symbolize the town's history, geography, and economy. For example, the water represents the Peace River, the tower represents hydro power, the tree
s represent forestry
, the fields represent farming, and the sunshine
represent the extended period of daylight
in the summer. The log cabin
is included in remembrance of the pioneer
s who settled in the area. The two mountain
s are depictions of the nearby Beattie peaks. The shield in the crest is shaped like the footprint of the Hadrosaur which were once common in the area. The crest and flag were designed by a town councillor, Sam Kosolowsky, in the early-1990s. The original slogan on the crest and flag was "Playground of the Peace" but has since changed to "Land of Dinosaurs and Dams".
Dene zaa tribes had lived in the area, Alexander Mackenzie
and his team of voyageurs
became the first Europeans to travel through as they canoed westward along the Peace River and in 1793. Simon Fraser
followed in 1805 and established a North West Company
fur-trading outpost, the Rocky Mountain Portage Fort, at the foot of the canyon directly across the river from the current townsite. The Hudson's Bay Company
took control of the fort after its coalition with the North West Company in 1821 and abandoned it in 1823 after a massacre in the nearby Fort St. John
outpost. A new trading post was opened on the southern river banks in 1866 by the Hudson's Bay Company to compete against free traders coming in from the west. (Hudson's Bay Company Archives B.39/b/18 p. 57) Though its origins are unclear, the name Hudson's Hope first appeared in 1868. Theories on its origin include an explorer named Hudson searching for the northwest passage, or a prospector named Henry Hudson searching for gold, or the use of the English and Scottish word hope meaning a small enclosed valley. In 1899 the fort was moved to the townsite's present day location on the north bank to better service those portaging
northwestwards.
Much of the area was explored by prospectors and surveying crews as the Peace River Block
was opened to mineral staking in 1908 and homestead claims in 1912. A permanent settlement was established in 1912 when a police officer who was previously stationed in Fort St. John and a friend travelled from Victoria to stake a homestead. Others joined them as they travelled through Edmonton, Dunvegan, and Fort St. John to found the communities of Beryl Prairie and Lynx Creek. Soon, as other settlers came, a post office, a hotel, and a church were built around the trading post, and in 1923 a school opened. Coal was discovered a few years earlier and used locally. Commercial coal mining, attempted in 1923, was not successful due to remoteness and high transportation costs until the construction of the Alaska Highway
in 1942 created a high local demand.
Major development came in the 1960s as the provincial government planned and constructed the W. A. C. Bennett Dam
with its Gordon M. Shrum Generating Station. Its construction involved thousands workers with the nearest highway and railway being 85 km (53 mi) to the south in Chetwynd
. To help organize and finance the project the Hudson's Hope Improvement District was incorporated in 1962 and the District Municipality of Hudson's Hope was incorporated 2 years later. The two incorporated areas merged in 1967 when construction was completed. The thousands of workers left as the reservoir was filled and the dam went online in 1968. Soon afterwards a second dam, the Peace Canyon Dam
, was planned and constructed, only several kilometers downstream from the first. The second dam went online in 1980 and the town continued to lose population to a low 1,005 people in 1990. Since then the town has remained geographically isolated and economically dependent on BC Hydro
as its single major employer, though it has marketed its isolation and extensive outdoor recreational opportunities as a benefit to living in the area.
The 927 km² (358 sq mi) municipality covers a main townsite on a 3 km (2 mi) wide, 8 km (5 mi) long flat along the north bank of the Peace River, and the rural communities of Beryl Prairie, Lynx Creek, and Farrell Creek. The Peace River
originates at the W.A.C. Bennett Dam from the Peace Reach Arm of Williston Lake
and flows around the 1427 m (4,682 ft) tall Portage Mountain and through Dinosaur Lake. The water has a three day retention time here before going through the Peace Canyon Dam and flowing northeastward under the Hudson's Hope Suspension Bridge, past the townsite, and the rural communities of Lynx Creek and Farrell Creek, and eventually into the Arctic Ocean. The forested foothills of the Rocky Mountains including Mount Johnson and the 1230 m (4,035 ft) Two Ridge Mountain dominate the area south of the Peace River. The foothills continue north of the river passing into prairie land at Beryl Prairie.
Dinosaur Lake is the deeply entrenched reservoir of the Peace Canyon Dam with a surface area of 805 ha (3 sq mi) and a volume of 0.216 km3 (0.05 mi3). The oligotroph
ic lake is fed by Williston Lake and 5 tributaries (Gething, Johnson, Moosebar, Starfish and Mogul Creeks). Most of the municipality is forested by aspen and poplar trees. Animals common to the area include moose, bear, deer, sheep, goats and elk. A hatchery annually releases sportsfish, mainly rainbow trout, into the lakes. Dinosaur tracks and fossils have been discovered in the municipality, including deposits at the bottom of Dinosaur Lake. The ichthyosaur
Hudsonelpidia
was named after the community when it was first discovered there in the 1960s.
Traditionally, winter had brought very cold winters with lots of snow. However, since the filling of Williston Lake, the largest man-made lake in North America, the winters have been milder with an average January temperature of -15 °C and annual snowfall of 194 cm (76 in). The municipality experiences an average growing season of 135 days, the longest in northern BC, with an average July temperature of 15 °C (59 °F). With the dams, both the lakes and the river have remained ice-free and isothermal at about 2 to 10 °C (35.6 to 50 F).
While the community is one of the province's oldest, the first census that included it as a defined subdivision was the 1966 census which recorded 3,068 people. An earlier report put the population at less than 100 in 1954. That 1960s growth was the result of the planning and construction the hydroelectric dam. After the work camps closed and people left the 1971 census counted only 1,741 people remaining. A small rise in the population came in the mid-1970s as the second hydroelectric dam was constructed. Since then, with no new major industries or projects, the population has remained between 1,000 and 1,300 people. In 2006, the Statistics Canada
census
estimated 1,012 people living in the municipality while BC Stats estimated 1,159 people.
According to the 2001 Canadian census
, there were 1,039 people living in 415 households, a 7% loss since the 1996 census. A little over the provincial average 56% are married while 25% are single. With 11% of Hudson's Hope residents being foreign-born, and 89% with an English-only mother tongue, the town has few visible minorities. While not counted as visible minorities during the census, 130 people considered themselves to have an Aboriginal identity, about three times the provincial 4% average. Housing is mostly owned with only 7% of the stock being rented, much lower than the 33% provincial average.
In 2005, the three officer Hudson's Hope Royal Canadian Mounted Police
detachment reported 102 Criminal Code of Canada
offenses, down from 124 in 2004. This translated into a crime rate of 62 Criminal Code offenses per 1,000 people, lower than the provincial rate of 125. In 2004, the only Criminal Code categories which Hudson's Hope had a higher than average reported crime rate was in non-sexual assaults at 14.3 reported cases per 1,000 people (9.9 provincially), sexual assaults at 1.2 (0.88 provincially), impaired driving at 6.2 (3.2 provincially) and cannabis-related crimes at 5.5 (4.2 provincially). All other Criminal Code categories were lower for Hudson's Hope compared to the provincial averages, especially for motor vehicle thefts at only 2.5 per 1,000 people (provincial average was 8.9), thefts from motor vehicles at 1.9 (20.2 provincially), and residential break-and-enters at 1.9 (6.0 provincially).
The town is located along Highway 29, between Chetwynd and Fort St. John. The highway crosses the Peace River via the Hudson's Hope Suspension Bridge and runs westward along the north bank of the Peace River through the townsite, Lynx Creek, and Farrel Creek. From the townsite, the W.A.C. Bennett Dam is 22 km (14 mi) west. In total, the district maintains 33 km (21 mi) of paved and 27 km (17 mi) of unpaved roads with most of the businesses located along the Beattie Road portion of Highway 29. Community facilities and some residential areas are located between Beattie Road and the Peace River and more residential areas are located on hills north of the downtown area.
The Hudson's Hope Airport
, 6 km (4 mi) west of town, is a small airport with a 1585 m (5,200.1 ft) long paved runway that handles private and chartered flights. The closest commercial airport, with regularly scheduled flights, is approximately 86 km (53 mi) to the east, near Fort St. John. The closest regional bus stop and rail station is about 60 km (37 mi) to the south, in Chetwynd.
The town draws its drinking water
from the Peace River, and chlorinates and distributes it through 15 km (9 mi) of watermains. Sewage
is collected through 8 km (5 mi) of sanitary sewers and processed
in a two-cell lagoon
system. The municipality funds weekly garbage collection from households in the townsite and transfer stations in the rural communities. Electrical power is supplied by the provincially owned BC Hydro
and natural gas by the privately owned Pacific Natural Gas.
There is BC Ambulance Service station (#862) in Hudson's Hope with 1 Ambulance. This station is staffed with Primary Care Paramedics and Emergency Medical Responders.
The RCMP detachment has 3 sworn members (1 Corporal and 2 Constables) and 1 civilian clerk.
Hudson’s Hope has a predominantly resource-based economy. The community was founded as a trading post along a portage trail but with sternwheelers and steamships navigating the Peace River in the 1800s resource extraction, such as logging and farming, began. The town’s economy turned towards construction starting in the 1960s with the Bennett Dam followed by the Peace Canyon Dam. Additional staff have been employed with the dams’ museums and tour-related activities. According to the 2001 Canadian census, 20% of the 500 person labour force were employed in utilities, 14% in construction, and 11% in logging. The community has a low poverty rate despite the low participation rate and high unemployment. With males who work full time, full year making twice as much as females, there is a large male-female income gap.
The only school in the municipality is the Hudson's Hope Elementary-Secondary School, administered by School District 60 Peace River North
. The school, constructed in 1993, teaches students from kindergarten
to grade 12
and has an enrollment of about 220 students. Northern Lights College
offers courses at the Hudson's Hope Learning Centre that focus on the oil and gas industry, as well as adult basic, continuing
, and vocational education
. The 2001 Census estimated that only 6% of people in Hudson's Hope between 20 and 64 years old graduated from a university, much less than the 24% provincial average and 30% did not graduate from secondary school, 10% higher than the provincial average.
The Hudson's Hope Museum is located in the old Hudson’s Bay Store, built in 1942. It has exhibits on the area’s prehistory (i.e. dinosaur fossils, bones and tracks), frontier times (i.e. aboriginal, North West Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company artifacts), and boom times (i.e. construction of Bennett and Peace Canyon dams). Both dams have museums and offer tours. The museum at the Bennett Dam focuses on the massive engineering and construction programs to build the reservoir and world's largest earth-filled dam. The museum at the Peace Canyon Dam focuses on the natural history of the area, especially the dinosaur finds that were discovered during construction of the dam.
The town’s thousand people maintain a library, skating arena, curling rink, and an outdoor heated swimming pool. The Hudson's Hope Community Hall is used for theatrical performances, dances, and public meetings. Annual events include a rodeo in June, a fall fair in August, and a torchlight parade in December. The district operates three public parks: Beattie Park with a playground and visitor information centre, Centennial Park with its chainsaw carvings and totem polls, and Memorial Park with tennis courts, swimming pool and toboggan hill. Outside the townsite, the district helps maintains the Beryl Prairie Community Park, and Jamieson Woods Nature Preserve.
Williston Lake, Dinosaur Lake, Cameron Lake and the Peace River are used for canoeing, kayaking, sailing and fishing. In addition to private campgrounds, the district operates four campgrounds. King Gething Park and Alwin Holland Park, both named after 1920s-30s pioneers, are fully serviced campgrounds and RV parks on the north bank of the Peace River, west of the townsite. Dinosaur Lake Campground near the Peace Canyon dam and Cameron Lake Campground near North Cameron Lake were both taken over by the district in 1989 from the province.
The District of Hudson’s Hope has a council-manager form of municipal government. A mayor and six councillors are elected at-large every three years, along with one trustee to the school district
. In the November 2011 Karen Anderson was acclaimed mayor. She had been elected mayor 2008, defeating former mayor Lenore Harwood. The mayor is appointed by the council as the District's representative on the Board of Directors of the Peace River Regional District
.
Hudson's Hope is situated in the Peace River North
provincial electoral district and is represented by Pat Pimm
in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
. Prior to Pimm, the town was represented by Richard Neufeld
who was first elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly
in the 1991 provincial election
with the BC Social Credit Party
taking 31% of votes cast at the Hudson’s Hope polls and re-elected with the Reform Party of BC
in 1996
with 44% support, with the BC Liberal Party
in 2001
and 2005
with 57% and 41% from Hudson’s Hope polls, respectively.
Federally, Hudson's Hope is located in the Prince George—Peace River
riding, which is represented in the House of Commons
by Conservative Party
Member of Parliament
Bob Zimmer. Prior to Zimmer, the town was represented by Jay Hill
who was first elected in 1993, then re-elected in 1997, 2000, 2004, and 2006 with 79%, 75%, 64%, and 66%. support from Hudson’s Hope polls, respectively. Before Hill the riding was represented by Frank Oberle
of the Progressive Conservative Party
from 1972 to 1993. Oberle served as Minister of State for Science and Technology from 1985 to 1989 and Minister of Forestry from 1990 to 1993.
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 northeastern 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...
, in the Peace River Regional District
Peace River Regional District, British Columbia
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,...
. It covers an area of 927 square kilometres (357.9 sq mi) with a population of 1,157 people. Having been first settled in 1805, it is the third oldest community in the province, although it was not incorporated until 1965. Its main economic support is the nearby W. A. C. Bennett Dam
W. A. C. Bennett Dam
The W. A. C. Bennett Dam is a large hydroelectric earthfill dam on the Peace River in northern British Columbia, Canada. The dam, located 19 kilometres west of Hudson's Hope, and 85 kilometres northwest of Chetwynd, is named after the late former premier W. A. C. Bennett, and came on-line in 1968...
and Peace Canyon Dam
Peace Canyon Dam
The Peace Canyon Dam is a large hydroelectric dam on the Peace River in northern British Columbia, Canada. It is located southwest of Hudson's Hope, downstream from the W.A.C. Bennett Dam....
, as well as timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
.
There is debate about the origin of Hudson's Hope's name. One theory derives the word "Hudson's" from the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson'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...
and "Hope" from the Scottish word "hope" meaning a "small enclosed valley". Another theory has the name derived from a prospector named Hudson who came to the area searching gold. The crest
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
uses elements that symbolize the town's history, geography, and economy. For example, the water represents the Peace River, the tower represents hydro power, the tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s represent forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, the fields represent farming, and the sunshine
Sunlight
Sunlight, in the broad sense, is the total frequency spectrum of electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. On Earth, sunlight is filtered through the Earth's atmosphere, and solar radiation is obvious as daylight when the Sun is above the horizon.When the direct solar radiation is not blocked...
represent the extended period of daylight
Daylight
Daylight or the light of day is the combination of all direct and indirect sunlight outdoors during the daytime. This includes direct sunlight, diffuse sky radiation, and both of these reflected from the Earth and terrestrial objects. Sunlight scattered or reflected from objects in outer space is...
in the summer. The log cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
is included in remembrance of the pioneer
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
s who settled in the area. The two mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s are depictions of the nearby Beattie peaks. The shield in the crest is shaped like the footprint of the Hadrosaur which were once common in the area. The crest and flag were designed by a town councillor, Sam Kosolowsky, in the early-1990s. The original slogan on the crest and flag was "Playground of the Peace" but has since changed to "Land of Dinosaurs and Dams".
History
While nomadic aboriginalAboriginal peoples in Canada
Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
Dene zaa tribes had lived in the area, Alexander Mackenzie
Alexander Mackenzie
Alexander Mackenzie, PC , a building contractor and newspaper editor, was the second Prime Minister of Canada from November 7, 1873 to October 8, 1878.-Biography:...
and his team of voyageurs
Voyageurs
The Voyageurs were the persons who engaged in the transportation of furs by canoe during the fur trade era. Voyageur is a French word which literally translates to "traveler"...
became the first Europeans to travel through as they canoed westward along the Peace River and in 1793. Simon Fraser
Simon Fraser (explorer)
Simon Fraser was a fur trader and an explorer who charted much of what is now the Canadian province of British Columbia. Fraser was employed by the Montreal-based North West Company. By 1805, he had been put in charge of all the company's operations west of the Rocky Mountains...
followed in 1805 and established a North West Company
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...
fur-trading outpost, the Rocky Mountain Portage Fort, at the foot of the canyon directly across the river from the current townsite. The Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson'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...
took control of the fort after its coalition with the North West Company in 1821 and abandoned it in 1823 after a massacre in the nearby Fort St. John
Fort St. John, British Columbia
The City of Fort St. John is a city in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of the Peace River Regional District, the city covers an area of about 22 km² with 22,000 residents . Located at Mile 47, it is one of the largest cities along the Alaska Highway. Originally...
outpost. A new trading post was opened on the southern river banks in 1866 by the Hudson's Bay Company to compete against free traders coming in from the west. (Hudson's Bay Company Archives B.39/b/18 p. 57) Though its origins are unclear, the name Hudson's Hope first appeared in 1868. Theories on its origin include an explorer named Hudson searching for the northwest passage, or a prospector named Henry Hudson searching for gold, or the use of the English and Scottish word hope meaning a small enclosed valley. In 1899 the fort was moved to the townsite's present day location on the north bank to better service those portaging
Portage
Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...
northwestwards.
Much of the area was explored by prospectors and surveying crews as the Peace River Block
Peace River Block
The Peace River Block is an area of land located in northeastern British Columbia, in the Peace River Country. In exchange for building a rail line across Canada to British Columbia the Canadian Pacific Railway was given a belt, on each side of the rail, of land...
was opened to mineral staking in 1908 and homestead claims in 1912. A permanent settlement was established in 1912 when a police officer who was previously stationed in Fort St. John and a friend travelled from Victoria to stake a homestead. Others joined them as they travelled through Edmonton, Dunvegan, and Fort St. John to found the communities of Beryl Prairie and Lynx Creek. Soon, as other settlers came, a post office, a hotel, and a church were built around the trading post, and in 1923 a school opened. Coal was discovered a few years earlier and used locally. Commercial coal mining, attempted in 1923, was not successful due to remoteness and high transportation costs until the construction of the Alaska Highway
Alaska Highway
The Alaska Highway was constructed during World War II for the purpose of connecting the contiguous U.S. to Alaska through Canada. It begins at the junction with several Canadian highways in Dawson Creek, British Columbia and runs to Delta Junction, Alaska, via Whitehorse, Yukon...
in 1942 created a high local demand.
Major development came in the 1960s as the provincial government planned and constructed the W. A. C. Bennett Dam
W. A. C. Bennett Dam
The W. A. C. Bennett Dam is a large hydroelectric earthfill dam on the Peace River in northern British Columbia, Canada. The dam, located 19 kilometres west of Hudson's Hope, and 85 kilometres northwest of Chetwynd, is named after the late former premier W. A. C. Bennett, and came on-line in 1968...
with its Gordon M. Shrum Generating Station. Its construction involved thousands workers with the nearest highway and railway being 85 km (53 mi) to the south in Chetwynd
Chetwynd, British Columbia
The District of Chetwynd is a town located on the 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...
. To help organize and finance the project the Hudson's Hope Improvement District was incorporated in 1962 and the District Municipality of Hudson's Hope was incorporated 2 years later. The two incorporated areas merged in 1967 when construction was completed. The thousands of workers left as the reservoir was filled and the dam went online in 1968. Soon afterwards a second dam, the Peace Canyon Dam
Peace Canyon Dam
The Peace Canyon Dam is a large hydroelectric dam on the Peace River in northern British Columbia, Canada. It is located southwest of Hudson's Hope, downstream from the W.A.C. Bennett Dam....
, was planned and constructed, only several kilometers downstream from the first. The second dam went online in 1980 and the town continued to lose population to a low 1,005 people in 1990. Since then the town has remained geographically isolated and economically dependent on BC Hydro
BC Hydro
The BC Hydro and Power Authority is a Canadian electric utility in the province of British Columbia generally known simply as BC Hydro. It is the main electric distributor, serving 1.8 million customers in most areas, with the exception of the Kootenay region, where FortisBC, a subsidiary of Fortis...
as its single major employer, though it has marketed its isolation and extensive outdoor recreational opportunities as a benefit to living in the area.
Geography and climate
Peace River (Canada)
The Peace River is a river in Canada that originates in the Rocky Mountains of northern British Columbia and flows to the northeast through northern Alberta. The Peace River flows into the Slave River, a tributary of the Mackenzie River. The Mackenzie is the 12th longest river in the world,...
originates at the W.A.C. Bennett Dam from the Peace Reach Arm of Williston Lake
Williston Lake
Williston Lake is a reservoir created by the W. A. C. Bennett Dam and is located in the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada.-Geography:...
and flows around the 1427 m (4,682 ft) tall Portage Mountain and through Dinosaur Lake. The water has a three day retention time here before going through the Peace Canyon Dam and flowing northeastward under the Hudson's Hope Suspension Bridge, past the townsite, and the rural communities of Lynx Creek and Farrell Creek, and eventually into the Arctic Ocean. The forested foothills of the Rocky Mountains including Mount Johnson and the 1230 m (4,035 ft) Two Ridge Mountain dominate the area south of the Peace River. The foothills continue north of the river passing into prairie land at Beryl Prairie.
Dinosaur Lake is the deeply entrenched reservoir of the Peace Canyon Dam with a surface area of 805 ha (3 sq mi) and a volume of 0.216 km3 (0.05 mi3). The oligotroph
Oligotroph
An oligotroph is an organism that can live in an environment that offers very low levels of nutrients. They may be contrasted with copiotrophs, which prefer nutritionally rich environments...
ic lake is fed by Williston Lake and 5 tributaries (Gething, Johnson, Moosebar, Starfish and Mogul Creeks). Most of the municipality is forested by aspen and poplar trees. Animals common to the area include moose, bear, deer, sheep, goats and elk. A hatchery annually releases sportsfish, mainly rainbow trout, into the lakes. Dinosaur tracks and fossils have been discovered in the municipality, including deposits at the bottom of Dinosaur Lake. The ichthyosaur
Ichthyosaur
Ichthyosaurs were giant marine reptiles that resembled fish and dolphins...
Hudsonelpidia
Hudsonelpidia
Hudsonelpidia is an extinct genus of small parvipelvian ichthyosaur known from British Columbia of Canada.-Description:Hudsonelpidia is known only from the holotype, a nearly complete skeleton which preserved the skull. It was collected in the Jewitt Spur locality from the Pardonet Formation,...
was named after the community when it was first discovered there in the 1960s.
Traditionally, winter had brought very cold winters with lots of snow. However, since the filling of Williston Lake, the largest man-made lake in North America, the winters have been milder with an average January temperature of -15 °C and annual snowfall of 194 cm (76 in). The municipality experiences an average growing season of 135 days, the longest in northern BC, with an average July temperature of 15 °C (59 °F). With the dams, both the lakes and the river have remained ice-free and isothermal at about 2 to 10 °C (35.6 to 50 F).
Demographics
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....
census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
estimated 1,012 people living in the municipality while BC Stats estimated 1,159 people.
| Canada 2001 Census Canada 2001 Census The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In... |
||
| Hudson's Hope | British Columbia | |
| Median age | 39.0 years | 38.4 years |
| Under 15 years old | 22% | 18% |
| Over 65 years old | 12% | 14% |
| Visible minority | 0% | 21% |
| Protestant | 28% | 31% |
| No religious affiliation | 52% | 37% |
According to the 2001 Canadian census
Canada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
, there were 1,039 people living in 415 households, a 7% loss since the 1996 census. A little over the provincial average 56% are married while 25% are single. With 11% of Hudson's Hope residents being foreign-born, and 89% with an English-only mother tongue, the town has few visible minorities. While not counted as visible minorities during the census, 130 people considered themselves to have an Aboriginal identity, about three times the provincial 4% average. Housing is mostly owned with only 7% of the stock being rented, much lower than the 33% provincial average.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
detachment reported 102 Criminal Code of Canada
Criminal Code of Canada
The Criminal Code or Code criminel is a law that codifies most criminal offences and procedures in Canada. Its official long title is "An Act respecting the criminal law"...
offenses, down from 124 in 2004. This translated into a crime rate of 62 Criminal Code offenses per 1,000 people, lower than the provincial rate of 125. In 2004, the only Criminal Code categories which Hudson's Hope had a higher than average reported crime rate was in non-sexual assaults at 14.3 reported cases per 1,000 people (9.9 provincially), sexual assaults at 1.2 (0.88 provincially), impaired driving at 6.2 (3.2 provincially) and cannabis-related crimes at 5.5 (4.2 provincially). All other Criminal Code categories were lower for Hudson's Hope compared to the provincial averages, especially for motor vehicle thefts at only 2.5 per 1,000 people (provincial average was 8.9), thefts from motor vehicles at 1.9 (20.2 provincially), and residential break-and-enters at 1.9 (6.0 provincially).
Infrastructure
The Hudson's Hope Airport
Hudson's Hope Airport
Hudson's Hope Airport, , is located west northwest of Hudson's Hope, British Columbia, Canada....
, 6 km (4 mi) west of town, is a small airport with a 1585 m (5,200.1 ft) long paved runway that handles private and chartered flights. The closest commercial airport, with regularly scheduled flights, is approximately 86 km (53 mi) to the east, near Fort St. John. The closest regional bus stop and rail station is about 60 km (37 mi) to the south, in Chetwynd.
The town draws its drinking water
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
from the Peace River, and chlorinates and distributes it through 15 km (9 mi) of watermains. Sewage
Sewage
Sewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...
is collected through 8 km (5 mi) of sanitary sewers and processed
Sewage treatment
Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants...
in a two-cell lagoon
Aerated lagoon
An aerated lagoon or aerated basin is a holding and/or treatment pond provided with artificial aeration to promote the biological oxidation of wastewaters. There are many other biological processes for treatment of wastewaters, for example activated sludge, trickling filters, rotating biological...
system. The municipality funds weekly garbage collection from households in the townsite and transfer stations in the rural communities. Electrical power is supplied by the provincially owned BC Hydro
BC Hydro
The BC Hydro and Power Authority is a Canadian electric utility in the province of British Columbia generally known simply as BC Hydro. It is the main electric distributor, serving 1.8 million customers in most areas, with the exception of the Kootenay region, where FortisBC, a subsidiary of Fortis...
and natural gas by the privately owned Pacific Natural Gas.
Protective Services
The District is protected by the Hudson's Hope Fire & Rescue Department. This department maintains 2 stations that each hold 2 pieces of fire apparatus. These apparatus include 2 engines, 1 pumper/tanker and 1 CAFS Rescue Engine. The Department is led by a full time Chief and has 25 volunteer members (2 Deputy Chiefs, 3 Captains, 1 Safety Officer, 19 Firefighters, 2 Junior Firefighters). The department responds to fires within its Fire Protection District and to Motor Vehicle Accidents within the district and the surrounding area. The department also provides public education and participates in demonstrations at different events throughout the year. A Junior Firefighter program is run in conjunction with the Hudson's Hope School to provide Grade 11 and 12 students with the opportunity to train and work with the Fire & Rescue Department for a year. The department also holds an annual fireworks display on Halloween to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy Canada.There is BC Ambulance Service station (#862) in Hudson's Hope with 1 Ambulance. This station is staffed with Primary Care Paramedics and Emergency Medical Responders.
The RCMP detachment has 3 sworn members (1 Corporal and 2 Constables) and 1 civilian clerk.
Economy and education
| Economy | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rate | Town | Province |
| Unemployment rate | 18.0% | 8.5% |
| Participation rate | 59.9% | 65.2% |
| Poverty rate | 7.5% | 17.8% |
| Average male income | $59,057 | $50,191 |
| Average female income | $26,413 | $35,895 |
Hudson’s Hope has a predominantly resource-based economy. The community was founded as a trading post along a portage trail but with sternwheelers and steamships navigating the Peace River in the 1800s resource extraction, such as logging and farming, began. The town’s economy turned towards construction starting in the 1960s with the Bennett Dam followed by the Peace Canyon Dam. Additional staff have been employed with the dams’ museums and tour-related activities. According to the 2001 Canadian census, 20% of the 500 person labour force were employed in utilities, 14% in construction, and 11% in logging. The community has a low poverty rate despite the low participation rate and high unemployment. With males who work full time, full year making twice as much as females, there is a large male-female income gap.
The only school in the municipality is the Hudson's Hope Elementary-Secondary School, administered by School District 60 Peace River North
School District 60 Peace River North
School District 60 Peace River North is a school district in northeastern British Columbia adjacent to the Alberta border. Its board office is in Fort St. John which is also where the majority of the schools are located...
. The school, constructed in 1993, teaches students from kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
to grade 12
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
and has an enrollment of about 220 students. Northern Lights College
Northern Lights College
Northern Lights College is an institution that provides post-secondary education to residents of Northern British Columbia. It currently has offices in eight communities, and a working agreement with the University of Northern British Columbia. The college president is D. Jean Valgardson.- List of...
offers courses at the Hudson's Hope Learning Centre that focus on the oil and gas industry, as well as adult basic, continuing
Continuing education
Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
, and vocational education
Vocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
. The 2001 Census estimated that only 6% of people in Hudson's Hope between 20 and 64 years old graduated from a university, much less than the 24% provincial average and 30% did not graduate from secondary school, 10% higher than the provincial average.
Culture and recreation
The town’s thousand people maintain a library, skating arena, curling rink, and an outdoor heated swimming pool. The Hudson's Hope Community Hall is used for theatrical performances, dances, and public meetings. Annual events include a rodeo in June, a fall fair in August, and a torchlight parade in December. The district operates three public parks: Beattie Park with a playground and visitor information centre, Centennial Park with its chainsaw carvings and totem polls, and Memorial Park with tennis courts, swimming pool and toboggan hill. Outside the townsite, the district helps maintains the Beryl Prairie Community Park, and Jamieson Woods Nature Preserve.
Williston Lake, Dinosaur Lake, Cameron Lake and the Peace River are used for canoeing, kayaking, sailing and fishing. In addition to private campgrounds, the district operates four campgrounds. King Gething Park and Alwin Holland Park, both named after 1920s-30s pioneers, are fully serviced campgrounds and RV parks on the north bank of the Peace River, west of the townsite. Dinosaur Lake Campground near the Peace Canyon dam and Cameron Lake Campground near North Cameron Lake were both taken over by the district in 1989 from the province.
Government and politics
School District 60 Peace River North
School District 60 Peace River North is a school district in northeastern British Columbia adjacent to the Alberta border. Its board office is in Fort St. John which is also where the majority of the schools are located...
. In the November 2011 Karen Anderson was acclaimed mayor. She had been elected mayor 2008, defeating former mayor Lenore Harwood. The mayor is appointed by the council as the District's representative on the Board of Directors of the Peace River Regional District
Peace River Regional District, British Columbia
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,...
.
Hudson's Hope is situated in the Peace River North
Peace River North
Peace River North is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada. It was created under the name North Peace River by the Constitution Amendment Act, 1955, which split the old riding of Peace River into northern and southern portions for the 1956 B.C....
provincial electoral district and is represented by Pat Pimm
Pat Pimm
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, representing the riding of Peace River North. He has lived in Fort St. John, British Columbia and has a business background working at an...
in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....
. Prior to Pimm, the town was represented by Richard Neufeld
Richard Neufeld
Richard Neufeld is a Canadian Senator for British Columbia. Before his appointment to the Senate, he was a British Columbia Liberal Party Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1991 to 2008, serving as Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources in the cabinet of Gordon...
who was first elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
in the 1991 provincial election
British Columbia general election, 1991
The British Columbia general election of 1991 was the 35th provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 19, 1991, and held on October 17, 1991...
with the BC Social Credit Party
British Columbia Social Credit Party
The British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing political party of British Columbia, Canada, for more than 30 years between the 1952 provincial election and the 1991 election...
taking 31% of votes cast at the Hudson’s Hope polls and re-elected with the Reform Party of BC
Reform Party of British Columbia
The Reform Party of British Columbia is a populist right wing political party in British Columbia, Canada. Although its name is similar to the defunct Reform Party of Canada, the provincial party was founded before the federal party was and it did not have any formal association with...
in 1996
British Columbia general election, 1996
The British Columbia general election of 1996 was the thirty sixth provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 30, 1996, and held on May 28, 1996...
with 44% support, with the BC Liberal Party
British Columbia Liberal Party
The British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...
in 2001
British Columbia general election, 2001
The British Columbia general election of 2001 was the 37th provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 18, 2001, and held on May 16, 2001...
and 2005
British Columbia general election, 2005
The 38th British Columbia general election was held on May 17, 2005, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia , Canada. The BC Liberal Party formed the government of the province prior to this general election under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell...
with 57% and 41% from Hudson’s Hope polls, respectively.
Federally, Hudson's Hope is located in the Prince George—Peace River
Prince George—Peace River
Prince George—Peace River is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968.-Geography:...
riding, which is represented in the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
by Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Bob Zimmer. Prior to Zimmer, the town was represented by Jay Hill
Jay Hill
Jay D. Hill PC is a former Canadian politician and member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He was the Member of Parliament for the riding of Prince George—Peace River from 1993 until his retirement in 2010. He also served as Government House Leader in the Canadian House of Commons during his...
who was first elected in 1993, then re-elected in 1997, 2000, 2004, and 2006 with 79%, 75%, 64%, and 66%. support from Hudson’s Hope polls, respectively. Before Hill the riding was represented by Frank Oberle
Frank Oberle, Sr.
Frank Oberle, Sr., PC is a businessman and former Canadian politician.Born in Forchheim near Karlsruhe, Germany, Oberle moved with his family to German-occupied Poland in 1941. There he was placed in a Hitler Youth indoctrination program...
of the Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
from 1972 to 1993. Oberle served as Minister of State for Science and Technology from 1985 to 1989 and Minister of Forestry from 1990 to 1993.