Lajoie Lake
Encyclopedia
Lajoie Lake, also known as Little Gun Lake, is a small lake
in the Bridge River Country
of the West-Central Interior of British Columbia
, Canada
, located three miles west of the community of Gold Bridge and just southwest of Gun Lake
, which is also known as Big Gun Lake. The two lakes together are known as the Gun Lakes and both are recreational communities with a history of such settlement dating back to the 1920s. The lake is approximately 3 km2 (1 sq mi) in size and is drained by Lajoie Creek, which drains into Big Gun Lake and from that lake's northeastern end into Gun Creek. The creek, lake and nearby Lajoie Dam
and the adjoining small company townsite of Lajoie are named for "Lazack" Lajoie, a colourful French-Canadian prospector and promoter who tried to advance the area of the Gun Lakes both as a major potential gold mine and also the site of a future city.
"Little Gun" is the site of the Little Gun Lake Lodge, a custom-built log-cabin mansion built by William G. "Big Bill" Davidson, who also built Minto City, to host investors and VIPs visiting the Bralorne-Pioneer Mines about ten miles south of Gold Bridge. To serve the lodge floatplane
s were landed on the lake, and a helicopter pad was also built on the lodge's property, which is the largest private land-holding on the lake and includes the lake itself. It was from Lajoie Lake that mine promoter David Sloan, namesake of the Matterhorn
-like Mount Sloan, which overlooks the lake from the other side of the Bridge River
to its south, too off on his last flight, dying in a plane crash at Alta Lake
(now in the resort of Whistler
).
The lodge was for some time operated as a private boutique-hotel but is now a private residence. In addition to the lodge there are a number of other recreational properties around the lake. As a community it has a full-time population in the range of 30.
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,...
in the Bridge River Country
Bridge River Country
The Bridge River Country is a historic geographic region and mining district in the Interior of British Columbia, Canada, lying between the Fraser Canyon and the valley of the Lillooet River, south of the Chilcotin Plateau and north of the Lillooet Ranges...
of the West-Central Interior of British Columbia
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...
, 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...
, located three miles west of the community of Gold Bridge and just southwest of Gun Lake
Gun Lake (British Columbia)
Gun Lake, often spelled Gunn Lake and also known as Big Gun Lake, is a lake and unincorporated community in the Bridge River Country of the West-Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located 5 miles northwest of the community of Gold Bridge...
, which is also known as Big Gun Lake. The two lakes together are known as the Gun Lakes and both are recreational communities with a history of such settlement dating back to the 1920s. The lake is approximately 3 km2 (1 sq mi) in size and is drained by Lajoie Creek, which drains into Big Gun Lake and from that lake's northeastern end into Gun Creek. The creek, lake and nearby Lajoie Dam
Lajoie Dam
Lajoie Dam is the uppermost of the storage dams of the Bridge River Power Project, which is located in the southwestern Interior of British Columbia. It is located just west of the small semi-ghost town of Gold Bridge. An earthfill structure, it is 87 m and impounds c. of water in Downton Lake...
and the adjoining small company townsite of Lajoie are named for "Lazack" Lajoie, a colourful French-Canadian prospector and promoter who tried to advance the area of the Gun Lakes both as a major potential gold mine and also the site of a future city.
"Little Gun" is the site of the Little Gun Lake Lodge, a custom-built log-cabin mansion built by William G. "Big Bill" Davidson, who also built Minto City, to host investors and VIPs visiting the Bralorne-Pioneer Mines about ten miles south of Gold Bridge. To serve the lodge floatplane
Floatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
s were landed on the lake, and a helicopter pad was also built on the lodge's property, which is the largest private land-holding on the lake and includes the lake itself. It was from Lajoie Lake that mine promoter David Sloan, namesake of the Matterhorn
Matterhorn
The Matterhorn , Monte Cervino or Mont Cervin , is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Its summit is 4,478 metres high, making it one of the highest peaks in the Alps. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points...
-like Mount Sloan, which overlooks the lake from the other side of the Bridge River
Bridge River
The Bridge River is, or was, a major tributary of British Columbia's Fraser River, entering that stream about six miles upstream from the town of Lillooet.-Name:Its name in the Lillooet language is Xwisten , sometimes spelled Nxwisten or Nxo-isten)...
to its south, too off on his last flight, dying in a plane crash at Alta Lake
Alta Lake (British Columbia)
Alta Lake is a lake in the Resort Municipality of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.Originally named Summit Lake, Alta Lake was renamed to avoid confusion with the many other Summit Lakes in British Columbia. The name is derived from the Spanish for "high up" or "upper". The lake's southern end...
(now in the resort of Whistler
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
).
The lodge was for some time operated as a private boutique-hotel but is now a private residence. In addition to the lodge there are a number of other recreational properties around the lake. As a community it has a full-time population in the range of 30.