Monte Creek is a rural locality on the South Thompson River east of Kamloops, 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...

, approximately equidistant from Kamloops and the village of Chase, British Columbia

Chase, British Columbia

Chase is a village located in the Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It has a population of roughly 2,500, and its main industries are forestry and tourism. It is located at the outlet of Little Shuswap Lake, which is the source of the South Thompson River...

. It is mostly notable as a major highway junction where British Columbia Highway 97 branches off from the Trans-Canada Highway

Trans-Canada Highway

The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...

 south towards the Okanagan

Okanagan

The Okanagan , also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as Okanagan Country is a region located in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. As of 2009, the region's population is approximately 350,927. The...

 via Falkland

Falkland, British Columbia

Falkland is a small community located in the Okanagan-Shuswap region of British Columbia, Canada between Vernon and Kamloops.Falkland is recognized for one Canada's largest Canadian flags, which is located on Gyp Mountain and can be seen up to 7 km away. The Falkland area has a wide array of...

 and Westwold

Westwold, British Columbia

Westwold is an unincorporated settlement in the Interior of British Columbia. A small farming and logging community, it is located between Kamloops and Vernon on Highway 97. The original name for the settlement was "Grand Prairie". Glacial tills near the townsite of Westwold have provided...

. Monte Lake, a recreational community on the shores of the lake of the same name, is a few miles south of the junction.

Monte Creek was originally known as "Ducks" after the English settler who first ranched there, Jacob Ducks. In 1888 the Monte Creek Ranch was purchased by publisher Hewitt Bostock

Hewitt Bostock

Hewitt Bostock, PC was a Canadian publisher, businessman and politician.He was born in Walton Heath, Epsom, England and studied at Trinity College, Cambridge graduating with honours in mathematics. Bostock then studied law and was called to the bar in 1888...

, who took up residence there with his family in 1894.

On September 4, 1904, Monte Creek - then still known as "Ducks" - was the site of the last train robbery by the "Gentleman Bandit" Bill Miner

Bill Miner

Ezra Allen Miner , more popularly known as Bill Miner, was a noted American criminal, originally from Bowling Green, Kentucky, who served several prison terms for stagecoach robbery. Known for his unusual politeness while committing robberies, he was widely nicknamed The Gentleman Robber or The...

.