Strathcona Provincial Park
Encyclopedia
Strathcona Provincial Park is the oldest provincial park
in British Columbia
, Canada
, and the largest on Vancouver Island
. Founded in 1911, the park was named for Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal, a wealthy philanthropist and railroad pioneer. It lies within the Strathcona Regional District
. The Clayoquot Sound
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
, established in 2000, includes three watershed
s in the western area of the park.
The park is 9 km east of Gold River
and 25 km west of Campbell River
. At 2,458 square kilometres, it contains a group of mountains called the Elk River Mountains
. It contains the highest peaks of the Vancouver Island Ranges
. Some notable mountains located within the park boundaries include:
For others, see the List of mountains in Strathcona Provincial Park.
Strathcona Park is also known for its lakes, waterfalls, and glaciers. Buttle Lake
is a popular destination for swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. Also located in the park is Della Falls
which, at 440 m in height, is widely considered the highest waterfall in Canada.
The 6,500 meter thick Karmutsen Formation
is the most abundant rock unit in the park. It is a pile of tholeiitic pillow basalt
s and breccia
s. It is also the oldest, thickest and most widespread formation on Vancouver Island found on Triple Peak, Cat's Ears Peak and the Mackenzie Range.
The park is a popular destination for hikers and mountain climbers, as well as swimmers, canoeists, and kayakers. There is an extensive network of hiking trails in the park; visitor facilities are located at Buttle Lake
and Forbidden Plateau
. The park includes campgrounds, backpacking and cross-country skiing trails, and downhill skiing. There is fishing, in season, for Cutthroat
, Rainbow
, and Dolly Varden trout
. Campfires are banned in all areas of the park except in provided fire pits.
Although there are no commercial tourist facilities in the park itself, the nearby Strathcona Park Lodge and Outdoor Education Centre provides outdoors education. Visitor facilities are available in the nearby communities of Campbell River
and Gold River
. Mount Washington Alpine Resort
, which offers downhill
and cross-country skiing
, is located adjacent to the park.
is named, first explored the area in the 1860s. In 1890 the British Columbia government conducted a survey to define the boundaries of the E&N Railway land grant. The grant, given to Robert Dunsmuir
's company in exchange for the construction of the railway, extended from Muir Creek, near Sooke at the southern end of Vancouver Island
, in a straight line to Crown Mountain
. All of the land between that line and the east coast of Vancouver Island was included in the grant. The line that formed the west boundary of the grant became the east boundary of Strathcona Park when it was created in 1911. Although originally planned to reach Campbell River
, the railway was never constructed past Courtenay
. At the time of the grant, the area within the present park boundaries was considered unexplored.
In 1894 and 1896 the area was explored by Reverend William W. Bolton. Bolton's explorations and federal government interest in establishing a national park
led BC Premier Sir Richard McBride
to set aside a park reserve in June 1910. McBride's Minister of Lands, Price Ellison, lead an expedition to explore the new park reserve which included the first ascent of Crown Mountain
on July 29, 1910. W.W. Urquhart led a survey party, which included photographer W.R. Kent and Einar Anderson, throughout the park area in 1913 and 1914. They climbed many of the peaks and named geographic features throughout the park.
The First World War
caused elaborate plans for a railway and two hotels to be abandoned. As part of the war effort,
there was logging in the Elk River Valley.
Over the years which have followed, other industrial uses have affected the park.
Mineral claims were staked in the park as early as 1911. In 1939 mining and logging became permitted in the park and in 1959 the Westmin Mine was opened. This mine continues to operate in a section of the park called Strathcona-Westmin Provincial Park
. This area is entirely within the larger park and comprises 1.5% of the total area. As a Class B park, it is intended to cease its existence and return to the main park when the mine eventually ceases operations.
The area around the shoreline of Buttle Lake
was logged to accommodate the increase in water levels from the Elk Falls hydroelectric
project in Campbell River in 1948 which also raised water levels in the Elk River. The variation in water levels in the lake periodically exposes lake bottom and stumps from this logging and is considered unsightly.
In 1987 the provincial government announced plans to remove large areas from the park for logging and other industrial uses. The Friends of Strathcona formed a blockade which attracted significant media attention and resulted in the arrest of sixty-three protesters. The government engaged Peter Larkin to conduct an independent review of the future of the park which eventually resulted in the Strathcona Park Master Plan. Most of the park is designated a conservation area under this plan. The Strathcona Park Public Advisory Committee was set up at this time to provide advice to BC Parks when making management decisions concerning the park.
In 1995 the McBride Creek area (37.5 km²) and the Megin watershed (273.9 km²) were added to the park. Later the Divers and Rossitor Lake addition was included as well.
Provincial park
A provincial park is a park under the management of a provincial or territorial government in Canada.While provincial parks are not the same as national parks, their workings are very similar...
in 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...
, and the largest on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
. Founded in 1911, the park was named for Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal, a wealthy philanthropist and railroad pioneer. It lies within the Strathcona Regional District
Strathcona Regional District, British Columbia
The Strathcona Regional District is a regional district in British Columbia, Canada. It was created on February 15, 2008, encompassing the northern and western portions of the former Regional District of Comox-Strathcona. The partition left the new Strathcona Regional District with 91.6 percent of...
. The Clayoquot Sound
Clayoquot Sound
Clayoquot Sound is located on the west coast of Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is bordered by the Esowista Peninsula to the south, and the Hesquiaht Peninsula to the North. It is a body of water with many inlets and islands. Major inlets include Sydney Inlet,...
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
Biosphere reserve
The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...
, established in 2000, includes three watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
s in the western area of the park.
Geography
Gold River, British Columbia
Gold River is a village located close to the geographic centre of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. In terms of the Island's human geography it is considered to be part of the "North Island", even though it technically is on the Island's west coast....
and 25 km west of Campbell River
Campbell River, British Columbia
Campbell River is a coastal city in British Columbia on the east coast of Vancouver Island at the south end of Discovery Passage, which lies along the important coastal Inside Passage shipping route...
. At 2,458 square kilometres, it contains a group of mountains called the Elk River Mountains
Elk River Mountains
The Elk River Mountains is a rugged group of mountains in the heart of Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It has an area of 113 km2 and is part of the Vancouver Island Ranges which in turn form part of the Insular Mountains....
. It contains the highest peaks of the Vancouver Island Ranges
Vancouver Island Ranges
The Vancouver Island Ranges, formerly called the Vancouver Island Mountains, is a mountain range extending along the length of Vancouver Island which has an area of 31,788 km² . The Vancouver Island Ranges comprise the central and largest part of the island...
. Some notable mountains located within the park boundaries include:
- Golden Hinde (2198 m)
- Elkhorn MountainElkhorn MountainElkhorn Mountain is a mountain located in the Elk River Mountains of the Vancouver Island Ranges of British Columbia. At , it is the second highest peak on Vancouver Island, second only to the nearby Golden Hinde which lies to the south...
(2166 m) - Mount Colonel FosterMount Colonel FosterMount Colonel Foster is a mountain located on Vancouver Island in Strathcona Regional District, British Columbia, Canada. At , it is the fourth highest peak on the island.Mount Colonel Foster is located across the Elk River from Elkhorn Mountain...
(2129 m) - Mount Albert Edward (2093 m)
For others, see the List of mountains in Strathcona Provincial Park.
Strathcona Park is also known for its lakes, waterfalls, and glaciers. Buttle Lake
Buttle Lake
Buttle Lake is a lake on Vancouver Island in Strathcona Regional District, British Columbia, Canada. It is about long and side, has an area of , is up to deep, and lies at an elevation of . The lake is located between Campbell River and Gold River in Strathcona Provincial Park; there is a...
is a popular destination for swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. Also located in the park is Della Falls
Della Falls
Della Falls is a waterfall in Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. It is widely regarded as the tallest in Canada, 440 metres , though there is some question as to whether it deserves this title .-Location:...
which, at 440 m in height, is widely considered the highest waterfall in Canada.
The 6,500 meter thick Karmutsen Formation
Karmutsen Formation
The Karmutsen Formation is a Late Triassic volcanic sequence of tholeiitic pillow basalts and breccias on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It is perhaps the thickest accreted section of an oceanic plateau worldwide, exposing up to 6000 m of basal sediment-sill complexes, basaltic to...
is the most abundant rock unit in the park. It is a pile of tholeiitic pillow basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
s and breccia
Breccia
Breccia is a rock composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix, that can be either similar to or different from the composition of the fragments....
s. It is also the oldest, thickest and most widespread formation on Vancouver Island found on Triple Peak, Cat's Ears Peak and the Mackenzie Range.
Recreation
Buttle Lake
Buttle Lake is a lake on Vancouver Island in Strathcona Regional District, British Columbia, Canada. It is about long and side, has an area of , is up to deep, and lies at an elevation of . The lake is located between Campbell River and Gold River in Strathcona Provincial Park; there is a...
and Forbidden Plateau
Forbidden Plateau
The Forbidden Plateau is a small, hilly plateau in the east of the Vancouver Island Ranges in British Columbia, located northwest of Comox Lake roughly between Mount Albert Edward to the southwest and Mount Washington to the northeast. The gently sloping sub-alpine terrain is broken by small,...
. The park includes campgrounds, backpacking and cross-country skiing trails, and downhill skiing. There is fishing, in season, for Cutthroat
Cutthroat trout
The cutthroat trout is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It is one of the many fish species colloquially known as trout...
, Rainbow
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
, and Dolly Varden trout
Dolly Varden trout
The Dolly Varden trout, Salvelinus malma malma, is a subspecies of anadromous fish in the salmon family, and is technically a char. Although many of the fish are anadromous, the fish also exists in landlocked waters.- Range :The subspecies S. m...
. Campfires are banned in all areas of the park except in provided fire pits.
Although there are no commercial tourist facilities in the park itself, the nearby Strathcona Park Lodge and Outdoor Education Centre provides outdoors education. Visitor facilities are available in the nearby communities of Campbell River
Campbell River, British Columbia
Campbell River is a coastal city in British Columbia on the east coast of Vancouver Island at the south end of Discovery Passage, which lies along the important coastal Inside Passage shipping route...
and Gold River
Gold River, British Columbia
Gold River is a village located close to the geographic centre of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. In terms of the Island's human geography it is considered to be part of the "North Island", even though it technically is on the Island's west coast....
. Mount Washington Alpine Resort
Mount Washington Alpine Resort
Mount Washington Alpine Resort is an alpine skiing ski resort located on Mount Washington on the eastern edge of the Vancouver Island Ranges in British Columbia, Canada...
, which offers downhill
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
and cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
, is located adjacent to the park.
History
This area is the traditional territory of the Mowachaht and Muchalaht people of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation. Commander John Buttle, for whom Buttle LakeButtle Lake
Buttle Lake is a lake on Vancouver Island in Strathcona Regional District, British Columbia, Canada. It is about long and side, has an area of , is up to deep, and lies at an elevation of . The lake is located between Campbell River and Gold River in Strathcona Provincial Park; there is a...
is named, first explored the area in the 1860s. In 1890 the British Columbia government conducted a survey to define the boundaries of the E&N Railway land grant. The grant, given to Robert Dunsmuir
Robert Dunsmuir
Robert Dunsmuir was a Scottish-Canadian coal miner, railway developer, industrialist and politician. -Origins in Scotland:...
's company in exchange for the construction of the railway, extended from Muir Creek, near Sooke at the southern end of Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
, in a straight line to Crown Mountain
Crown Mountain (Vancouver Island, British Columbia)
Crown Mountain, sometimes called Ellison Peak, is a mountain located in Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island in British Columbia.-History:...
. All of the land between that line and the east coast of Vancouver Island was included in the grant. The line that formed the west boundary of the grant became the east boundary of Strathcona Park when it was created in 1911. Although originally planned to reach Campbell River
Campbell River, British Columbia
Campbell River is a coastal city in British Columbia on the east coast of Vancouver Island at the south end of Discovery Passage, which lies along the important coastal Inside Passage shipping route...
, the railway was never constructed past Courtenay
Courtenay, British Columbia
Courtenay is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is the largest city in the area commonly known as the Comox Valley, and it is the seat of the Comox Valley Regional District which replaced the Comox-Strathcona Regional District...
. At the time of the grant, the area within the present park boundaries was considered unexplored.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
led BC Premier Sir Richard McBride
Richard McBride
Sir Richard McBride, KCMG was a British Columbian politician and is often considered the founder of the British Columbia Conservative Party. McBride was first elected to the provincial legislature in the 1898 election, and served in the cabinet of James Dunsmuir from 1900 to 1901...
to set aside a park reserve in June 1910. McBride's Minister of Lands, Price Ellison, lead an expedition to explore the new park reserve which included the first ascent of Crown Mountain
Crown Mountain (Vancouver Island, British Columbia)
Crown Mountain, sometimes called Ellison Peak, is a mountain located in Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island in British Columbia.-History:...
on July 29, 1910. W.W. Urquhart led a survey party, which included photographer W.R. Kent and Einar Anderson, throughout the park area in 1913 and 1914. They climbed many of the peaks and named geographic features throughout the park.
The First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
caused elaborate plans for a railway and two hotels to be abandoned. As part of the war effort,
there was logging in the Elk River Valley.
Over the years which have followed, other industrial uses have affected the park.
Mineral claims were staked in the park as early as 1911. In 1939 mining and logging became permitted in the park and in 1959 the Westmin Mine was opened. This mine continues to operate in a section of the park called Strathcona-Westmin Provincial Park
Strathcona-Westmin Provincial Park
Strathcona-Westmin Provincial Park is a 33 km² provincial park on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is located at the southern extremity of Buttle Lake and is completely surrounded by the much larger and more extensively protected Strathcona Provincial Park...
. This area is entirely within the larger park and comprises 1.5% of the total area. As a Class B park, it is intended to cease its existence and return to the main park when the mine eventually ceases operations.
The area around the shoreline of Buttle Lake
Buttle Lake
Buttle Lake is a lake on Vancouver Island in Strathcona Regional District, British Columbia, Canada. It is about long and side, has an area of , is up to deep, and lies at an elevation of . The lake is located between Campbell River and Gold River in Strathcona Provincial Park; there is a...
was logged to accommodate the increase in water levels from the Elk Falls hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
project in Campbell River in 1948 which also raised water levels in the Elk River. The variation in water levels in the lake periodically exposes lake bottom and stumps from this logging and is considered unsightly.
In 1987 the provincial government announced plans to remove large areas from the park for logging and other industrial uses. The Friends of Strathcona formed a blockade which attracted significant media attention and resulted in the arrest of sixty-three protesters. The government engaged Peter Larkin to conduct an independent review of the future of the park which eventually resulted in the Strathcona Park Master Plan. Most of the park is designated a conservation area under this plan. The Strathcona Park Public Advisory Committee was set up at this time to provide advice to BC Parks when making management decisions concerning the park.
In 1995 the McBride Creek area (37.5 km²) and the Megin watershed (273.9 km²) were added to the park. Later the Divers and Rossitor Lake addition was included as well.
Conservation
- Sub-alpine ecosystem: Western Redcedar, Douglas Fir, Grand FirGrand FirAbies grandis is a fir native to the Pacific Northwest and Northern California of North America, occurring at altitudes of sea level to 1,800 m...
, Amabilis FirPacific Silver FirAbies amabilis, commonly known as the Pacific silver fir, is a fir native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, occurring in the Pacific Coast Ranges and the Cascade Range from the extreme southeast of Alaska, through western British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, to the extreme northwest of...
, Western HemlockWestern HemlockTsuga heterophylla. the Western Hemlock, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Sonoma County, California.-Habitat:...
, Mountain HemlockMountain HemlockTsuga mertensiana, known as Mountain Hemlock, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Tulare County, California....
and creeping juniperJuniperus horizontalisJuniperus horizontalis is a low-growing shrubby juniper native to northern North America, throughout most of Canada from Yukon east to Newfoundland, and in the United States in Alaska, and locally from Montana east to Maine, reaching its furthest south in Wyoming and northern Illinois.It lives up... - Wildlife: Roosevelt elkElkThe Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
, Vancouver Island MarmotVancouver Island MarmotThe Vancouver Island marmot naturally occurs only in the high mountains of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. This particular marmot species is large compared to some other marmots, and most other rodents...
, Vancouver Island WolfVancouver Island WolfThe Vancouver Island Wolf is a subspecies of grey wolf, endemic to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It is very social with other wolves, and lives in packs of about five to thirty-five. It is an endangered subspecies, very shy, and is rarely seen by humans...
, and the coastal Black-tailed DeerBlack-tailed DeerTwo forms of black-tailed deer or blacktail deer occupying coastal temperate rainforest on North America's Pacific coast are subspecies of the mule deer. They have sometimes been treated as a species, but virtually all recent authorities maintain they are subspecies... - Birds: Chestnut-backed ChickadeeChestnut-backed ChickadeeThe Chestnut-backed Chickadee is a small passerine bird in the tit family, Paridae....
, Red-breasted NuthatchRed-breasted NuthatchThe Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis, is a small songbird. The adult has blue-grey upperparts with cinnamon underparts, a white throat and face with a black stripe through the eyes, a straight grey bill and a black crown. Its call, which has been likened to a tin trumpet, is high-pitched...
, Winter WrenWinter WrenThe Winter Wren is a very small North American bird and a member of the mainly New World wren family Troglodytidae. It was once lumped with Troglodytes pacificus of western North America and Troglodytes troglodytes of Eurasia under the name Winter Wren.It breeds in coniferous forests from British...
and kingletKingletThe kinglets or crests are a small group of birds sometimes included in the Old World warblers, but are frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice. The scientific name Regulidae is derived from the Latin word regulus for "petty king" or prince, and comes from the...
, Gray JayGray JayThe Gray Jay , also Grey Jay, Canada Jay, or Whiskey Jack, is a member of the crow and jay family found in the boreal forests across North America north to the tree-line and in subalpine forests of the Rocky Mountains south to New Mexico and Arizona...
, Steller's JaySteller's JayThe Steller's Jay is a jay native to western North America, closely related to the Blue Jay found in the rest of the continent, but with a black head and upper body. It is also known as the Long-crested Jay, Mountain Jay, and Pine Jay...
, Blue GrouseBlue GrouseThe genus Dendragapus, contains two closely related species of grouse that have often been treated as a single variable taxon . The two species are the Dusky Grouse and the Sooty Grouse...
, Ruffed GrouseRuffed GrouseThe Ruffed Grouse is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is non-migratory.The Ruffed Grouse is frequently referred to as a "partridge"...
and White-tailed PtarmiganWhite-tailed PtarmiganThe White-tailed Ptarmigan, Lagopus leucura, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is found in the mountains of the western United States, Canada and Alaska.-Description:...
See also
- List of British Columbia Provincial Parks
- List of Canadian provincial parks
- List of National Parks of Canada
External links
- Strathcona Provincial Park at BC Parks
- Strathcona Westmin Provincial Park at BC Parks
- Official park map (PDF)
- Geology of Strathcona Provincial Park Retrieved October 28, 2006
- Club Tread lists various hiking routes in the park. Retrieved October 28, 2006
- Environment Canada, Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Facts Retrieved October 28, 2006
- UNESCO, Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve Retrieved October 28, 2006
Sources
- The Canadian Encyclopedia
- Beyond Nootka (Crown Mountain: 1910 Exploratory Survey Trip) by Lindsay Elms Retrieved October 28, 2006
- Strathcona Provincial Park Master Plan, April 1993, BC Parks ISBN 0-7726-1812-7 Retrieved October 28, 2006.
- Strathcona Provincial Park Master Plan Amendment, June 2001, BC Parks ISBN 0-7726-4730-5 Document includes Vision Statement for the 21st Century. Retrieved October 28, 2006.