Misplaced Pages

#828171

30-745: Familiar with the river for navigation, the Big Bend is a traditional territory of the Secwepemc (Shuswap) people, but is also claimed by the Ktunaxa . The Blackfoot raided and at times occupied the area. David Thompson of the Hudson's Bay Company , and later the North West Company , was the first European to travel the upper reaches of the Columbia. In 1811, he landed at the confluence of

60-500: A 43-mile (69 km) wagon road connected Shuswap Lake with Big Eddy . As was their custom, CP obliterated much of this road on constructing the railway. In 1922, this link was rebuilt as part of the Okanagan –Revelstoke highway. By 1891, a rough trail north to Eight Mile Falls existed. George LaForme operated pack trains to Big Bend during 1889–1905, and provided a free public ferry at the mouth of McCullough Creek. A short wagon road

90-478: A competitor's advance, and only built marginal lines after the strategy failed. The CNoR westward advance would not reach the Tête Jaune locality until late 1914. Lacking the capital resources, CNoR could ill afford to compete with CP on a minor branch route. Miners wore trails into and within the Big Bend. The government built rough pack trails between diggings. After 1866, nature reclaimed most trails. In 1884,

120-521: A decade later, determined that the Selkirks option would be cheaper, and not conflict with the Columbia River hydro-electric potential. The successor highway through Rogers Pass opened in 1962. All that remains of the former highway on the eastern side is a forestry services road, comprising about half the original length, and on the western side is Highway 23 to the apex, near Mica Creek ,

150-549: A road from the coast to the Kootenays . Descending the Columbia from Boat Encampment, his party profitably panned gold while prospecting on the river bars. Scattered groups were panning the tributaries. In 1865, the government dispatched Walter Moberly to explore from Kamloops to the Canadian Rockies , a partly successful venture. He was the first gold commissioner in the Big Bend area. The next year, he laid out

180-535: Is being taught in Chief Atahm School , which offers an immersion program to students from K-9. In addition, Simon Fraser University offers a university studies program teaching students Secwepemc language and culture. The program focuses on the language, culture, and traditions of the Secwepemc people. The Secwepemc have always stressed the importance of recognizing their title to the land. In 1910,

210-464: The Canoe River at what became known as Boat Encampment , near the most northerly point of the bend. This site became a long-established fur trading cache and campsite on the annual York Factory Express . David Douglas visited in 1827. Paul Kane made oil sketches depicting the area in the late 1840s. In 1864, Governor Frederick Seymour commissioned George Turner to find a suitable route for

240-679: The Cariboo Plateau southeast through Thompson Country to Kamloops . It spans the Selkirk Mountains and Big Bend of the Columbia River to include the northern part of the Columbia Valley region. Their traditional territory covers approximately 145,000 square kilometres. Traditionally, they depended on hunting, trading and fishing to support their communities. They speak one of the Salishan languages . Based on

270-498: The French Creek settlement site, and developed trails from La Porte , the head of navigation, to the mining creeks. The Big Bend Gold Rush of 1866 was insignificant compared to other discoveries. In 1869, 37 miners remained at French Creek, and none on the other creeks. Little mining activity occurred 1871–1885. With the arrival of the railway, mining resumed on Carnes , French , McCullough , and Gaffney (Smith) creeks, and

300-601: The Goldstream . In 1888, heavy snow damaged the Carnes equipment, forcing abandonment. The Revelstoke miners' association, formed in 1890, failed to achieve its lobbying goals. That decade, an operation on McCullough proved to be an investment scam. The French Creek Hydraulic Co. received 20 tons of equipment in 1897, but collapsed the following year. Since 1900, little mining development has occurred. Established in 1941, Hamber Provincial Park initially included virtually all

330-491: The Trans-Canada Highway was built in 1962, following a more northerly placement along the eastern approach. It reaches its highest point at Kicking Horse Pass at an elevation of 1,643 metres (5,390 ft). The original stretch of Highway 1 through the canyon was two lanes wide with sharp corners, uneven grade and a risk of falling rocks. It had twice the provincial average of incidents and accidents. Since

SECTION 10

#1732771840829

360-417: The Big Bend were examined. Since the immediate capital costs were similar, the additional operating costs expected from the increased mileage eliminated the latter. During 1902–1907, Moberley pressed CP to bypass the gradient problems of Kicking Horse Pass and Rogers Pass by rerouting via the Big Bend to Howse Pass and Red Deer . The existing route could remain for lighter traffic or be abandoned. However,

390-575: The CPR between the summit of the pass near Wapta Lake and Field was known as " The Big Hill ". With a ruling gradient of 4.5% (1 in 23), it was the steepest stretch of main-line railroad in North America . Owing to frequent accidents and expensive helper engines associated with railroading in the pass, the CPR built the two Spiral Tunnels that opened in 1909, replacing the direct route. Although they add several kilometres, they reduce

420-613: The Continental Divide. First Nations had known and used the pass, but it was first explored by Europeans in 1858 by the Palliser Expedition led by Captain John Palliser . It and the adjacent Kicking Horse River were named after James Hector (Hector's Branch Expeditions, 3 August 1858 – 26 May 1859), was kicked by his horse while attempting rescue of another horse that had gone into the river. Hector

450-570: The Revelstoke Navigation Co. was formed to operate north of Revelstoke. SS Revelstoke ran Revelstoke–La Porte twice weekly 1902–1915 while river depths permitted. After the 1915 fire that destroyed the vessel, all steamer service to Big Bend ceased. During the westward advance of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) transcontinental during the early 1880s, the alternatives of crossing the Selkirks or following

480-714: The Secwepemc Chiefs addressed a memorial to Prime Minister Laurier . Their paper laid out the cumulative grievances of the Secwepemc, based on the previous 50 years of European-Canadian settlement in their territory. Since the late 20th century, the Secwepmc people have created a number of organizations, institutions, and initiatives to help their people, including the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council and Secwepemc Cultural Education Society. Captive slaves were historically an important commodity to

510-715: The Secwepemc, and the Secwepemc would raid other bands, and then sell the captives back in exchange for salmon. Very few captives were kept as household slaves. Kicking Horse Pass Kicking Horse Pass (el. 1,627 m; 5,338 ft) is a high mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Americas of the Canadian Rockies on the Alberta – British Columbia border, and lying within Yoho and Banff national parks. Divide Creek forks onto both sides of

540-432: The eastern part of the enclosed area. However, the federal government merely wanted a narrow road reserve along 18.6 miles (30 km) of the developing highway. Over the years, many timber licences had been issued, but accessibility beyond the railway line prevented logging. The province asked the federal government to buy up these licences. Unsuccessful, the province created a massive park to attract federal acquisition, and

570-643: The exonym Shuswap ( / ˈ ʃ uː ʃ w ɑː p / SHOOSH -wahp ), are a First Nations people residing in the interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia . They speak one of the Salishan languages , known as Secwepemctsín or Shuswap . Secwepemcúĺecw , the traditional territory or country of the Shuswap people, ranges from the eastern Chilcotin Plateau , bordering Tŝilhqot'in Country , and

600-497: The loss of benefits developed with communities along the existing route, and the cost of route realignments for even shorter schemes, far outweighed the cost of reducing the existing deficiencies. Moberley believed the significant employee fatalities in the March 1910 Rogers Pass avalanche , might prompt CP to reconsider the Big Bend route. However, when CP surveyed the area that summer, potential timber and minerals development appeared

630-493: The motive. Little mentioned was the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) proposal announced that April to build a branch line from Tête Jaune south to Big Bend, forking to Revelstoke and Golden . In July, CP proposed to duplicate that route. Construction was expected to start in the spring. By 1912, it was evident that CP would not be building in the immediate future. CP typically pursued policies that blocked

SECTION 20

#1732771840829

660-509: The number of people who speak their Shuswap language , the Secwepemc are likely the most numerous of the Interior Salish peoples of British Columbia. Their traditional language is Shuswap , also known as Secwepemctsín ( Salishan pronunciation: [ʃəxwəpməxtˈʃin] ). In the early 21st century, it is spoken by more than 1,600 people. The First Nation is working to revitalize use of this language. For instance, Secwepemctsín

690-413: The one in the water, he kicked me in the chest, but I had luckily got close to him before he struck out, so that I did not get the full force of the blow. However, it knocked me down and rendered me senseless for some time… 31 August.— Every morning just now we have dense fogs, that generally last till nine or ten o'clock, but the evening's are fine and clear. After travelling a mile along the left bank of

720-506: The only sizable settlement. However, this route was moved to higher ground to accommodate the reservoirs of the Mica and Revelstoke dams. 52°06′27″N 118°30′08″W  /  52.1075°N 118.5022°W  / 52.1075; -118.5022 Secwepemc The Secwépemc ( / ʃ ə x hw ɛ p ˈ m ɪ x / shəkh-whep- MIKH ; Secwepemctsín : [ʃəˈxʷɛpməx] or [səˈxʷɛpməx] ), also known by

750-433: The river from the N.W., which because of the accident the men had named Kicking Horse River, we crossed to the opposite side. A National Historic Site of Canada , the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was constructed between Lake Louise, Alberta and Field, British Columbia using this route in 1884, in preference to the original survey through the more northerly Yellowhead Pass . The original section of

780-460: The ruling grade to a more manageable 2.2% (1 in 46). Accidents still occur, including a major derailment in 2019 that killed three CPR employees. The pack train trail over the pass, established at the time of the railway, gradually became a wagon road. In 1928, the Golden –Lake Louise highway, which essentially followed the CPR route, was completed. British Columbia Highway 1 , part of

810-478: The south-west through the other valley. Just above the angle there is a fall about 40 feet [12 m] in height, where the channel is contracted by perpendicular rocks. A little way above this fall, one of our pack horses, to escape the fallen timber, plunged into the stream, luckily where it formed an eddy, but the banks were so steep that we had great difficulty in getting him out. In attempting to recatch my own horse, which had strayed off while we were engaged with

840-552: The transfer of highway maintenance obligations. The gesture was ignored. Eventually, the park was reopened for logging. When parts were submerged by the reservoir of the Mica Dam , there was insufficient time to clear extensive areas of forest. SS Forty-Nine provided a Marcus (WA) –La Porte service during 1866, but this dwindled, ceasing in 1871. In the absence of such services, pack trains supplied miners until 1897. SS Lytton operated Revelstoke–La Porte during 1897. In 1901,

870-426: Was led to the pass by his Stoney Nakoda guide Hector Nimrod. From Hector's summary, which appears on pages 105–106 of Palliser's diary, Here we met a very large stream, equal in size to Bow River where we crossed it. This river descends the valley from the north-west, and, on entering the wide valley of Beaverfoot River, turns back on its course at a sharp angle, receives that river as a tributary, and flows off to

900-634: Was under construction in 1900, but by 1928 had only covered the 26 miles (42 km) to Carnes Creek . In 1927 the Golden– Lake Louise road opened, leaving only the Revelstoke–Golden gap. CP carried motorists' vehicles as freight on flatcars between these points. A Selkirks route rejected because of snowfall and avalanches , the Big Bend Highway construction spanned 1929–1940. A proposal to upgrade to Trans-Canada Highway standards

#828171