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101-622: The Dominion government opened the southeastern corner of the block in 1912 for homesteading. The Dominion government administered the land from two offices: the first, Peace River Land Agency, in Peace River, Alberta , and the second, Grande Prairie Land Agency, in Grande Prairie, Alberta . While the land was in Dominion control the province still provided roads, schools, and other normal provincial government services. Conflicts between

202-472: A brigade of canoes. Interpreters and guides could earn up to three times as much as a middleman. The social dynamics of the company was rooted in kinship and descent or ethnic origin. The company was formed by a closed network of persons of Scots descent related through blood or marriage. Several important Montreal agents were related to Simon McTavish; and his successors, brothers William and Duncan McGillivray, were his nephews. Of 128 leading figures in

303-606: A large seniors' apartment lodge immediately across the Heart River bridge on 103 Avenue, which is managed by the North Peace Housing Foundation. The South End stretches a far as 118 Avenue block after which the bank slopes become too unstable and has resulted in slides in past. The North End is located north of the Highway 2 and west of Kaufman Hill, and is also developed in a linear form parallel to

404-523: A population density of 261.2/km (676.5/sq mi) in 2021. 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 the regions that later became Western Canada and Northwestern Ontario . With great wealth at stake, tensions between the companies increased to

505-581: A pulp mill 20 kilometres north of the Town of Peace River, and to Grimshaw. The train ride also included on-board entertainment. The Catholic St. Augustine Mission located along Shaftesbury Trail on River Lot 22 was established in 1888 when the missionaries first came to the Peace country to evangelize and educate the First Nations people. Alongside the mission is an old cemetery. This site is located within

606-463: A rarity in the Peace River area, although it is suspected that Grimshaw, a town 20 kilometres to the west, was struck by a tornado on 30 June 2003. Due to Peace River's northerly latitude, the summer solstice on 21 June brings 17 hours and 41 minutes of daylight. This turns around in when the area sees less than seven hours of daylight during the winter solstice on 21 December. Regardless of

707-501: A rival organization, Gregory, McLeod and Co., which brought several more able partners in, including John Gregory, Alexander Mackenzie , and his cousin Roderick Mackenzie. The 1787 company consisted of 20 shares, some held by the agents at Montreal (see below), and others by wintering partners, who spent the trading season in the fur country and oversaw the trade with the aboriginal peoples there. The wintering partners and

808-500: A serviced industrial area, the Sunrise Gateway Business Park on its own on the eastern boundary of the town, the M.D of Peace and County of Northern Lights included in their municipal development plans areas of joint development planning with the Town of Peace River on lands abutting the town to the north and to the west. The joint development planning was a partnership agreement to share the costs of servicing

909-517: A shareholding partner, although many remained clerks. The engagés or servants did not constitute a uniform group with equal status. The lowest level of the status pyramid was formed by the voyageurs , who paddled between Montreal and the posts around the Great Lakes. Seasonally employed, they were known by their diet and referred to as mangeurs du lard ('pork-eaters'). Hivernants , or wintering servants, who paddled canoes from

1010-482: A short strip of undeveloped land and St. Germaine Creek along Highway 684 and abutting the Peace River. It is the town's most rapidly growing neighbourhood and consists of single detached housing. Saddleback Ridge, or Saddleback, is atop the West Hill immediately behind Misery Mountain and south of Highway 2 behind an industrial area. Rolling Hills neighbourhood is often considered to be part of Saddleback, although it

1111-606: A very jagged surface. The formation of ice cover results in a gradual increase in river water levels in town and is monitored by both Alberta Environment and BC Hydro . BC Hydro operates two hydroelectric dams on the Peace River in British Columbia : the W. A. C. Bennett Dam and Peace Canyon Dam . These dams have significant effect on the Peace River's water levels. Summer frequently features thunderstorms that are preceded with persistent winds and occasionally produce small grain-sized hail. Tornadoes and severe winds are

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1212-616: A veterinary clinic, hotels, coffee shops, fast food restaurants, car and holiday trailers dealerships and the Northern Lakes College Peace River Campus. The Peace River Community Health Centre is also located in the District, on 68 Street and south of Highway 2. There are three trailer parks in the Town of Peace River: Cheviot Heights Trailer Park behind Freson Center on West Hill, Terrace Trailer Park adjacent to Bridgeview Industrial Park just across

1313-635: Is also Canada's most northerly agricultural region. The Greene Valley Provincial Park lies just east of the town in the Northern Sunrise County and the Peace River Wildland Provincial Park is to the south on the east bank of the Peace River. These parks and the rest of the river valley, including some river islands, provide habitat for wildlife such as moose, deer, bear, coyotes, bats, reptiles, birds and numerous fish species. Maintaining natural areas in

1414-484: Is centred on the intersection of Main Street (100 Street), which forms part of Highway 744 , and 100 Avenue. It spans from a block on either side of Main Street and along 100 Avenue. The Commercial District consists mostly of government, professional and commercial offices, financial institution, restaurants, cafés, retail stores and hotels. The Riverfront District borders the Peace River and River Road between 94 Avenue to

1515-462: Is committed to optimize the existing developable land base as indicated in the 2010 Municipal Development Plan. Not only does higher density development lead to efficient use of available land and of existing infrastructure, but it also supports public transit. In 2009, the town engaged Avi Friedman, an architect and professor at McGill School of Architecture on an ambitious downtown revitalization and tourism development master plan. It can be found at

1616-538: Is complex, but it is necessary to keep track of who was competing with whom. Note that the definition of partner is not completely clear. For example, after Duncan McDougall surrendered Fort Astoria , he became a NWC partner with one one-hundredth of a share. XY Company or formally the New North West Company, and sometimes Alexander MacKenzie & Co. In 1798 Forsyth, Richardson & Co, Parker, Gerrand & Ogilvy and John Mure of Quebec formed

1717-672: Is for this reason that the Town of Peace River is sometimes referred to as the Land of Twelve-Foot Davis. Twelve-Foot Davis' gravesite is designated a park and is located on the top of Grouard Hill just east of the town. Dr. Greene Cairn located in Greene Valley Provincial Park is a historical fixture that remembers Dr. William Greene for his contributions to the community and to the organizations to which he belonged to. Born and raised in San Francisco, Dr. Greene

1818-577: Is located on 94 Avenue block of 100 Street next to the railway tracks that cross through Peace River. The NAR station was used again as a railway station for first time in about 30 years by passengers when the Alberta Prairie Steam Tours , owners of the passenger cars, sent eight coaches to Peace River in September 2006, thereby enabling riders to travel like the pioneers of the area did in the 1920s. It involved short trips to DMI,

1919-673: Is now Nunavut Territory, the Eddystone , a ship that Fraser acquired. At Charlton Island, they laid claim to the region inhabited by the Inuit , in the name of the North West Company, and were able to capitalize on the rich furs of the area. Their expansion northwestward cut into the profits of the Hudson's Bay Company. In 1800, HBC profited £38,000 in trade compared to the North West Company's £144,000 in 1800. This bold move caught

2020-410: Is said that Simon McTavish made a personal petition to Prime Minister William Pitt , but all requests were refused. A few years later, with no relief to the Hudson's Bay Company's stranglehold, McTavish and his group decided to gamble. They organized an overland expedition from Montreal to James Bay and a second expedition by sea. In September 1803, the overland party met at Charlton Island , in what

2121-518: Is separate neighbourhood of single detached housing with some duplexes and row housing. Saddleback consists mostly of single detached housing, and after a bylaw amendment allowed medium density housing and not high density residential. Westbrook Estates is approximately 1 kilometre south of Saddleback, west of 80 Street separated by a stretch of undeveloped wilderness with trails through which St. Germain Creek and one of its tributaries cut while flowing to

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2222-594: The Constitution Act, 1930 . This article about a location in the Interior of British Columbia , Canada is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Peace River, Alberta Peace River (originally named Peace River Crossing and known as Rivière-la-Paix in French ) is a town in northwest Alberta , Canada. It is along the banks of the Peace River at its confluence with

2323-779: The North American beaver in particular. The destruction of the North West Company post at Sault Ste. Marie by the Americans during the War of 1812 was a serious blow during an already difficult time. In addition, the company was hurt by the refusal after the war with the United States to let Canadian traders freely cross its northern border. This reduced much of the border trade, which had previously been profitable for them, and artificially divided traders' relations with those several Native American tribes whose territories spanned

2424-616: The Smoky River , the Heart River and Pat's Creek . It is approximately 486 kilometres (302 mi) northwest of Edmonton and 198 kilometres (123 mi) northeast of Grande Prairie on Highway 2 . It was known as the Village of Peace River Crossing between 1914 and 1916. The Peace River townsite is nearly 1,000 feet (300 m) below the relatively flat terrain surrounding it. Pat's Creek used to be an open channel through

2525-524: The War of 1812 led to its sale to the North West Company in 1813. When HMS Racoon and its Captain Black arrived, he went through a ceremony of possession, even though the fort was already ostensibly under British control. Due to treaty complications of the Treaty of Ghent requiring the return of seized assets, putative ownership of the site was returned to the United States in 1817. Renamed as Fort George by

2626-583: The 2010 Alberta Summer Games. After the last glacial ice sheets melted from the northern parts of the Canadian prairies, an ice-free corridor allowed people from Asia to make a way deep into the Americas. When the Ice Age ended, many of these groups moved back north following the large herds of grazing animals which were, in turn, following the grasses northward in the warming climate. In the Peace River area,

2727-566: The British East India Company's monopoly, but little profit was made there. The company also expanded into the United States' Northwest Territory (today's Midwest of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin). In 1796, to better position themselves in the increasingly global market, where politics played a major role, the North West Company briefly established an agency in New York City . Despite its efforts,

2828-650: The Canadians to get around the British East India Company 's monopoly and ship furs to the Chinese market. Cargo ships owned by the North West Company conveniently sailed under the American flag, and doing so meant continued collaboration with John Jacob Astor . However, Astor was as aggressive as Simon McTavish had been. An intense rivalry soon developed between him and William McGillivray over

2929-675: The Caribbean. Its headquarters are across the street from the Forts Rouge, Garry, and Gibraltar National Historic Site of Canada, the site of an old North West Company fort. Further information on the North West Company can be found in Marjorie Wilkins Campbell 's 1957 book The North West Company , as well as her 1962 biography of William McGillivray, McGillivray, Lord of the North West . Campbell served as

3030-630: The English in Hudson Bay (1670). Unlike the French who traveled into the northern interior and traded with First Nations in their camps and villages, the English made bases at trading posts on Hudson Bay, inviting the indigenous people to trade. After 1731, La Vérendrye pushed trade west beyond Lake Winnipeg . After the British conquest of New France in 1763 (and the defeat of France in Europe),

3131-453: The Great Lakes to the interior trading posts, and worked at them during the winter, formed the next higher band of employees. Status and pay differed depending on a man's role in the canoe . The milieu or middleman was the drudge of canoe travel, while the responsibilities of the bowsman or devant and the steersman or gouvernail were rewarded with up to five times as high pay as a common middleman, especially if serving as leader of

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3232-524: The Hudson's Bay Company off guard. In succeeding years it retaliated rather than reaching a compromise, which McTavish had hoped might be negotiated. Simon McTavish brought several members of his family into the company, but nepotism took a back seat to ability. His brother-in-law, Charles Chaboillez , oversaw the Lower Red River trading post. McTavish also hired several cousins and his nephews William McGillivray and Duncan McGillivray to learn

3333-834: The Montreal agents met each July at the company's depot at Grand Portage on Lake Superior , later moved to Fort William . Also under the auspices of the company, Alexander Mackenzie conducted two important expeditions of exploration. In 1789, he descended the Grand River (now called the Mackenzie River ) to the Arctic Ocean, and in 1793 he went overland from Peace River to the Pacific Ocean. Further explorations were performed by David Thompson , starting in 1797, and later by Simon Fraser . These men pushed into

3434-515: The NWC since around 1787. McTavish, Fraser & Co. was the London agent of Simon McTavish, from about 1790. John Fraser was his cousin. Simon McGillivray worked there and became a partner in 1805. Edward Ellice , a man of great influence, was involved. Todd & McGill was formed in 1776, was in the NWC by 1779, separated in 1784 and rejoined in 1792. They apparently wanted to concentrate on

3535-473: The NWC, having 25% interest in the combined company. The South West Company: was an 1811 attempted partnership between two North West Company firms (McTavish, McGillivrays & Co and Forsyth, Richardson & Co) and John Jacob Astor to import goods through New York and deal with the Great Lakes trade. It was mostly blocked by the War of 1812 but remnants existed until at least 1820. Astor had been dealing with

3636-481: The North West Company and 76 that belonged to the Hudson's Bay Company. When the competition between both companies came to an end, new board of directors wanted two field governors to oversee the newly defined territory, and George Simpson was appointed to the Northern Department. George Simpson (1787–1860), the Hudson's Bay Company Governor-in-Chief of Rupert's Land , who became the Canadian head of

3737-521: The North West Company was at a distinct disadvantage in competing for furs with the Hudson's Bay Company, whose charter gave it a virtual monopoly in Rupert's Land , where the best furs were trapped. The company tried to persuade the British Parliament to change arrangements, at least so the North West Company could obtain transit rights to ship goods to the west needed for trading for furs. It

3838-535: The North West Company, continued to operate until the Hudson's Bay Company's takeover and the replacement of Fort Astoria by Fort Vancouver . The Canadian fur trade began to change in 1806, after Napoleon Bonaparte ordered the blockade of the Baltic Sea as part of the ongoing struggle between France and Britain for world dominance. Britain was dependent for almost all of her timber on the Baltic countries and on

3939-580: The Oriental market and westerly expansion to unclaimed territory in what is now the Columbia River basin , in the present-day states of Washington and Oregon . Astor's Pacific Fur Company beat the North West Company in an effort to found a post near the mouth of the Columbia, Fort Astoria . A collapse in the sea otter population and the imminent possibility of British seizure of Astoria during

4040-539: The Peace River Provincial Correctional Centre which was built in 1968. Third Mission Heritage Suites located at 100 Avenue block of 98 Street adjacent to Riverfront Park and across from the original Hudson's Bay Factor's House (1904). was formerly the priests’ house that was moved by CAT over the ice to Peace River in 1958 and functioned as residential apartments before being renovated into a hotel suite. Anglican Mission Site

4141-618: The Peace River is also located on the North End of town. West Peace lies southeast of the old Highway 2 alignment on the west shore of the Peace River. It includes two sub-neighbourhoods - Upper and Lower West Peace - that are divided by Shaftesbury Trail (Highway 684). Upper West Peace is on the west side of Highway 684 to the foot of the Misery Mountain Ski Hill. Lower West Peace is on the east side of Highway 684 and abuts Sisson Island, an 83 Acre privately owned island on

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4242-491: The Peace River valley. The highest temperature ever recorded in Peace River was 38.9 °C (102 °F) on 4 July 1926. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −56.7 °C (−70 °F) on 12 January 1911. The Town of Peace River is bounded by the M.D. of Peace No. 135 to the west and southwest, Northern Sunrise County to the east, the County of Northern Lights to the north and Birch Hills County further south at

4343-472: The Peace River. Both Upper and Lower West Peace are predominantly developed with low density housing with some interspersed medium-density housing . Lower West Peace features a boat launch. The Pines neighbourhood is located north of Upper and Lower West Peace, generally between the old and current Highway 2 alignments and more specifically across 100 Avenue from the Lions Camp Site. It was named for

4444-400: The Peace River. It is flanked by Misery Mountain to the east and Brick Hill on the west side. It consists single detached housing on acreages and lacking in town sewer and potable piped water services. West Hill Commercial District extends from 80 Street to 73 Street on either side of Highway 2. The District encompasses Freson Centre which is home to most of the big-box stores in Peace River,

4545-403: The Peace River. The North End is actually two neighbourhoods: Springfield and Norglen, which are seamlessly connected. The town's schools and most of its recreational facilities are located in the North End. In addition to single detached housing, the North End consists of the majority of the town's high density housing. The North End has a boat launch. Bewley Island, a sizable Crown owned island on

4646-651: The Pines and Upper West Peace. Future residential development is also planned in Westview on the lands adjacent to the Peace River Community Health Centre. In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , the Town of Peace River had a population of 6,619 living in 2,590 of its 2,997 total private dwellings, a change of -3.3% from its 2016 population of 6,842. With a land area of 25.34 km (9.78 sq mi), it had

4747-556: The Riverfront Park in Peace River to commemorate Henry Fuller Davis, one of the most famous figures in the Town of Peace River's history. His “Twelve-Foot Davis” nickname stems from the 12-foot land claim during the Cariboo Country gold rush in British Columbia which netted him almost $ 30,000 worth of gold. He took these profits and staked it all on a trading post close to where the Town of Peace River stands today. It

4848-514: The South End is the oldest neighbourhood in the town. It is located immediately south of the Downtown core, across the Heart River bridge, and west of Judah Hill. It is developed in a long and somewhat linear form parallel to the Peace River. The South End consists of mostly older single detached homes, a relatively small number of duplexes and apartments and various seniors' residences including

4949-604: The U.S. states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts (which at that time included the large territory of Maine). By then, however, tensions had also begun to escalate again between Britain and the United States. In 1809 the American Government passed the Non-Intercourse Act , which effectively brought about an almost complete cessation of trade between the two countries. Britain became totally dependent on her Canadian colony for her timber needs, especially

5050-600: The XY Company. In 1799 MacKenzie left the NWC and went to England. Next year he bought shares in XY and soon became the effective head of the firm. Alexander Henry the younger was an XY winterer. They built a number of posts close to NWC and HBC posts. The murder of an HBC man by an XY man at Fort de l'Isle led to the Canada Jurisdiction Act which extended Quebec law to western Canada. In 1804 it merged with

5151-653: The areas in the region that were below 610 m in elevation. The specific landform in which the town is situated is the Peace River Lowland which was incised by the Peace River and its tributaries right through the area's former glacial lake sediments and into the Cretaceous bedrock. The Peace River Lowlands is flanked by the Buffalo Head Hills to the east and the Whitemud and Clear Hills to

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5252-498: The border. All these events intensified competition between the companies. When Thomas Douglas convinced his fellow shareholders in the Hudson's Bay Company to grant him the Selkirk Concession , it marked another in a series of events that would lead to the demise of the North West Company. The Pemmican Proclamation , the ensuing Battle of Seven Oaks in 1816, and its violence, resulted in Lord Selkirk arresting William McGillivray and several North West Company proprietors. He ordered

5353-400: The bridge on the west side of the Peace River and Coolsprings Mobile Home Park at the foot of Kauffman Hill just outside the downtown. Area structure plans containing new residential neighbourhoods were adopted in 2009 and 2010, including St. Germaine Creek on a recently annexed land northwest of the intersection of Highway 2 and Highway 743, and Citadel Park on land west of Highway 684 between

5454-502: The business. William McGillivray was groomed by his uncle to succeed him as Director of the North West Company, and by 1796 he had effectively done so, acting as Montreal agents' representative at the annual meetings at Grand Portage, and later at Fort William. Simon McTavish was an aggressive businessman who understood that powerful forces in the business world were always ready to pounce on any weakness. As such, his ambition and forceful positions caused disagreements between him and some of

5555-429: The companies to cease hostilities. In July 1821, under more pressure from the British government, which passed new regulations governing the fur trade in British North America, a merger agreement was signed with the Hudson's Bay Company. By this, the North West Company name disappeared after more than 40 years of operations. At the time of the merger, the amalgamated company consisted of 97 trading posts that had belonged to

5656-412: The company's twenty outstanding shares. At the time the company consisted of 23 partners, but "its staff of Agents, factors, clerks, guides, interpreters, more commonly known today as voyageurs amounted to 2000 people." In addition to Alexander Mackenzie, this group included Americans Peter Pond and Alexander Henry the elder . Further reorganizations of the partnership occurred in 1795 and 1802,

5757-399: The company, 77 were of Scots descent. Due to the prevalent kinship structures, it was all but impossible for unrelated men to advance from engagé to bourgeois . Beyond the non-operating investors, these were some of the post proprietors, clerks, interpreters, explorers and others of the nearly 2,500 persons employed by the North West Company in 1799: The history of the partnership

5858-682: The company, owning one or two shares each. They were not salaried, but received their income from the company's profits through their shares. Trading goods were advanced to them on credit by the agents of Montreal. They wintered in the interior, managing a district with several trading posts, and were in charge of the actual trade with the Indians. During the summer, the agents and the associates met at Fort William. The wintering partners normally began their career path as clerks. The clerks or commiss were salaried employees. They began their career as apprentices serving five to seven years, before advancing to clerks and bookkeepers. Each hoped to become

5959-463: The company. Montreal merchants , or agents de Montréal were owners of trading companies and shareholders in the North West Company. They were responsible for hiring staff, exporting furs, acquiring supplies, merchandise and provisions, and organizing their shipment to the inland trading posts. For this, they received commissions, in addition to the profits they made as shareholders. Wintering partners or associés were also shareholders in

6060-425: The confluence of the Peace and Smoky Rivers. In recognizing the need to plan for the growth of the Town of Peace River, the M.D. of Peace No. 135, Northern Sunrise County and the County of Northern Lights participated in the Peace River Inter-Municipal Development Plan (IDP) in July 1999. Through the adoption of the Peace River IDP, the four municipalities confirmed their commitment to cooperate and work together for

6161-401: The countryside around Montréal . Many Métis sons followed in their fathers' footstep, whether as bourgeois or engagés . Through descent and education, the bourgeois laid claim to the status of gentlemen , while the engagés did the physical labour. The bourgeois or masters of the North West Company belonged to three different levels, depending on the role performed in

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6262-424: The federal and provincial governments occurred over the jurisdiction over land, water, and mineral rights. An agreement was reached between the two governments on February 20, 1930, which returned the block and the Railway Belt to the provincial government at the same time that public land and mineral rights were transferred to the Prairie Provinces . The agreement was implemented by the Natural Resources Acts and

6363-420: The great white pine used for ships' masts. Almost overnight, timber and wood products replaced fur as Canada's number one export. Fur remained profitable, however, as it had a high value-to-bulk ratio. In an economy short of ready money, fur was routinely used by Canadian merchants to remit value to their London creditors. By 1810, another crisis hit the fur industry, brought on by the over-harvesting of animals,

6464-505: The land base or 58.3% of the town's total land area is developable and 8.36 km (3.23 sq mi) has actually been developed. The density based on developed land is 755.38/km (1,956.4/sq mi). The existing land base just meets the 30 year requirement of residential development based on the 2006 Peace River Growth study that projected the population growing to 28,200 citizens. If future residential development occurs at higher than current densities and in more land-efficient manner,

6565-408: The lands and then jointly collecting taxes instead of the town annexing these lands. This was in response to the town's growing need for commercial and industrial land, and also part of its long-term plan to have industrial establishments on the scenic banks of the Peace River cede the riverfront to future residential development while gradually relocating to industrial parks now to be located away from

6666-415: The management of the fur trading posts was taken over by English speakers. These so-called " pedlars " began to merge because competition cost them money and because of the high costs of outfitting canoes to the far west. There are historical references to a North West Company as early as 1770, including the Montreal-based traders Benjamin Frobisher , Isaac Todd , Alexander Henry the elder and others, but

6767-438: The mid-18th century. A truce was eventually agreed to by the Cree and the Beaver and the great river they called Unchagah (the Peace River) became the boundary between their hunting territories. The North West Company pushed westward in the late 18th century in an attempt to reach the Pacific Ocean , creating rivalry with the other major fur-trading company, the Hudson's Bay Company. The Northern Alberta Railway (NAR) station

6868-556: The north and 102 Avenue to the south adjacent to the Heart River bridge. It is home to restaurants, an enclosed shopping mall, an arts performance hall, a mini-golf facility, hotels, a museum, a convention centre, apartments, parks, trails and a boat launch. The Mixed Commercial/Residential District makes the rest of the Downtown and consists of a mixture of low density and high density housing, government offices, professional and commercial offices, recreational facilities, hotels, bars, retail stores and restaurants. Outside of Downtown core,

6969-520: The northern division of the greatly enlarged business, made his headquarters in the Montreal suburb of Lachine . The trading posts were soon reduced in number to avoid redundancy. The masters or the bourgeois of the North West Company were most often of Scottish descent, whether born in Canada or Scotland , and brought capital to the enterprise. Over time, many were related, since sons and nephews were recruited. The servants or engagés were most often Canadiens , mostly peasants' sons from

7070-425: The numerous pine trees that grew in the area. The pine trees have since been chopped down after being ravaged by pine beetles. The Pines is single detached housing neighbourhood. Rosedale is located to the south of Lower West Peace between Highway 684 and the Peace River. It consists of single detached housing with relatively larger lots on un-paved roads. Shaftesbury Estates is further south of Rosedale separated by

7171-485: The old North West Company partners held 75 per cent of the shares, and the former XY Company partners the remaining 25 per cent. Alexander Mackenzie was excluded from the new joint partnership. Under William McGillivray, the Company continued to expand, and apparently to profit, during the first decade of the 19th century. Competition with the Hudson's Bay Company was intense, however, and profit margins were squeezed. The North West Company branch in New York City had allowed

7272-563: The operations both in the building, management, and shareholding of the various trading posts scattered throughout the country, as well numbering among the voyageurs involved in the actual trading with natives. In the northwest, the Company expanded its operations as far north as Great Bear Lake, and westwards beyond the Rocky Mountains. For several years, they tried to sell furs directly to China , using American ships to avoid

7373-470: The parish's first dean emeritus sold it to the Town of Peace River and used the proceeds to add a new church hall connected to the cathedral. The McNamara Hotel was built in 1921 by Martin Joseph McNamara. It has burnt down twice in the past; once in 1926 and 1993, and rebuilt both times. Fort Fork site, located in the Peace River Wildland Provincial Park is a national historic site. The fort

7474-666: The point where several minor armed skirmishes broke out, and the two companies were forced by the British government to merge. After the French landed in Quebec in 1608, independent French-Canadian traders commonly known as coureurs des bois spread out and built a fur trade empire in the St. Lawrence basin. The French competed with the Dutch (from 1614) and English (1664) in New York and

7575-542: The purpose of realizing the opportunities associated with the future growth of the Peace River area. The IDP addresses the future land use planning of the Peace River area, as well as other matters related to the physical, social and economic development of the region. The four municipalities are in the process of updating the IDP. In preparation for this, the municipalities also reviewed and updated their respective municipal development plans. While Northern Sunrise County established

7676-407: The region. Due to cold air drainage, the river valley is often completely filled with stratus and fog while outside the valley is clear. The fog usually clears in a few hours. Winds in town are channeled along the Peace River valley (towards the northeast or southwest) while winds outside the valley are quite variable. During both summer and winter, the wind patterns outside the valley are mostly from

7777-515: The river bank. With a land area of 24.87 km (9.60 sq mi), the population density in the Town of Peace River averages 253.9/km (658/sq mi) compared to Grimshaw's 352.1/km (912/sq mi) and Manning's 436.1/km (1,129/sq mi). The lower population density of Town of Peace River relative to surrounding communities is attributable, in part to the rugged terrain in the river valley. The town's 2010 Municipal Development Plan indicates that 14.50 km (5.60 sq mi) of

7878-417: The river valley and limiting use to suitable recreational use has minimized impacts to wildlife habitat. Historically, the town has been the subject of flooding. However, the town has developed a continuous dike system to prevent flood damage from to 1:100 year flood events and protect against ice-jam floods. As a result, the risk of flooding has been significantly reduced and no longer poses the same threat to

7979-413: The season, when there is daylight out, Peace River will usually have sunny skies. There is on average 2,060 hours of sunshine every year. An exposed field will have a different microclimate than sheltered locations. The temperature in the Peace River valley has been observed to be up to 5 °C warmer than that of the prairie land surrounding it. The unique micro-climate tends to help vegetables thrive in

8080-503: The seizure of their outpost property in Fort William and charged them with the deaths of 21 people at Seven Oaks. Although this matter was resolved by the authorities in Montreal, over the next few years some of the wealthiest and most capable partners began to leave the North West Company, fearful of its future viability. The form of nepotism within the company too had changed, from the strict values of Simon McTavish to something that

8181-475: The shareholders, several of whom eventually left the North West Company during the 1790s.Some of these dissidents formed their own company, known unofficially as the XY Company , allegedly because of the mark they used on their bales of furs. Their cause was greatly strengthened in 1799, when the North West Company's hero explorer, Alexander Mackenzie, quit his old partnership and soon after joined them. There

8282-491: The shares being subdivided each time to provide for more and more wintering partners. Vertical integration of the business was completed in 1792, when Simon McTavish and John Fraser formed a London house to supply trade goods and market the furs, McTavish, Fraser and Company. While the organization and capitalization of the North West Company came from Anglo-Quebecers , both Simon McTavish and Joseph Frobisher married French Canadians . Numerous French Canadians played key roles in

8383-481: The site of the original event. The Peace River area is generally characterized by a humid continental climate ( Köppen climate classification Dfb ) with low year-round precipitation. Its dry climate results in reduced humidity throughout the year. Moisture coming with Pacific Ocean air is lost over the mountain ranges as precipitation before moving into the area, while air from the Arctic flows uninterrupted into

8484-555: The southern Great Lakes. Gregory & McLeod joined in 1787. They employed Alexander Mackenzie , Peter Pangman and John Ross. In 1987, the northern trading posts of the Hudson's Bay Company were sold to an employee consortium that revived the name The North West Company in 1990. The new company is a grocery and merchandise store chain based in Winnipeg , with stores in Northern Canada, Alaska, US Pacific territories and

8585-422: The southwest or north. The passage of a migratory low to the north of Peace River will cause southwest winds to shift around to the north. Winters are often cold enough to see the formation of an ice cover on the Peace River from January to late March or early April. The ice cover is composed of juxtaposed frazil ice pans and break-away border ice pieces that consolidate in the river flow direction. This produces

8686-464: The southwest portion of Northern Sunrise County . Regionally, there are various First Nation communities to the northeast, French-Canadian farming communities to the south and to the east, and Mennonite and Hutterite German-Canadian farming communities to the north and northwest of the town. Peace River was the site of the 2004 Alberta Winter Games. In 2010, Peace River, in conjunction with Grimshaw and surrounding municipalities, jointly hosted

8787-404: The standard histories trace the company to a 16-share organization formed in 1779, which included Todd, Simon McTavish and James McGill . Seeking to break the Hudson's Bay Company monopoly over the North American fur trade , in 1780, the organization was joined by Peter Pond and Alexander Ellice, with his brothers, Robert and James, (and, later, his sons, including Edward Ellice ). In

8888-433: The town but is now channelled through a culvert under the town streets, re-emerging at the mouth on the Peace River at the Riverfront Park. The population in the Town of Peace River was 6,729 in 2011, a 6.6% increase over its 2006 population. There are significant nodal settlements and subdivisions in the vicinity of the town on acreages along Highway 2 to the west, Highways 684 (Shaftesbury Trail) and 743 as well as

8989-407: The town's existing residential land supply should last even longer. Citadel Park Area Structure Plan for example is on a 0.14 km (0.054 sq mi) parcel of land with a projection to accommodate 1600 persons, for a density of 11,510.80/km (29,812.8/sq mi). Due to the topographic constraints of the valley as well as the need to protect the natural areas and agricultural lands, the town

9090-517: The town's website. The highlights of his design recommendations were: The Town of Peace River has various distinct neighbourhoods separated by geographic features of the area. The Downtown core is the civic business, administrative, social services and cultural centre of the town. It is split vaguely into three districts - the Commercial District, a Mixed Commercial/Residential District, and a Riverfront District. The Commercial District

9191-546: The town. On 30 November 2022, starting at 16:55 local time, a series of seismic events occurred to the southeast of Peace River. At 17:55, a 5.59-magnitude earthquake at an approximate depth of 6 km (3.7 mi) struck the area. Researchers at Stanford University later said the seismic event was likely to have been caused by human activities linked to the local gas-and-oil extraction industry. No damage or injuries were reported. On 16 March 2023, three slightly smaller tremors occurred less than 1.6 km (1 mile) away from

9292-761: The two major language groups were the Athapaskan and the Algonquian . In 1670, following the arrival of the Hudson's Bay Company in Eastern Canada , guns began making their way westward as trade goods and the Algonquian speaking Cree began pushing the Athapaskan speakers Dunne-za or Beaver further west. The Beaver in turn pushed the Sekani deep into the Rocky Mountain Trench in

9393-438: The west. The general area is categorized ecologically as aspen parkland with mixedwood stands understory. There is a variety of wetland habitats in the area with several being quite marshy with shallow water, soft bottoms, and abundant aquatic vegetation. Some of the lakes and sloughs are used by various waterfowls, both migrating and resident, for nesting. The parkland also supports a host of terrestrial and aquatic animals. It

9494-703: The wilderness territories of the Rocky Mountains and Interior Plateau and all the way to the Strait of Georgia on the Pacific Coast . The death of Benjamin Frobisher opened the door to a takeover of the North West Company by Simon McTavish, who made a deal with Frobisher's surviving brother Joseph. The firm of McTavish, Frobisher and Company, founded in November 1787, effectively controlled eleven of

9595-477: The winter of 1783–1784, the North West Company was officially created on a long-term basis, with its corporate offices on Vaudreuil Street in Montreal. It was led by businessmen Benjamin Frobisher, his brother, Joseph , and McTavish, along with investor-partners who included the Ellices, Robert Grant, Nicholas Montour , Patrick Small, William Holmes, and George McBeath . In 1787 the North West Company merged with

9696-570: Was a medical doctor and dentist in addition to being among first eight men to fly, according to a 1910 edition of New York Sun. Physiographically, the Town of Peace River lies within the Peace River Formation , a stratigraphical unit of middle Albian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. The area developed on sediments of the former lake bottom of Glacial Lake Peace , which covered most of

9797-555: Was built in 1916 by the Central Canada Railway . It served as a major hub of activity from 1916 to 1956 for passengers. The station was continued for use for freight and the station was closed in 1981. The NAR station suffered a fire in 1986. It was restored back to its former state in 1991, costing nearly $ 300,000 to complete. It currently houses the Tourist Information Centre in Peace River. It

9898-611: Was erected in 1792 by the North West Company . Alexander Mackenzie wintered at Fort Fork in 1792 as did David Thompson in 1802. The fort was abandoned in 1805 and has since been almost completed eroded by the Peace River. A flag planted at Fort Fork's former site is all that remains. Mackenzie Cairn was erected on River Lot 19 in the Municipal District (M.D.) of Peace No. 135 in 1929 to commemorate Fort Fork. A 12-foot-tall (3.7 m) wooden statue stands at

9999-596: Was established on River Lot 11 on Shaftesbury Trail in 1886, all that remains now is a small cemetery. The St. James Anglican Cathedral Church was built in 1936. The parish also erected Athabasca Hall around the same time adjacent to it. With the Athabasca Hall being the largest facility in town at that time, the hall bookings became too much for the parish decided to lease it to the Peace River Recreation Board in 1972 for 20 years. In 1979,

10100-523: Was harming the business in both its costs and morale of others. By 1820, the company was issuing coinage, each copper token representing the value of one beaver pelt. But the continued operations of the North West Company were in great doubt, and shareholders had no choice but to agree to a merger with their hated rival after Henry Bathurst , the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies , ordered

10201-430: Was intense competition between the rivals. When Simon McTavish died on 6 July 1804, the new head William McGillivray set out to put an end to the four years' rivalry. It had escalated to a point where the master of the North West Company post at Great Bear Lake had been shot by an XY Company employee during a quarrel. McGillivray was successful in putting together an agreement with the XY Company in 1804. It stipulated that

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