Campbell River, British Columbia

Campbell River is a city in British Columbia on the east coast of Vancouver Island at the south end of Discovery Passage. Campbell River claims a population (2006 census) of 29 572 and has long been known as the salmon capital of the world.

The first settlers were members of the Kwakiutl First Nations and Weewaikai (Cape Mudge) and Wewaykum (Campbell River) tribe members of the Laich-kwil-tach First Nations.

The town is served by an airport (YBL), a seaplane base called YHH at Campbell River Harbour, a BC Ferries route to Quadra Island, and highways which connect it to neighbouring towns such as Courtenay, The Village of Sayward, Gold River and Port Hardy.

Economy

The people of Campbell River rely on the forestry, mining, fishing, and tourism industries. It is arguably the salmon capital of the world, sharing a healthy rivalry with nearby Port Alberni, the other contender. It is known for its sport fishing, a major tourist attraction. It is also a major centre for salmon farming with several head offices located in the community serving nearby salmon farms.

The 1948 construction of the BC Power Corporation's Elk Falls hydroelectric dam — later named the John Hart Generating Station — allowed Crown Zellerbach to establish the Elk Falls Pulp and Paper Mill in 1952, which greatly improved the town's economy. The mill is currently owned by Catalyst Paper Corporation and is still the city's single largest employer.

NVI Mining operates the Myra Falls zinc, gold and silver mine in nearby Strathcona Provincial Park. Quinsam Coal operates an underground coal mine southwest of town. The mines employ hundreds of people, many of whom live in Campbell River.

The city is also a growing market for retirees The construction industry is booming in Campbell River and more and more retirees are choosing to move from elsewhere in Canada to retire there.

A newly-built cruise ship dock is now in operation. Cruise ships pass Campbell River daily, but have not previously made stops; the dock is expected to provide significant amounts of tourism and revenue ($8.4 million for the region annually, as reported by the Campbell River Mirrornewspaper in December 2003.) as well as 150 full-time jobs. However, the more than 30 cruise ship stops scheduled for the 2008 season were canceled due to the heavy sea current at the dock, the lack of many tourist attractions near the dock, and the cities proximity to the Port of Vancouver. The city has been at work on improving the Campbell River Spit on which the dock sits, to entice the cruise ships to schedule stops.

History

Captain George Vancouver reached Campbell River in 1792 aboard the ships HMS Discovery and HMS Chatham. The channel between Quadra Island and Campbell River is named Discovery Passage after HMS Discovery. The captain and his botanist, Mr Archibald Menzies, discovered a small tribe of 350 natives who spoke the Salish language. A Lekwiltok or Laich-wil-tach (Kwakiutl or Kwaguilth Native Indian Band) war party, heavily armed with European rifles, paddled south from Johnstone Strait in the middle of the 19th Century and were in control of the area when the HMS Plumper came through on a cartography mission under Captain George Henry Richards around 1859. Dr Samuel Campbell was the ship surgeon, and historians believe his name was given to the river by Richards. The community took the name of "Campbell River" when its post office was constructed in 1907 Likewise, the name of HMS Discovery’s First Lieutenant Zachary Mudge is preserved in the nearby Cape Mudge.

Sports fishermen travelled to the area as early as the 1880s, especially after the tales from noted anglers such as Sir Richard Musgrave and Sir John Rogers. The formation of the Campbell River Tyee Club in 1924, over concern regarding over-fishing of the salmon stocks, actually served to increase the popularity of the area. E.P. Painter, for instance, moved to Campbell River the following year and opened his Painter's Lodge in 1929. Commercial fishing was a large industry for many years. The town's magistrate Roderick Haig-Brown purchased a fishing cabin on Campbell River and wrote some books on fly fishing that are influential and well-loved around the world.

Industrial logging took off in the 1920s with Merrill Ring and Company, Bloedel, Stewart and Welch and Comox Logging. A large forest fire started near Buttle Lake and burned much of the valley in 1938. Rock Bay, Menzies Bay, and Englewood all were big logging camps.

Campbell River prospered after 1912 and it became a supply point for northern Vancouver Island, Quadra Island and Cortes Island. The E and N Railway was surveyed to Campbell River, yet it only reached Courtenay, forty miles south. After the Second World War, Campbell River became a boom town and industrial centre with the building of the Elk River pulp mill, and nearby mills in Tahsis and Gold River. Logging and mining in the area prospered. There is a lead zinc mine nearby, and coal mines, while a large copper mine operated to the north.

Climate

Campbell River enjoys a mild climate, with temperatures usually between 0°C (32°F) and 32°C (90°F) year-round. The most precipitation is measured in November, at 218.0 millimeters (8.6 in) on average. While January sees the most average snow, 152 millimeters (6 in), only 10 millimeters (3/8 in) will be seen actually accumulating. In the winter months occasional Arctic bursts from the interior of British Columbia can make their way onto the coast bringing temperatures below zero. If a Pacific low reaches the coast a large snowfall can occur. Snowfalls in excess of 45 centimetres (16 in) have been recorded in a 24 hour period and the greatest snowfall was 53.3 centimetres (1 ft, 9 in) in 1978.

• Climate statistics are from the Campbell River Airport weather station.

Sister cities

• Ishikari, Japan (other sister cities in Japan)

Education

Public schools are administered by School District 72 Campbell River. North Island College also has a campus in Campbell River.

Business

Campbell River has been rapidly growing in the past 10 years, including several large box stores with many more under construction

Other facts

Campbell River is located near Seymour Narrows, the site of one of the largest man-made non-nuclear explosions. In 1958 Campbell River miners tunneled for 28 months to plant explosives and demolish a navigational hazard called Ripple Rock, a submerged peak which made the narrows so treacherous that Captain George Vancouver claimed it was "one of the vilest stretches of water in the world" upon sailing it in 1792. Adjoining Seymour Narrows is Menzies Bay, British Columbia.

Movies filmed in Campbell River

• The 13th Warrior
• Are We There Yet?
• Final Destination 2
• Fisherman's Fall
• Going the Distance
• Seven Years in Tibet
• ''The Scarlet Letter
• The Invisible
• Trapped

Notable residents

• Rod Brind'Amour - hockey player (born in Ottawa but grew up in Campbell River)
• John Davison - cricketer (born in Campbell River but grew up in Australia)
• Iris Graham - actress
• Barry Pepper - actor
• Nicholas Thorburn - musician

References

External links

• The City of Campbell River
• Campbell River Mirror newspaper
• CR Community Network
• Campbell River Chamber of Commerce
• The technology of Pacific fishing, with museum pictures
• The taming of Ripple Rock