Cedarvale, British Columbia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cedarvale
Cedarvale, British Columbia Location in British Columbia
Country	Canada
Province	BC/BCE
Region	Skeena
Regional district	Kitimat–Stikine
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
Area codes	250, 778, 236, & 672
Highways	Hwy 16 (TCH)
Waterways	Skeena River

Cedarvale, also known as Meanskinisht, is a small community in west-central British Columbia, Canada. It's located on the Skeena River. You can find it on BC Highway 16, about 130 kilometres (81 mi) northwest of Smithers. It is also about 75 kilometres (47 mi) northeast of Terrace.

What's in a Name?

Before Europeans arrived, the area on the northwest side of the river was called Gitlusec. Later, a mission settlement was named Meanskinisht. This name means "under the pitch pines." The community eventually became known as Cedarvale. This name came from the many cedar trees growing near the old river landing.

Mission and First Nations History

In 1888, a missionary named Reverend Robert Tomlinson and his First Nations followers started a small village here. It was built on both sides of the Skeena River.

Early Sawmill and Supplies

A sawmill was built on the northwest side of the river. It used water power from a nearby creek. This was the only mill in the area. It made timber for local use and even sent wood as far away as Hazelton.

For the first few years, the community got supplies by canoe from the coast. In 1891, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) started a steamboat service. These steamboats would stop at Cedarvale to pick up wood for their engines.

"Holy City" and Strict Rules

The mission had very strict rules, especially about Sundays. People were not allowed to do anything that seemed like work on Sundays. Because of these strict rules, outsiders sometimes jokingly called the place "Holy City" or "Little Heaven."

Rev. R. Tomlinson and family, around 1890.

Everyone had to go to church, and children had to go to school. People were also asked to give up some traditional First Nations customs. People worked in farming, at the general store, or at the sawmill. The sawmill closed in 1913 because the land was needed for the railway. Reverend Tomlinson passed away that same year. He was an Anglican missionary who believed strongly in discipline. For example, the jail was built right next to the church and was often used for even small rule-breaking.

Churches and Schools

The cemetery and the old sites of two mission churches are just north of the reserve. The first church was a simple log building built in 1891. In 1907, a new, fancier wooden church with stained glass windows was built.

The schoolhouse burned down in 1906. From 1907, the government helped pay the teacher's salary. In 1914, a different missionary group took over the mission and the school. The school closed in 1924. Sadly, the church was destroyed by fire in 1951. In 2013, the cemetery was recognized as an important historical site for the country.

East of Cedarvale, on the other side of the river, is Koonwats 7, which is a Gitwangak reserve.

Railway History

During the building of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP), a work camp was set up near the Meanskinisht sawmill.

Railway Arrival and Station

In early 1912, the GTP railway tracks reached Cedarvale. The land for the railway was taken from the Meanskinisht mission. The station building was built that year and was first called Hollwood. By mid-1913, it was renamed Cedarvale.

Railway Incidents

• In 1924, a railway worker died when his small railway vehicle hit a rockslide about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) west of Cedarvale.
• In 1925, another worker died when his vehicle crashed into a train at a place called Ritchie.
• In 1936, a person's foot was badly crushed at Cedarvale when it got caught between two train car connectors.

Telegraph and Station Closure

During World War II, the Canadian National Railway (CN) set up special telegraph stations in several places, including Woodcock, near Cedarvale. These stations helped send messages over long distances. The Woodcock station closed around 1956. The Cedarvale station building was emptied in the mid-1980s and sold in 1987.

Modern Railway Use

In 2012, during work to make the Cedarvale passing track longer, old artifacts were found. Today, Cedarvale is a "flag stop" for Via Rail's Jasper – Prince Rupert train. This means the train only stops if someone wants to get on or off.

Ferry Service

Since the mission community was on both sides of the Skeena River, canoes were used to cross the river starting in the 1890s.

Official Ferry Operations

An official ferry service, which was supported by the government, likely started in 1917. In 1929–30, a new ferry was installed. It was a "reaction ferry," which uses the river's current to move across.

Challenges and Changes

In the big flood of 1936, the ferry was slightly damaged, and the ferry house floated away. The bridge leading to the ferry also washed out. A new, larger ferry was built for Cedarvale in 1946–47, but it seems it was used at Kitwanga instead. In 1948, another bridge leading to the Cedarvale ferry washed out.

In 1960–61, the towers that held the ferry cables were rebuilt. In 1963–64, new landing platforms were added. A special "aerial passenger ferry" (like a basket on a cable) was also installed for winter use. In 1965–66, separate towers were built for this aerial basket ferry.

Ferry Accidents and Closure

The ferry could carry two cars until 1973, when a bigger four-car ferry was installed. In 1975, the main cable snapped. This left the loaded ferry stuck about 60 metres (200 ft) from shore. It seems too much weight (a dump truck, a loader, and two cars) caused the towers to collapse and the cable to break. Five people on board were rescued by helicopter. The ferry didn't run for the rest of that season. The aerial ferry continued to be used, but it's not clear if the main car ferry was ever fixed. All ferry service stopped in 1978.

Main Roads

Between 1931 and 1941, parts of the road between Usk and Cedarvale were built.

Highway Completion and Bus Service

In 1944, the section of highway between Pacific and Cedarvale was finished. This opened the highway from Prince Rupert to Prince George, mainly for military vehicles during World War II. In 1958, a bus service started between Prince Rupert and Prince George, and Cedarvale was a scheduled stop. This bus stop was active until at least the mid-1960s. Today, Kitwanga is the closest bus stop.

Road Improvements

In 1966, the 40-mile (64 km) section of highway between Terrace and Cedarvale was still unpaved. By 1970, the road between Usk and Cedarvale was made wider and paved.

Community Life

A.S. Gray was a foreman who built wagon roads. In 1907, he got his own piece of land. He planted fruit trees, grew wheat, and sold vegetables from his garden to the railway construction workers. Within a few years, he was known as the "potato king."

Post Office and Early Businesses

The post office opened in 1910 and was called Cedarvale. This gave the community its new name. Mrs. J.W. Graham was the first postmaster from 1910 to 1918. Her husband ran a large chicken farm. In 1918–19, a school opened on the northwest side of the river, followed by a general store about a year later.

Community Challenges

In the early 1920s, the lumber business slowed down, and the school closed for three years. A new school building was built in 1926–27. At this time, people in the community made a living by mining, trapping, and logging.

World War II Incident

During World War II, Japan launched special balloon bombs called Fu-Go balloon bombs. One of these balloons landed near Cedarvale, getting stuck in three large trees. Luckily, the explosives were safely removed.

Later Years

On the southeast side of the river, there was a small general store, a café, and a gas station. In 1954–55, the one-room school was expanded when a vacant building from Skeena Crossing was moved to Cedarvale. Cedarvale Elementary school seems to have closed in 1975. The store and post office on the northwest side closed in the mid-1990s. Today, only a collapsed building remains there.

Ritchie

West of Cedarvale, there was a place called Ritchie. It was named by the GTP railway in the early 1910s. People aren't sure exactly who it was named after. Some think it was George Hamilton Ritchie, a steamboat captain. Others believe it was Joseph Frederick Nelson Ritchie, a government land surveyor, or John Henderson Ritchie, a railway engineer who died in 1911.

In the 1910s and 1920s, the closest post office was about 3 miles (4.8 km) south by rail, at Lorne Creek. In the early 1990s, a fish landing site was set up at Ritchie for monitoring fish populations.

Woodcock

East of Cedarvale was the community of Woodcock. It was a farming and mining settlement in the mountains. It was named after William Henry Woodcock. Today, only a small number of people live in this scattered community.

Farming Ventures

In 1920, a company bought 350 acres (140 ha) of land. They started clearing it, planting crops, and setting up a dairy farm. In 1923, a man named Robert McKay bought a large share of this farm, which was called the Cassiar Northern Ranch. The plan was to have 100 dairy cows to supply milk to Prince Rupert. The farm was renamed Woodcock Dairies, but the bank took over the farm in 1925 and sold its assets.

School and Airport

The school in Woodcock opened in 1923 and closed in 1945. Woodcock Airport is an old, unused runway that belonged to the RCAF.

Climate

Cedarvale has a type of climate called a humid continental climate. This means it has cold, snowy winters and warm summers.