Chilanko Forks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chilanko Forks
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unincorporated community
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 Chilanko Forks
Location in British Columbia
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| Country |  Canada |
| Province | BC/BCE |
| Regional District | Cariboo |
| Region | Chilcotin |
| Elevation | 909 m (2,982 ft) |
| Area code(s) | 250, 778 |
Chilanko Forks is a small, unincorporated community in British Columbia, Canada. It's located in the beautiful Chilcotin District, near the Chilanko River. This area is also home to the Tsilhqot'in First Nations people. The main office for the Alexis Creek First Nation is found here.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
Chilanko Forks has an interesting past. From 1907 to 1918, its post office was spelled "Chilanco Forks." This spelling also appeared on an old map from 1871.
Airbase and Sawmills
The community was once home to an airbase. First, it was a US airbase from 1952 to 1963. After the US left, the Canadian Air Force used it from 1963 to 1966.
Sawmill workers also lived in Chilanko Forks from 1963 to 1971. The number of people living there changed often. This was because logging operations kept moving. A company called Pinnette and Therrien started logging near Puntzi Lake in 1963. They used a portable mill.
Mill Operations and Changes
The mill moved around a lot. It was first at Puntzi Lake, then moved to Chezacut. After a very cold winter, it moved back to Chilanko Forks in 1965. It was set up near Skinner Bridge. Later, another company took over the logging. In 1966, a planer mill was added. But in 1971, the mill closed after a fire.
These changes greatly affected how many people lived in Chilanko Forks. However, the number of Indigenous people in the area stayed steady.
Modern Chilanko Forks
Today, the area near the old airstrip has homes along two main roads. Some older roads have even turned back into forest. Important parts of the community include outlying ranches and the main Indigenous settlement. There has been some growth near the Redstone Reserve. A new small community has also grown east of the main area. This new spot was once a gathering place and a ball field.
Modern phone systems arrived in Chilanko Forks on July 27, 1988. The main "center" of Chilanko Forks has also moved. There's now a loop off the highway that passes the old location.
Weather in Chilanko Forks
Chilanko Forks has a subarctic climate. This means it can get very cold, even though it's not super far north.
Extreme Temperatures
The Chilcotin region, including Chilanko Forks, can experience extremely cold weather. While average winter temperatures might seem mild, sudden cold snaps can drop temperatures very low. For example, the nearby Puntzi airbase recorded a temperature of −52.8 °C (−63 °F) in December 1968! That's colder than even Yellowknife has ever been.
Because the air is very dry, the skies are clear, and there's not much wind, Chilanko Forks has one of Canada's biggest daily temperature changes. This means the difference between the highest and lowest temperature in a single day can be huge. In fact, it has the biggest daily temperature change in British Columbia. This is especially true in February and May.
The hottest temperature ever recorded was 39.8 °C (104 °F) on June 29, 2021.
| Climate data for Puntzi Mountain Airport | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high humidex | 7.7 | 10.6 | 18.9 | 23.5 | 28.9 | 40.3 | 36.0 | 35.4 | 30.2 | 25.0 | 15.6 | 7.7 | 40.3 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 10.0 (50.0) |
12.8 (55.0) |
22.2 (72.0) |
27.0 (80.6) |
34.7 (94.5) |
39.8 (103.6) |
35.6 (96.1) |
38.0 (100.4) |
32.3 (90.1) |
27.0 (80.6) |
18.0 (64.4) |
13.9 (57.0) |
39.8 (103.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −5.2 (22.6) |
1.0 (33.8) |
5.8 (42.4) |
11.2 (52.2) |
16.8 (62.2) |
20.0 (68.0) |
23.7 (74.7) |
23.3 (73.9) |
18.3 (64.9) |
10.9 (51.6) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
10.1 (50.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −12.3 (9.9) |
−7.9 (17.8) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
3.2 (37.8) |
8.2 (46.8) |
11.8 (53.2) |
14.7 (58.5) |
14.1 (57.4) |
9.5 (49.1) |
3.4 (38.1) |
−4.7 (23.5) |
−11.8 (10.8) |
2.2 (36.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −19.3 (−2.7) |
−16.7 (1.9) |
−10.1 (13.8) |
−4.7 (23.5) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
3.5 (38.3) |
5.7 (42.3) |
4.9 (40.8) |
0.7 (33.3) |
−4.1 (24.6) |
−10.4 (13.3) |
−18.3 (−0.9) |
−5.8 (21.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −52.2 (−62.0) |
−45.6 (−50.1) |
−39.4 (−38.9) |
−20.2 (−4.4) |
−10.4 (13.3) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−13.3 (8.1) |
−34.7 (−30.5) |
−47.9 (−54.2) |
−52.8 (−63.0) |
−52.8 (−63.0) |
| Record low wind chill | −51 | −51 | −37 | −21 | −13 | −5 | −4 | −8 | −14 | −27 | −43 | −48 | −51 |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 18.1 (0.71) |
12.2 (0.48) |
14.1 (0.56) |
16.4 (0.65) |
26.6 (1.05) |
36.5 (1.44) |
30.1 (1.19) |
28.1 (1.11) |
20.8 (0.82) |
21.2 (0.83) |
32.0 (1.26) |
18.4 (0.72) |
274.6 (10.81) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 74.3 | 53.5 | 51.6 | 36.9 | 41.5 | 41.1 | 27.2 | 29.9 | 31.3 | 40.0 | 63.8 | 77.4 | 47.4 |
| Source: Environment Canada | |||||||||||||
What's in a Name?
The name "Chilanko" comes from the Chilcotin language. It means "many beaver river."
