Franklin River (Vancouver Island) facts for kids

The Franklin River is a river located on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It flows between Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound. This river was named during an important exploration trip on Vancouver Island in 1864. It got its name from Selim Franklin, who was in charge of the exploration team at the time.

The Franklin River flows west and empties into Sproat Narrows, which is part of the Alberni Inlet. This area is south of the city of Port Alberni. The local Indigenous people have a traditional name for this river, which is Owatchet.

History of the Franklin River Area

Early Logging Operations

In 1911, a lawyer from Seattle named Julius Bloedel and his company, Bloedel, Stewart and Welch, started buying land on Vancouver Island. Their goal was to use the land for logging. The area around the Franklin River became one of the biggest logging operations anywhere in the world.

Planting New Trees

Later, in 1938, the Bloedel Stewart Welch Company did something very important. They became the first company in British Columbia to plant new tree seedlings in areas that had been logged. This was a big step towards making sure forests could grow back after trees were cut down.