Skookumchuck Hot Springs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Skookumchuck Hot Springs Tsek Hot Springs, T'sek Hot Springs, Saint Agnes Well
Hot spring
Skookumchuck Hot Springs Location in British Columbia
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
First Nations	Skatin
Area code(s)	N/A

Skookumchuck Hot Springs is a natural hot spring located in British Columbia, Canada. Its original name, given by the Indigenous people who lived there long before European settlers arrived, is Tsek Hot Spring or T'sek Hot Spring. For a time, it was also known by the colonial name Saint Agnes Well. These springs are found near the First Nation community of Skatin (which was once called Skookumchuck on old maps). They are along the historic Harrison Lillooet Gold Rush trail in the Lillooet River valley, south of Lillooet Lake.

Discovering Tsek Hot Springs

The hot springs are called Tsek (pronounced "chick") in the St'at'imcets language. For many years, the land where the springs are located was privately owned. However, in 2008, the Government of Canada bought the land. They now hold it in trust for the local Indigenous people, meaning it's kept safe for them until a formal agreement about the land can be reached.

A Look Back in Time

Tsek Hot Springs, also known as Skookumchuck Hot Springs, had another name during the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush: Saint Agnes Well. This was around the same time that Harrison Hot Springs, further south, was called St. Alice's Well. Both names were given by Justice Bailey, who named them after the daughters of Governor Douglas.

During the gold rush, the area had "road houses" like "18 Mile House" or "20 Mile House." These names showed how far they were from Port Douglas, which was the start of the Douglas Road at the top of Harrison Lake.

The Church of the Holy Cross

In the 1860s, a group of missionaries called the Oblates started a mission in the area. With their guidance, the local Stl'itl'imx people began to build a village about 4 kilometers south of the hot springs. As the village grew, they built a beautiful church in 1908. This church, called the Church of the Holy Cross, has a special style known as Carpenter Gothic or Wood Gothic. It was recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1981 and is still used today. A striking feature of the church is its simple yet elegant stained glass windows, which are red and blue.

Visiting the Hot Springs

Members of the Skatin community manage the hot springs. Visitors can camp there for a fee. Many local families still use the hot springs regularly. Visitors are asked to be respectful of the local family values. This means being mindful of your language and behavior. It is also polite to wait until children have finished bathing before you enter the hot tubs.

The road to the hot springs has been improved in many places. In 2015, the In-SHUCK-ch Forest Service Road, which is a dirt road, was made wider. It went from being one or one-and-a-half lanes to two lanes with extra shoulder space along Lillooet Lake. However, the very last part of the road can still be a bit rough.