Tyhee Lake Provincial Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tyhee Lake Provincial Park |
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IUCN Category II (National Park)
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 Tyhee Lake Provincial Park
Location in British Columbia
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| Location | British Columbia, Canada |
| Nearest city | Smithers |
| Area | 0.39 km2 (0.15 sq mi) |
| Established | April 11, 1955 |
| Governing body | BC Parks |
Tyhee Lake Provincial Park is a special natural area, also known as a provincial park, located in British Columbia, Canada. You can find it near the town of Smithers in a beautiful area called the Bulkley Valley. It's a great place to explore nature and learn about the local history.
Park History and Names
Tyhee Lake has had many names over the years! On an old map from 1871, it was called "McLean's Lake" or sometimes "Aldermere Lake." Aldermere was a place on a hill nearby.
The lake later became known as "Tyee Lake." This name comes from a language called Chinook Jargon, which was a trade language used by different Indigenous groups and settlers in the Pacific Northwest. In Chinook Jargon, "Tyee" (pronounced Die-yeeh) means "chief."
The traditional name for the lake, used by the local Indigenous people, is Too-Kyoh-buhn. This name is pronounced toh-kyoh-bun, and it means "Big Water Lake."
The lake was also an important stop during the building of the Collins Overland Telegraph. This was a huge project in the 1860s that tried to connect North America and Europe with a telegraph line across Alaska and Siberia. Tyhee Lake was "Station 11" on this telegraph route.
Later, the lake was renamed "Maclure Lake" after a surveyor who worked on the telegraph project. This name was used for a long time, even until 1978! However, the people living nearby kept calling it "Tyee." So, the name was officially changed to "Tyhee" in 1981. The spelling was changed slightly to "Tyhee" because another lake in the Cariboo region already had the name "Tyee."
Park Establishment and Growth
Tyhee Lake Provincial Park was officially created on April 11, 1955. When it first started, it was called Maclure Lake Park and covered about 33 hectares (which is about 81 acres).
On September 10, 1981, the park's name was changed to Tyhee Lake Park, matching the official name of the lake. The park grew even bigger on May 19, 2010. Its size increased to about 39 hectares (which is roughly 96 acres), giving visitors even more space to enjoy the natural beauty.
