Whonnock facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Whonnock
Rural community
Whonnock Location in British Columbia
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
City	Maple Ridge

Whonnock is a countryside community. It has many trees and hills. You can find it on the north side of the Fraser River. Whonnock is in the eastern part of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada. It is about 56 kilometers east of Downtown Vancouver. You can get there by taking the Lougheed Highway.

Whonnock shares its borders with three other communities in Maple Ridge. To the west, it borders Albion and Webster's Corners. To the east, Whonnock Creek forms the border with Ruskin. The municipal border is to the north. The Fraser River is to the south.

The name Whonnock comes from a Halkomelem word. This word means "humpback salmon" or "pink salmon." These are the only types of salmon that swim up Whonnock Creek. Whonnock Creek flows from the north, past Dewdney Trunk Road. It then goes south to the Fraser River. It also passes Whonnock Lake, which is also known as Xwô:leqw / Wõ:leqw.

Whonnock First Nation History

Whonnock Indian Reserve No. 1 is located where Whonnock Creek meets the Fraser River. This reserve is part of the Kwantlen First Nation. Their main office is on McMillan Island at Fort Langley.

First Nations people have lived in this area for over 10,000 years.

About 25 years before Simon Fraser explored the river in 1808, a serious sickness affected the villages here. This included the village at Whonnock Creek. This sickness sadly wiped out many people. These villages were connected to a First Nations tribe near Boundary Bay. That tribe was also greatly affected by the sickness.

Around the time Fort Langley was settled (about 1827), First Nations people began to move back to these empty places. In the past, the Whonnock Tribe, part of the Kwantlen First Nation, lived here. They had their own Chief. The last person from the Whonnock tribe living on the reserve passed away in 1951.

Early Settlers and Community Growth

The first permanent non-Indigenous settler in Whonnock was Robert Robertson. He was from Shetland. He settled in Whonnock with his First Nations wife in 1861. Over the next 25 years, they raised a family. They lived next to the Whonnocks' village, with no other non-Indigenous settlers nearby.

Whonnock became a community because of the railroad. It was chosen for a station on the transcontinental railroad. This was because it was 10 miles from the next station, Hammond. After trains started running regularly in 1885, many new settlers arrived.

From 1885 onwards, Whonnock quickly became a central spot. Settlers from all over eastern Maple Ridge came here. People from Glen Valley across the Fraser River and lands across the Stave River also came. Whonnock soon had a railway station, a post office, a school, and a general store. These things were not available elsewhere for some time. More churches were also built.

Most new residents were from Britain. They came from other parts of Canada. But people from other countries also settled here. Norwegian immigrants and their families played a big part in the community's history.

Most settlers earned a living by fishing and logging. Farming was mainly for their own families. A few residents grew fruit or raised chickens to sell. Some wealthy people lived here permanently or for the summer. They could afford to hire others to do the manual work.

From the 1920s until 1942, Japanese settlers lived here. They made up a large part of the population. They used the south-facing slopes to grow many berries.

Lumberyards and mills are still active on the waterfront today. They are smaller now than they used to be.

Women played an important role in community life. They did this through churches and other groups. In 1912, they built and started a community hall. This hall was the center of social activities for about forty years.

Whonnock Today

Many people in Whonnock keep horses. They also have chickens, sheep, goats, and llamas. There are some small tree farms and fruit farms.

Whonnock Lake Park

Whonnock Lake is a type of lake called a bog lake. Water usually flows into it only from the north. Water flows out to Whonnock Creek on the south-east side.

Whonnock Lake Park has tall, old trees. It also has a grassy play area and a small sandy beach. You can go swimming, hiking, and study nature here.

The park is home to native plants. It also has many beavers and muskrats. Loons, mallard ducks, and many small birds also live and raise their young here. The lake is stocked with rainbow trout every year. This makes it a great place for fishing.

Whonnock Lake Centre

In 1988, the Whonnock Community Association opened the Whonnock Lake Centre. It is located in Whonnock Lake Park.

The Whonnock Community Association managed the Centre for 25 years. In 2013, they gave the management to the City of Maple Ridge.

The Whonnock Lake Centre is mainly a community hall for Whonnock residents. It is also a popular place for weddings and other events.

Whonnock Community Association

The name Whonnock Community Association (WCA) was registered in 1981. But a group of volunteers worked for the community before that, under different names. The Association helps organize community events.

Ridge Canoe and Kayak Club

The Ridge Canoe and Kayak Club (RCKC) is a paddling club. They practice flat-water sprint paddling at Whonnock Lake. The club has athletes of all skill levels.

RCKC started in 1982 as an Olympic racing club. Since then, it has grown to include many other paddling sports. RCKC also has programs for people who paddle for fun.

Maple Ridge Fire Hall No. 2

Fire Hall No. 2 in Whonnock was built in 1974. This fire hall covers the area from 256th Street east to the Mission border.

Post Office

Whonnock has had a post office and a postmaster since 1885.

Originally, the owner of the general store was also the postmaster. In 1914, the postmaster was no longer the shopkeeper. He moved the post office to its current location. Today, the post office is in a building that dates back to about 1932. The Whonnock postmaster is the last person in the Lower Mainland to have that title.

Schools

Whonnock is served by School District 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows.

There has been a school in Whonnock since 1885. The first school was on the shore of the Fraser River. It was south of the railway tracks. Around 1910, it moved to the northwest corner of 272nd Street and 100th Avenue. In 1998, a new building opened on 112th Avenue, near Whonnock Lake. There are 275 children at the school, from Kindergarten to Grade 7.

Stores

Today, the only retail business in a store building in Whonnock is the McFli Feed Store. It is in the old Red and White Store building [1] next to the post office.

The first general store was built around 1884. It burned down in 1918. It was not rebuilt. Today, that spot is under the Lougheed Highway. Other local stores took over the business. These included Graham's store, across from the post office, and Luno's store. Later, Showler's Red and White Store opened. All these stores closed after the Second World War. This happened when cars and supermarkets became common.

Artisans

Many artists and craftspeople live in Whonnock. These include weavers, spinners, potters, leather workers, and candle makers.