Butedale, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
that was founded on Princess Royal Island
Princess Royal Island
Princess Royal Island is the largest island on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is located amongst the isolated inlets and islands east of Hecate Strait on the British Columbia Coast. At , it is the fourth largest island in British Columbia...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
in 1918 as a fishing, mining and logging camp. Initially the salmon cannery was established by Western Packers which was purchased and operated by the Canadian Fishing Company until it ceased operating in the 1950s. At its peak the summertime population of Butedale was over 400 people.
There is a small dam which generates power from Butedale Lake immediately behind the town. Impressive Butedale Falls
Butedale Falls
Butedale Falls is a high-volume waterfall located just north of the old ghost town of Butedale, British Columbia. The entire section of stream between the outlet of Butedale Lake & the Inside Passage is one long series of cascades collectively known as Butedale Falls...
flows out of the lake into the ocean immediately to the right of the wharves. The Butedale Founders Association talked about restoring the town but it is quickly falling to ruin.
It is a popular point of interest for cruise ship and ferry passengers sailing the Inside Passage
Inside Passage
The Inside Passage is a coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a network of passages which weave through the islands on the Pacific coast of North America. The route extends from southeastern Alaska, in the United States, through western British Columbia, in Canada, to northwestern Washington...
of British Columbia. The site is accessible only by boat.