Gold River, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Gold River is a village
located close to the geographic centre of Vancouver Island
in British Columbia
, Canada
. In terms of the Island's human geography it is considered to be part of the "North Island", even though it technically is on the Island's west coast.
and pulp and paper industry
community. Gold River quickly sprang into prosperity and established excellent community facilities. When shifting world markets
brought the mill closure in 1998, many of Gold River's inhabitants were forced to relocate. Since then, the village has attempted to capitalize on its idealistic setting among picturesque mountain
s, lake
s, river
s, ocean
, and forest
s to develop tourism
and sport fishing
as its main economic supports.
Currently, Gold River serves as a base for such famous activities as the Nootka Island
trek, hiking the Elk Lake trail and mountain climbing Golden Hinde
(Vancouver Island's highest peak), Crest Creek climbing crags, MV Uchuck III, and the Great Walk.
Gold River also serves as a historic point, being the closest village to the famous Yuquot
, or "Friendly Cove", where British explorer Captain James Cook first set ashore. There Cook met the Mowachaht native band's chief, Chief Maquinna
.
Cfb). With warm dry summers and mild rainy winters, during the winter constant Low Pressure Systems moving off of the Pacific Ocean
causes winter to be the wettest season. Most precipitation falls as rain year round but snow is not uncommon in the winter months averaging 118 cm (46.5 in) but does not usually stay long. Summers are warm with an average summer temperate of 17.6 °C (63.7 °F) in July. The summer months are the driest of the year with only 55.4 mm (2.2 in) of rain in July compared to 481.9 mm (19 in) in November. The average rain fall all year is 2846.7 mm (112.1 in) making the west coast of Vancouver Island
the wettest place in Canada. The record high recorded for the village was 39 °C (102.2 °F) recorded on August 9, 1981. The record low was -19 C recorded on January 28, 1980.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
located close to the geographic centre of Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
in 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...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. In terms of the Island's human geography it is considered to be part of the "North Island", even though it technically is on the Island's west coast.
History
Taking advantage of its deep water and abundant forests, Gold River developed in 1967 as a prototypical loggingLogging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
and pulp and paper industry
Pulp and paper industry
The global pulp and paper industry is dominated by North American , northern European and East Asian countries...
community. Gold River quickly sprang into prosperity and established excellent community facilities. When shifting world markets
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
brought the mill closure in 1998, many of Gold River's inhabitants were forced to relocate. Since then, the village has attempted to capitalize on its idealistic setting among picturesque mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s, lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s, river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s, ocean
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
, and forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s to develop tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and sport fishing
Recreational fishing
Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing, is fishing for pleasure or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is fishing for profit, or subsistence fishing, which is fishing for survival....
as its main economic supports.
Currently, Gold River serves as a base for such famous activities as the Nootka Island
Nootka Island
Nootka Island is an island near Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It contains 534 km² of area. It is separated from Vancouver Island by Nootka Sound and its side-inlets....
trek, hiking the Elk Lake trail and mountain climbing Golden Hinde
Golden Hinde (British Columbia)
The Golden Hinde is a mountain located in the Vancouver Island Ranges on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. At , it is the highest peak on the island. The mountain is located near the centre of the Strathcona Provincial Park, at the head of the Wolf River and to the west of Buttle Lake,...
(Vancouver Island's highest peak), Crest Creek climbing crags, MV Uchuck III, and the Great Walk.
Gold River also serves as a historic point, being the closest village to the famous Yuquot
Yuquot, British Columbia
Yuquot or Friendly Cove is a small settlement of less than 25 on Nootka Island in Nootka Sound, just west of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada...
, or "Friendly Cove", where British explorer Captain James Cook first set ashore. There Cook met the Mowachaht native band's chief, Chief Maquinna
Maquinna
Maquinna was the chief of the Nuu-chah-nulth people of Nootka Sound, during the heyday of the maritime fur trade in the 1780s and 1790s on the Pacific Northwest Coast...
.
Climate
Gold River has a Marine west coast climate (Koppen climate classificationKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfb). With warm dry summers and mild rainy winters, during the winter constant Low Pressure Systems moving off of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
causes winter to be the wettest season. Most precipitation falls as rain year round but snow is not uncommon in the winter months averaging 118 cm (46.5 in) but does not usually stay long. Summers are warm with an average summer temperate of 17.6 °C (63.7 °F) in July. The summer months are the driest of the year with only 55.4 mm (2.2 in) of rain in July compared to 481.9 mm (19 in) in November. The average rain fall all year is 2846.7 mm (112.1 in) making the west coast of Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
the wettest place in Canada. The record high recorded for the village was 39 °C (102.2 °F) recorded on August 9, 1981. The record low was -19 C recorded on January 28, 1980.
External links
- Village of Gold River official website