McLeod Lake, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
McLeod Lake is an unincorporated community located on Highway 97 in northern British Columbia
, Canada
, 140 km (87 mi) north of Prince George
. It is notable for being the first continuously inhabited Europe
an settlement established west of the Rocky Mountains
in present-day Canada. Originally named Trout Lake Fort, it was founded by the explorer and North West Company
trader Simon Fraser
in 1805 and was for a while known as La Malice Fort, after an employee left in charge during Fraser's absence. It became known soon after as Fort McLeod during the tenure of Archibald Norman McLeod
, who was in charge of the post for many years. The site of the fort was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1953.
McLeod Lake Indian Reserve No. 1, which is adjacent to the non-native community, has a population of around 94, the main residents being an Athabascan Sekani
people known as "Tse'Khene" (the people of the rock, in reference to the Rocky Mountains). Having signed Treaty 8
in the year 2000, the natives of the community are trying to direct themselves towards self government and employment stability.
The lake itself is 2290 ha (5,658.7 acre).
A point in the marshes on its southern shore of nearby Summit Lake marks the low point of the divide between the drainages of the Fraser
and Peace River
s, As such it is significant as the prominence
col
between all points south in the Rockies and beyond and their "parent" summits in northern BC and Alaska
. Summit Lake col, at 710 m (2,329.4 ft) in elevation, is the low point on the mountain spine of the Americas that connects Pico de Orizaba
(5640 m (18,503.9 ft)) in Mexico
with its next-higher "parent" peak, Mount Logan
(5959 m (19,550.5 ft)).
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...
, 140 km (87 mi) north of Prince George
Prince George, British Columbia
Prince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
. It is notable for being the first continuously inhabited Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an settlement established west of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
in present-day Canada. Originally named Trout Lake Fort, it was founded by the explorer and North West Company
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...
trader Simon Fraser
Simon Fraser (explorer)
Simon Fraser was a fur trader and an explorer who charted much of what is now the Canadian province of British Columbia. Fraser was employed by the Montreal-based North West Company. By 1805, he had been put in charge of all the company's operations west of the Rocky Mountains...
in 1805 and was for a while known as La Malice Fort, after an employee left in charge during Fraser's absence. It became known soon after as Fort McLeod during the tenure of Archibald Norman McLeod
Archibald Norman McLeod
Archibald Norman McLeod was a merchant and political figure in Lower Canada. He represented Montreal West in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada from 1810 to 1814....
, who was in charge of the post for many years. The site of the fort was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1953.
McLeod Lake Indian Reserve No. 1, which is adjacent to the non-native community, has a population of around 94, the main residents being an Athabascan Sekani
Sekani
Sekani is the name of an Athabaskan First Nations people in the Northern Interior of British Columbia. Their territory includes the Finlay and Parsnip River drainages of the Rocky Mountain Trench. The neighbors of the Sekani are the Babine to the west, Dakelh to the south, Dunneza to the east, and...
people known as "Tse'Khene" (the people of the rock, in reference to the Rocky Mountains). Having signed Treaty 8
Treaty 8
Treaty 8 was an agreement signed on June 21, 1899, between Queen Victoria and various First Nations of the Lesser Slave Lake area. The Treaty was signed just south of present-day Grouard, Alberta.-Treaty:...
in the year 2000, the natives of the community are trying to direct themselves towards self government and employment stability.
The lake itself is 2290 ha (5,658.7 acre).
A point in the marshes on its southern shore of nearby Summit Lake marks the low point of the divide between the drainages of the Fraser
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
and Peace River
Peace River (Canada)
The Peace River is a river in Canada that originates in the Rocky Mountains of northern British Columbia and flows to the northeast through northern Alberta. The Peace River flows into the Slave River, a tributary of the Mackenzie River. The Mackenzie is the 12th longest river in the world,...
s, As such it is significant as the prominence
Topographic prominence
In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , categorizes the height of the mountain's or hill's summit by the elevation between it and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit...
col
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
between all points south in the Rockies and beyond and their "parent" summits in northern BC and Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. Summit Lake col, at 710 m (2,329.4 ft) in elevation, is the low point on the mountain spine of the Americas that connects Pico de Orizaba
Pico de Orizaba
The Pico de Orizaba, or Citlaltépetl , is a stratovolcano, the highest mountain in Mexico and the third highest in North America. It rises above sea level in the eastern end of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, on the border between the states of Veracruz and Puebla...
(5640 m (18,503.9 ft)) in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
with its next-higher "parent" peak, Mount Logan
Mount Logan
Mount Logan is the highest mountain in Canada and the second-highest peak in North America, after Mount McKinley . The mountain was named after Sir William Edmond Logan, a Canadian geologist and founder of the Geological Survey of Canada . Mount Logan is located within Kluane National Park and...
(5959 m (19,550.5 ft)).