Ruskin, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, 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...
straddling the border between the suburban municipalities of Maple Ridge
Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Maple Ridge is a District Municipality in British Columbia, located in the northeastern section of Metro Vancouver. Maple Ridge has a population of approximately 68,949.-History:...
and Mission
Mission, British Columbia
Mission, the core of which was formerly known as Mission City, is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River overlooking the City of Abbotsford and with that city is part of the Central Fraser Valley. Mission is the...
, on the west bank of the lower Stave River
Stave River
The Stave River is a tributary of the Fraser, joining it at the boundary between the municipalities of Maple Ridge and Mission, about 35 km east of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in the Central Fraser Valley region....
.
History
The name originated with the first settlement of the area by followers of English art critic and essayist, John RuskinJohn Ruskin
John Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political...
, the theorist of the Gothic Revival and an advocate of "gentlemanly socialism" and dedication to crafts and rural industry, similar to the pre-Raphaelites and some of the Fabianist groups. The erstwhile Ruskinite commune failed within a few years but the name remained. About 20 years after the failure of the colony, the area was bisected by newly-created school districts which were copied by the later municipal partition of the area.
Several lumber mill operations thrived at Ruskin, mostly cedar shake mills, including some of the highest-volume operations in the world (the largest being at nearby Whonnock and in Mission City
Mission, British Columbia
Mission, the core of which was formerly known as Mission City, is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River overlooking the City of Abbotsford and with that city is part of the Central Fraser Valley. Mission is the...
), drawing on the gigantic trees of the Stave River
Stave River
The Stave River is a tributary of the Fraser, joining it at the boundary between the municipalities of Maple Ridge and Mission, about 35 km east of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in the Central Fraser Valley region....
basin. Some logging operations in the area were owned and run by Japanese Canadians
Japanese Canadians
Japanese Canadians are Canadians of Japanese ancestry, and are mostly concentrated on the west coast, and central Canada, especially in and around Vancouver and Toronto. In 2006, there were 98,900 .- Generations :...
until their expropriation
Japanese Canadian internment
Japanese Canadian internment refers to confinement of Japanese Canadians in British Columbia during World War II. The internment began in December 1941, following the attack by carrier-borne forces of Imperial Japan on American naval and army facilities at Pearl Harbor...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and evidence of Japanese-style logging activity such as corduroy road
Corduroy road
A corduroy road or log road is a type of road made by placing sand-covered logs perpendicular to the direction of the road over a low or swampy area....
s can still be found in the surrounding forests.
Located two miles upstream from the Stave's
Stave River
The Stave River is a tributary of the Fraser, joining it at the boundary between the municipalities of Maple Ridge and Mission, about 35 km east of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in the Central Fraser Valley region....
confluence with 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...
is Ruskin Dam
Ruskin Dam
Ruskin Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Stave River in Ruskin, British Columbia, Canada. The dam was completed in 1930 for the primary purpose of hydroelectric power generation...
(49°11'42.46"N, 122°24'30.86"W), the newest and largest of the three dams comprising the Stave River power development, which supplied power to the British Columbia Electric Railway
British Columbia Electric Railway
The British Columbia Electric Railway was a historic Canadian railway which operated in southwestern British Columbia.Originally the parent company, and later a division, of BC Electric, the BCER operated public transportation in southwestern British Columbia from its establishment in the...
and electrical power to the growing metropolis at Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
The power project was originally begun at Stave Falls, four miles further upstream. The newer dam power plant at Ruskin was opened in 1931, and forms Hayward Lake. Once Ruskin's generating power was online, the Stave River project contributed the bulk of Greater Vancouver's
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
power until the completion of the Bridge River Power Project
Bridge River Power Project
The Bridge River Power Project is a hydroelectric power development in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located in the Lillooet Country between Whistler and Lillooet...
near Lillooet
Lillooet, British Columbia
Lillooet is a community on the Fraser River in western Canada, about up the British Columbia Railway line from Vancouver. Situated at an intersection of deep gorges in the lee of the Coast Mountains, it has a dry climate- of precipitation is recorded annually at the town's weather station,...
in 1961. Touted at the time as a wonder of modern architecture, it follows the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's
British Columbia Electric Railway
The British Columbia Electric Railway was a historic Canadian railway which operated in southwestern British Columbia.Originally the parent company, and later a division, of BC Electric, the BCER operated public transportation in southwestern British Columbia from its establishment in the...
penchant for Classical Revival, but indulges in neo-Gothic motifs in tribute to John Ruskin
John Ruskin
John Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political...
, and has an additional art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
flavour.
An electric railway separate from the main passenger operations of the BCER
British Columbia Electric Railway
The British Columbia Electric Railway was a historic Canadian railway which operated in southwestern British Columbia.Originally the parent company, and later a division, of BC Electric, the BCER operated public transportation in southwestern British Columbia from its establishment in the...
, known as the Stave Valley Branch ran between the CPR mainline
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
and the dam at Stave Falls; this was relocated to a higher elevation with the creation of Hayward Lake
Hayward Lake
Hayward Lake is a lake and reservoir on the Stave River in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the District of Mission about 60 km east of Vancouver, Hayward Lake is formed by Ruskin Dam, which lies about 3 km upstream from the Stave River's confluence with the...
, and the ruins of many of its trestles line the western shore of that reservoir; the rail grade has been converted into a hiking and biking trail in recent times. Between the dam and the sawmills there was a drive-in theatre located on the banks of the Stave River
Stave River
The Stave River is a tributary of the Fraser, joining it at the boundary between the municipalities of Maple Ridge and Mission, about 35 km east of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in the Central Fraser Valley region....
until about 1970; it was converted into a large trailer park adjoining the older houses of the millworking community attached to the mills. These, and some of the mill sites and offshore islands and marshes, comprise Langley Indian Reserve No. 2 and Langley Indian Reserve No. 3. Across the main flow of the Stave, adjacent to Highway 7 and west of the causeway forming Silvermere Lake
Silvermere Lake
Silvermere Lake, located on the west side of Silverdale, a rural neighbourhood of Mission, British Columbia, is a man made lake. It is visible from and adjacent to the Lougheed Highway, which follows a causeway on the lake's south side...
, is Langley Indian Reserve No. 4. All are under the governance of the Kwantlen First Nation
Kwantlen First Nation
The Kwantlen First Nation is the band government of the Kwantlen subgroup of the Stó:lō people in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada, located primarily at Fort Langley. They traditionally speak the Downriver dialect of Halkomelem, one of the Salishan family of languages...
, whose offices are located in Fort Langley
Fort Langley, British Columbia
Fort Langley is a village with a population of 2,700 and forms part of the Township of Langley. It is the home of Fort Langley National Historic Site, a former fur trade post of the Hudson's Bay Company.-History:...
.
Schools
Students from the part of Ruskin in Maple Ridge are served by School District 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt MeadowsSchool District 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows
School District 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows is a school district in British Columbia east of Vancouver. This includes Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.-Board of School Trustees:Board of School Trustees...
and it has an elementary school called Ruskin Elementary School. Those from the parts of Ruskin in the District of Mission attend Silverdale Elementary School in Silverdale
Silverdale, British Columbia
Silverdale is a semi-rural neighbourhood of the District of Mission, British Columbia, Canada c. 40 km east of Vancouver on the west bank of the Stave River at its confluence with the Fraser. Noted for its historic Italian Canadian community, its economy was farming, fishing and logging based...
.
Businesses
Ruskin has many businesses including; Shake and Shingle Pub, Cuts N' Cuddles, Thompson Creek Farms, Cardinal Business Services and Big Mikes Fun Farm as well as several sawmills and the Ruskin Store and Gas StationPopular culture
Ruskin DamRuskin Dam
Ruskin Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Stave River in Ruskin, British Columbia, Canada. The dam was completed in 1930 for the primary purpose of hydroelectric power generation...
and the bridge to the powerhouse were featured sets in the X-Files (chapters 'Patient X' and 'The Red and The Black' of Season Five). It was called Reeves Dam used in episodes of Smallville
Smallville (TV series)
Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
: "Prototype", "Phantom" and "Bizarro", where Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
confronts Bizarro.
It was also seen in an episode of MacGyver
MacGyver
MacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The show ran for seven seasons on ABC in the United States and various other networks abroad from 1985 to 1992. The series was filmed in Los Angeles...
(Season 5, episode 8) and in the movie The Invisible
The Invisible
The Invisible may refer to:*The Invisible , a film released in 2007*The Invisible , a British band*The Invisible , their debut album...
starring Justin Chatwin
Justin Chatwin
Justin Chatwin is a Canadian film actor. He played the son of Tom Cruise's character in the Steven Spielberg-directed War of the Worlds, a leading role in the 2007 mystery/thriller The Invisible, and Goku in Dragonball Evolution...
.
