Sea-to-Sky Corridor
Encyclopedia
The Sea-to-Sky Corridor, often referred to as the Corridor, or the Sea to Sky Country, is a region
in British Columbia
spreading from Horseshoe Bay
through Whistler
to the Pemberton Valley
and sometimes beyond to include Birken
and D'Arcy
. From Whistler on up, the region overlaps with the older and more historic Lillooet Country
, of which Squamish
, at the region's centre, was once the southward extension in the days when it was the rail-port terminus from the Interior, via Lillooet, and accessible from the Lower Mainland only by sea. Most of the region is in the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, although south of Brittania Beach a small part of the region is in the Greater Vancouver Regional District
.
The term "Corridor" refers to the alignment of the region's towns along Highway 99, aka the Sea to Sky Highway, which links together the regions' three main centres - Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton. There is little development other than resource extraction outside the immediate vicinity of the highway and the towns along it, hence the linear character of the region. As with the overlap with the historical region known as Lillooet Country from Cheakamus Canyon northwards, the southern part of the region overlaps with Greater Vancouver and also with a more general and less unified but identifiable region around Howe Sound
, the islands and western shore of which are respectively part of the Gulf Islands
and Sunshine Coast.
to Lillooet. Locations beyond Mount Currie-Lillooet Lake along the route of the rail line and the frontier-era Douglas Road
are not usually considered in the Corridor, but sometimes are even though they are not on the Sea to Sky Highway. This further subregion is defined by the lower valley of the Birkenhead River
and the Birken
Valley and Gates Valley
towards Anderson Lake. Socially and economically this area is part of or adjunct to the Pemberton subregion, though not in the Pemberton Valley:
Region
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
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...
spreading from Horseshoe Bay
Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver, British Columbia
Horseshoe Bay is a West Vancouver community of about 1,000 permanent residents. Situated right on the western tip of West Vancouver, at the entrance to Howe Sound, the village marks the western end of Highway 1 on the British Columbia mainland....
through Whistler
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
to the Pemberton Valley
Pemberton Valley
The Pemberton Valley is a valley flanking the Lillooet River upstream from Lillooet Lake, including the communities of Mount Currie, Pemberton, British Columbia and the agricultural district surrounding them and flanking the river as far upstream as the Pemberton Meadows area...
and sometimes beyond to include Birken
Birken, British Columbia
Birken is an unincorporated community, located at Birken Lake in the Gates Valley of the Lillooet Country in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, approximately midway in the route known as the Long Portage or Pemberton Pass, which connects the Pemberton Valley to the Fraser Canyon via...
and D'Arcy
D'Arcy, British Columbia
D'Arcy is an unincorporated community in the Canadian province of British Columbia, approximately 150 kilometres northeast of the city of Vancouver...
. From Whistler on up, the region overlaps with the older and more historic Lillooet Country
Lillooet Country
The Lillooet Country, also referred to as the Lillooet District., is a region spanning from the central Fraser Canyon town of Lillooet west to the valley of the Lillooet River, and including the valleys in between, in the Southern Interior of British Columbia. Like other historical BC regions, it...
, of which Squamish
Squamish, British Columbia
Squamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway...
, at the region's centre, was once the southward extension in the days when it was the rail-port terminus from the Interior, via Lillooet, and accessible from the Lower Mainland only by sea. Most of the region is in the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, although south of Brittania Beach a small part of the region is in the Greater Vancouver Regional District
Greater Vancouver Regional District
Metro Vancouver is the brand name of the board of the inter-municipal administrative body known as the Greater Vancouver Regional District , a regional district in British Columbia, Canada...
.
The term "Corridor" refers to the alignment of the region's towns along Highway 99, aka the Sea to Sky Highway, which links together the regions' three main centres - Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton. There is little development other than resource extraction outside the immediate vicinity of the highway and the towns along it, hence the linear character of the region. As with the overlap with the historical region known as Lillooet Country from Cheakamus Canyon northwards, the southern part of the region overlaps with Greater Vancouver and also with a more general and less unified but identifiable region around Howe Sound
Howe Sound
Howe Sound is a roughly triangular sound, actually a network of fjords situated immediately northwest of Vancouver.-Geography:Howe Sound's mouth at the Strait of Georgia is situated between West Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast. The sound is triangular shaped, open on its southeast towards the...
, the islands and western shore of which are respectively part of the Gulf Islands
Gulf Islands
The Gulf Islands are the islands in the Strait of Georgia , between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada....
and Sunshine Coast.
Communities
The Sea to Sky Country falls readily into three major subregions. These are, south to north:Howe Sound-Squamish
- Lions Bay
- Furry CreekFurry Creek, British ColumbiaFurry Creek is a community in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located on Howe Sound in the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, north of Vancouver and south of Squamish. The creek was named in the 1870s after early prospector and settler Oliver Furry...
- Brittania Beach
- Darrell Bay (aka Shannon Falls)
- St'a7mesSt'a7mesSt'a7mes is a village/reserve of the Indigenous Sḵwxwú7mesh, located near Squamish, British Columbia. One of the smaller villages, it houses many members of their nation. The village is also the center for administrative, educational and health services in the Upper Squamish region. The...
(|Stawamus) - Valleycliffe
- SquamishSquamish, British ColumbiaSquamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway...
- Brackendale
- ChiyakmeshChiyakmeshChiyakmesh is a village/community of the Indigenous Sḵwxwú7mesh, located near Squamish, British Columbia. The name of the Cheakamus River comes from the name of this village, which is located on Cheakamus Indian Reserve No. 11. Chiyakamesh translates into People of the Fish Weir. A chiyak is a...
- Cheekye
- Paradise ValleyParadise Valley, British ColumbiaParadise Valley is a rural-residential area north of Brackendale, British Columbia, Canada, located along the right bank of the Cheakamus River beginning just below that river's canyon, downstream towards Cheekye, where the road from Brackendale crosses the Cheakamus...
Cheakamus-Whistler
- GaribaldiGaribaldi, British ColumbiaGaribaldi, originally named Daisy Lake and also known as Garibaldi Lodge and Garibaldi Townsite, is an abandoned locality in British Columbia, Canada, on the Cheakamus River around its confluence with Rubble Creek and just south of Daisy Lake....
(abandoned/condemned) - Pinecrest Estates
- Black Tusk Estates
- WhistlerWhistler, British ColumbiaWhistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
-
- Function Junction
- Whistler Southside ("Gondola")
- Alta LakeAlta Lake, British ColumbiaAlta Lake was a recreational community and railway station on the west side of Alta Lake. It is now a neighbourhood of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. The post office was renamed Whistler in 1976 when the area was incorporated as part of the Resort Municipality of Whistler.-References:**...
- Whistler Village
- White Gold-Nesters
- Mons
- Alpine Meadows
- Emerald Estates
Pemberton Valley
- PembertonPemberton, British ColumbiaPemberton is a village north of Whistler in the Pemberton Valley of British Columbia in Canada, with a population of 2,192. Until the 1960s the village could be accessed only by train but that changed when Highway 99 was built through Whistler and Pemberton.-Climate:The climate of Pemberton is...
- Pemberton Meadows
- Mount CurrieMount Currie, British ColumbiaMount Currie is a small community in British Columbia, 164 kilometres north-west of Vancouver and 40 kilometres north-west of Whistler along Highway 99....
- Xitolacw
- Owl Creek
- Lillooet LakeLillooet LakeLillooet Lake is a lake in British Columbia, Canada about 25 km in length and about 33.5 square kilometres in area. It is about 95 km downstream from the source of the Lillooet River, which resumes its course after leaving Little Lillooet Lake, aka Tenas Lake...
Birkenhead-Gates Valley
The designation Sea to Sky Highway ends at Mount Currie , though Highway 99 continues on northwards over Cayoosh PassCayoosh Pass
Cayoosh Pass is a mountain pass in the Lillooet Ranges of the Pacific Ranges of the southern Coast Mountains in British Columbia, Canada...
to Lillooet. Locations beyond Mount Currie-Lillooet Lake along the route of the rail line and the frontier-era Douglas Road
Douglas Road
The Douglas Road, aka the Lillooet Trail, Harrison Trail or Lakes Route, was a goldrush-era transportation route from the British Columbia Coast to the Interior...
are not usually considered in the Corridor, but sometimes are even though they are not on the Sea to Sky Highway. This further subregion is defined by the lower valley of the Birkenhead River
Birkenhead River
The Birkenhead River, formerly known as the Portage River, the Pole River and the Mosquito River, is a major tributary of the Lillooet River, which via Harrison Lake and the Harrison River is one of the major tributaries of the lower Fraser River...
and the Birken
Birken
Birken may refer to:* Birken, British Columbia, a city in southern British Columbia, Canada* Birkenhead River in BC, Canada* Birkenhead Peak, a mountain near the river of the same name in BC, Canada* Birken Lake in BC, Canada...
Valley and Gates Valley
Gates Valley
The Gates Valley is a valley and group of communities in the Lillooet Country of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located between the summit of Pemberton Pass and the head of Anderson Lake at the community of D'Arcy...
towards Anderson Lake. Socially and economically this area is part of or adjunct to the Pemberton subregion, though not in the Pemberton Valley:
- "No. 10 Downing Street"
- BirkenBirken, British ColumbiaBirken is an unincorporated community, located at Birken Lake in the Gates Valley of the Lillooet Country in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, approximately midway in the route known as the Long Portage or Pemberton Pass, which connects the Pemberton Valley to the Fraser Canyon via...
-Gates ValleyGates ValleyThe Gates Valley is a valley and group of communities in the Lillooet Country of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located between the summit of Pemberton Pass and the head of Anderson Lake at the community of D'Arcy... - DevineDevine, British ColumbiaDevine is a rural locality located in the Gates Valley of the Lillooet Country in the southwestern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, about 3 km from D'Arcy, at the head of Anderson Lake....
- D'ArcyD'Arcy, British ColumbiaD'Arcy is an unincorporated community in the Canadian province of British Columbia, approximately 150 kilometres northeast of the city of Vancouver...
(Nequatque)
Provincial
- Murrin Provincial ParkMurrin Provincial ParkMurrin Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located just south of Squamish beside the Sea-to-Sky Highway. The park is approximately 24 ha. in size and has a popular highway-side picnic ground and small swimming lake , but it is most notable for a collection of...
- Stawamus Chief Provincial ParkStawamus Chief Provincial ParkStawamus Chief Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada established in 1997. It includes hiking, rock climbing, camping, and scenic views across Howe Sound and Mount Garibaldi to the north...
- Garibaldi Provincial ParkGaribaldi Provincial ParkGaribaldi Provincial Park, also called Garibaldi Park, is a wilderness park located in British Columbia, Canada, about 70 kilometres north of Vancouver. The park is located to the east of the Sea to Sky Highway between Squamish and Whistler and covers an area of over 1,950 square kilometres...
- Shannon Falls Provincial ParkShannon Falls Provincial ParkShannon Falls Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is located from Vancouver and south of Squamish along the Sea to Sky Highway. Shannon Falls is the third highest waterfall in British Columbia....
- Brandywine Falls Provincial ParkBrandywine Falls Provincial ParkBrandywine Falls Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located adjacent to BC Highway 99 between Garibaldi and Whistler, British Columbia....
- Callaghan Lake Provincial ParkCallaghan Lake Provincial ParkCallaghan Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located in the upper Callaghan Valley to the west of the resort town of Whistler. The dormant volcano Mount Callaghan overlooks the lake on its north side, while just to the south of the park is the sliding events...
- Nairn Falls Provincial ParkNairn Falls Provincial ParkNairn Falls Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada located on the Green River adjacent to British Columbia Highway 99 and the Canadian National Railway line just south of Pemberton and less than twenty minutes north of the resort town of Whistler...
- Birkenhead Lake Provincial ParkBirkenhead Lake Provincial ParkBirkenhead Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located in the Lillooet Country region to the northeast of Pemberton and immediately northwest of Birkenhead Peak and Gates Lake at the community of Birken....
- Joffre Lakes Provincial ParkJoffre Lakes Provincial ParkJoffre Lakes Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada.-External links:**...
Municipal
- Lost Lake Park, Whistler
- Rainbow LodgeRainbow Lodgeright|400px|Rainbow Lodge sat centre left at far end of lakeby grove of orange poplars on Alta Lake; Whistler sits out of view at right.Rainbow Lodge was the first fishing and weekend retreat cabin on Alta Lake, which is now metropolitan Whistler, British Columbia, and stood from 1914 to 1977...
, Whistler - One Mile Lake, Pemberton