Sicamous, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Sicamous, British Columbia is a town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
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...
located adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
at the Highway 97A junction of Mara Lake
Mara Lake
Mara Lake is a lake in the Shuswap Country of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located immediately south of the community of Sicamous and to the north of the community of Enderby. It is the outlet of the Shuswap River, which begins in the Monashee Mountains to the east...
and the Shuswap Lake
Shuswap Lake
Shuswap Lake is a lake located in south-central British Columbia, Canada that drains via the Little River into Little Shuswap Lake. Little Shuswap Lake is the source of the South Thompson River, a branch of the Thompson River, a tributary of the Fraser River...
system. It is known as a popular all season tourist destination attracting visitors from throughout 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...
and around the world. It has a population of 3,166 which probably doubles during the summer months.
Name origin
Sicamous is an adaptation of a Shuswap languageShuswap language
The Shuswap language, known to its speakers as Secwepemctsín , is the traditional language of the Shuswap people of British Columbia. An endangered language, Shuswap is spoken mainly in the Central and Southern interior of British Columbia between the Fraser River and the Rocky Mountains...
word meaning "River circling mountains".
History
In the 1800s, Sicamous and area was inhabited by a semi-nomadic IndigenousIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
nation called the Secwepemc
Secwepemc
The Secwepemc , known in English as the Shuswap people, are a First Nations people residing in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Their traditional territory ranges from the eastern Chilcotin Plateau and the Cariboo Plateau southeast through the Thompson Country to Kamloops and the Shuswap...
or Shuswaps. They crossed 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...
to hunt
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
buffalo
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
on the plain
Plain
In geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or...
s. In this area they were called the "Schickamoos". In 1871, a Provincial Map shows Schickamoos Narrows, which in early history was known as a "meeting place of Indians".
In 1864 gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
was discovered on the Columbia. Seymour Arm became a supply centre in the Big Bend Gold Rush
Big Bend Gold Rush
The Big Bend Gold Rush was a gold rush on the upper Columbia River in the Colony of British Columbia in the mid-1860s....
.
In 1885 permanent settlers arrived after the driving of the Last Spike
Last Spike (Canadian Pacific Railway)
The Last Spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was the final spike driven into the Canadian Pacific Railway at Craigellachie, British Columbia at 9:22 am on November 7, 1885...
at Craigellachie
Craigellachie
Craigellachie may refer to:* Craigellachie, British Columbia, Canada* Craigellachie, Moray, Scotland* Craigellachie, New Zealand* Craigellachie, a National Nature Reserve near Aviemore, Scotland* Craigellachie Bridge* Craigellachie Whisky...
, which linked 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...
sea to sea. Among the first settlers in Sicamous were the families from Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. Old Town, or Eagle Pass Landing as it now known, became an almost instant town in 1871. It was the central supply centre for railway construction. Today it is used primarily for recreational purposes such as sledding, houseboating, hiking, swimming, and biking.
Later, in the early 1900s CPR hill became a residential development. Finlayson's store and a jail were built in 1892, adding a post office in 1904. The first school opened around 1908. In 1949 the bridge was built across the channel, previously having been just a ferry crossing. Several hotels opened. In the early 1900s the Sicamous Hotel was built. The hotel was Tudor style
Tudorbethan architecture
The Tudor Revival architecture of the 20th century , first manifested itself in domestic architecture beginning in the United Kingdom in the mid to late 19th century based on a revival of aspects of Tudor style. It later became an influence in some other countries, especially the British colonies...
with 75 rooms and a large elegant dining room. The dances were locally popular and well attended . The hotel was demolished in 1964.
Eagle Valley, in Sicamous, became the home of many settlers. They came and farmed the land, putting up with forests, deep snow, and hordes of mosquitoes. The first newspaper in Sicamous was the Eagle Valley News. It was printed for the first time on 22 October 1958; it continues today.
Sicamous was incorporated in 1989.
Notable natives
- Colin FraserColin FraserColin Fraser is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre. He is currently playing with the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Fraser was born in Sicamous, but raised in Surrey, British Columbia...
, NHL player currently playing for the Edmonton OilersEdmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. - Shea WeberShea WeberShea Michael Weber is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League . An NHL All-Star and Olympic gold medalist, he is the captain of the Nashville Predators....
, NHL player currently playing for the Nashville PredatorsNashville PredatorsThe Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. - Cody FransonCody FransonCody Franson is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League...
, NHL player and currently playing for the Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. - Kristopher "Kris" BeechKris BeechKristopher Beech is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre, currently playing for Rauman Lukko in the Finnish elite league SM-Liiga.-Playing career:...
, professional ice hockey player, currently playing for Rauman LukkoLukkoLukko is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga, formed 1936. The full name of the club is Rauman Lukko. They play in Rauma, Finland at the Äijänsuo Arena. They have won the national championship once, in 1963...
in the FinnishFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
elite league SM-LiigaSM-liigaThe SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
. - Andrew KozekAndrew KozekAndrew Kozek is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is currently playing in the Asia League Ice Hockey with the Nikkō Ice Bucks...
, AHL player drafted by the Atlanta ThrashersAtlanta ThrashersThe Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
.