Vavenby is a community of approximately 700 residents located in the province of 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...

. Economy in the region centres primarily on forestry, logging, agriculture, and tourism. Adjacent to the community lies the North Thompson River

Thompson River

The Thompson River is the largest tributary of the Fraser River, flowing through the south-central portion of British Columbia, Canada. The Thompson River has two main branches called the South Thompson and the North Thompson...

, the Yellowhead Highway

Yellowhead Highway

The Yellowhead Highway is a major east-west highway connecting the four western Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Although part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, the highway should not be confused with the more southerly, originally-designated...

 (#5) and the Canadian National Railway

Canadian National Railway

The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....

.

History

Franklin Allingham was the first European resident in the upper North Thompson valley before the railway arrived. He homesteaded a four hundred acre (162 hectare) piece of land around 1886 on the north side of the North Thompson River. This location is approximately two kilometres from the present day township.

Economy

The economy in the community continues to heavily reflect that of the lumber industry. The two mills Weyerhaeuser

Weyerhaeuser

Weyerhaeuser is one of the largest pulp and paper companies in the world. It is the world's largest private sector owner of softwood timberland; and the second largest owner of United States timberland, behind Plum Creek Timber...

 and Slocan-Canfor

Canfor

Canfor Corporation is a Canadian integrated forest products company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company traces its roots to the late 1930s, when brothers-in-law John G. Prentice and L.L.G. "Poldi" Bentley and their families left their native Austria just before the outbreak of World...

 were positioned side by side on the north side of the river until, in 2002, Weyerhaeuser shut down its Vavenby operation choosing to focus on other locations in western Canada. This resulted in a significant depletion of employment in the region and a rapid population reduction. Weyerhaeuser retained logging rights in the area, keeping the local loggers and foresters employed. In 2004, a finger jointing mill proposed purchase of the Weyerhaeuser, Vavenby mill property and was scheduled to begin production, but the company went bankrupt before the plant became fully operational.

Climate