Fraser Valley Attractions

Fraser Valley

TransCanada Highway, eastwards from Vancouver.

The Fraser, or Frazer River, 1368 km (850 mi.) long, is one of the major rivers in North America. It rises in the Rocky Mountains near Jasper National Park, flows north for 440 km (275 mi.) through the Rocky Mountain Trench and then turns south near Prince George. On its path southwards of some 660 km (410 mi.) it cuts through the Fraser Plateau, 1200-1500 m (4000-5000 ft) above sea-level, and then flows along the eastern slopes of the Coast Mountains.

Near Hope it turns west and bursts through the Coast Mountains walled by a magnificent, deeply-slashed canyon.

Finally the Fraser River enters the Pacific Ocean in the Strait of Georgia near Vancouver.

The most generously watered tributaries of the Fraser are the North Thompson River (340 km (212 mi.) long), the South Thompson (330 km (205 mi.)), the Nechako (460 km (286 mi.)) and the Stuart (410 km (255 mi.)).

Profitable agricultural and horticultural businesses flourish in the wide southern valleys and the river delta. A number of sizeable industrial firms have also become established in the delta region.

As salmon fishing remains of paramount importance it has not been possible to utilize to the full the water-power potential of the Fraser River. The only high-performance power-stations belonging to the B. C. Electric Co. are those installed on the two small tributaries, Bridge River and Stave River.

The important contribution that the Fraser Valley could make to the opening-up of the mainland of western Canada was realized by Alexander Mackenzie in 1793. From 1808 onwards the legendary adventurer explored the course of the river; fifty years later huge numbers of gold-seekers settled on its banks.

Around 1886 a new communications center grew up near Ashcroft, and the old Cariboo Waggon Road through the canyon was no longer used. Until 1915, when a start was made on building the Canadian National Railway, the Canadian Pacific Railway line was the only traffic route through the Fraser Canyon.

In the 1920s the authorities realized the need for a road link, but there was little room for this, because the railway lines already took up the narrow space available along both river banks. In 1926, however, the road to Lytton was completed and in the 1950s, at great expense, this was extended to become the TransCanada Highway as we know it today.