Hudson's Hope (pop. 1000, 520 m / 1707 ft) is one of the oldest settlements in British Columbia. A small trapper post was established here on Peace River as long ago as 1805. Whether Hudson's Hope got its name from a hopeful prospector by the name of Hudson, or because the Hudson's Bay Company was trying to steal a march on its rival the North
West Company, it is too late to tell. Nowadays most of the people living here on the edge of the wilderness work for the two power stations at the Bennett and Peace Canyon dams. These produce just under 40 per cent of British Columbia's hydro-electric power.
From the highway it is possible to see black bears (often scavenging on the local rubbish tip), white-headed sea-eagles, moose and deer.
The little museum on the north bank of the Peace River vividly conveys the history of the region, and tells of the dinosaurs whose bones and footprints have been found in the sedimentary rocks of the Peace River Canyon, now flooded. Visitors can obtain pans in the museum to try their luck at panning for gold in the Peace River.
Next to the museum stands St Peter's Church, built in a simple log-cabin style.
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