BC Parks - 100 Years - 1911 to 2011
1911 - one park 60,000 ha
Strathcona, located in the heart of Vancouver Island, was British Columbia's first provincial park.
Strathcona Park was named for Donald Alexander Smith, First Baron Strathcona, and Mount Royal, a Canadian pioneer and one of the principals in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
It covers over 250,000 hectares of beautiful rugged mountain peaks, ancient forests, and breathtaking bodies of water.
1913
Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, was successfully climbed for the very first time the same year it was established as the second provincial park in B.C.
The Texqakallt Nation, the area's earliest known inhabitants, called Mount Robson 'Yuh-hai-has-hun' or The Mountain of the Spiral Road', due to the layered appearance of the mountain.
1929
When the Great Depression began in 1929, the government had to find ways to cope with the rising tide of the unemployed.
Forest work camps were established throughout B.C. in lands set aside as parks, where the demand for roads, trails and visitor facilities was evident.
While the depression was a hard time for many, it led to the beginnings of a much greater infrastructure for park facilities and park maintenance.
1940
Complications during what was the first full-scale practice nuclear strike lead to the crash of a Convair B-36B, into Mount Kologet, located in Swan Lake Kispiox River Provincial Park.
The 13 survivors were found approximately 438km away, on Princess Royal Island, which is near the K'nabiyaaxl/Ashdown Conservancy.
The plane crash location was not discovered until three years later, and in fact, from 1956 to 1997, it is believed that no human being set foot in this area.
1957
Until 1957, there was no department specifically for managing parks. Instead, parks were managed alongside forestry and logging.
With the rising number of provincial parks in the 1940's and 50's, it became clear that "parks" needed its own government department.
In 1957, the Parks Branch was created, independent of the Forest Service.
1965
The Park Act Legislation set out the legal framework for the protection and management of parks and recreation areas.
This was part of an emerging recognition of the importance of parks for nature-based recreation and conservation, and the importance of having a minister of the government specifically responsible for parks management.
1971
British Columbia became the first province in Canada to formalize and give permanent status to ecological reserves, "for the purposes of natural heritage preservation and scientific research."
Within a year, 34 reserves were established, mainly for the preservation of plant ecosystems and bird colonies.
Today there are almost 150 ecological reserves protecting over 162,000 hectares of land.
1986
On the 75th anniversary of BC Parks, Jerry made his first appearance as BC Parks' mascot. However, his story really started in 1960, when a park ranger rescued a lost baby moose and decided to take him in. Jerry became very popular and would always come running when he saw a person. He loved to trot alongside visitors while giving soft grunts.
Jerry helps with important events and projects like Parks Day and Sturgeon research.
2000
The Protected Areas Strategy (PAS) committed B.C. to protect at least 12% of its land base. Land-use planners across the province devoted a great deal of time and effort to identifying lands to protect, the process resulted in B.C. having 12% of its land base in protected areas by the year 2000.
This represented a doubling of the amount of land in parks and protected areas from the start of the PAS in the early 1990s: a major achievement.
2011 - 999 parks 13.5 million Ha
March 1, 2011 marks BC Parks's 100th anniversary. Working with communities, First Nations, youth and sector areas such as arts, heritage and tourism, BC Parks is excited to host celebrations and events across the entire province to mark this magnificent and historic milestone.
Note
Background: EC Manning Provincial Park was established in 1941 and named in memory of Ernest C. Manning, BC's Chief Forester from 1936 to 1941. Mr. Manning was killed in an airplane accident in 1941.
EC Manning was instrumental in developing the idea of setting land aside for future generations to enjoy.
In 1949 the Hope Princeton Hwy was completed, making the park accessible to motor vehicles and in 1957 Manning Park boasted construction of the first nature house in the province.
Mt. Terry Fox Rest Area is one of the largest rest areas we visited. It is very well maintained and offers views of Mt. Terry Fox and sign boards with the history of Terry Fox complete with a timeline for Terry Fox life story and a timeline for BC Park - 100 years.
There are picnic tables and clean restroom facilities. Wi-Fi is coming soon to B.C. rest areas throughout this region. A new addition is the Garbage Goobler a comeback from 1950, though a more modern version.