Population, Culture & History
© Darren Robinson Photography
The Powell River Regional District is home to roughly 20,000 people, according to 2006 Census Canada figures, occupying an area that is 5,092.05 km² (1966 miles²), with most of the population residing along the coastal perimeter, and close to 13,000 living in the District Municipality of Powell River itself.
As stunning as the area’s natural beauty is, its aesthetic appeal is heightened further through the people, art and cultural influence of the Tla’Amin (Sliammon) First Nation. This Coast Salish band has resided in the region for an estimated 5,000 years.
The City of Powell River itself arose around the Powell River, the world’s second shortest river at 500 m in length, linking Powell Lake to Malaspina Strait. The river was named for Israel Wood Powell, the superintendent of Indian Affairs for British Columbia during the 1880′s.
In the early 1900’s, most of the new immigrants to Powell River came from areas as diverse as Holland, Italy, Asia, and Quebec to work at The Powell River Company’s pulp mill.
© Darren Robinson Photography
Incorporated in 1909, the company developed and built The Townsite, following the progressive ideals of The Garden City Movement. This movement advocated adequate living quarters for mill workers and their families, as well as space around their home for a garden. The Townsite was built from 1910-1930, and includes 30 commercial structures and 400 homes. This “largely intact early 20th-century planned single-industry town” was named a National Historic Site by Heritage Canada in 1995.
The pulp mill in Powell River was at one time the largest pulp mill in the world. It has significantly cut back on production and now produces specialty paper for Catalyst Paper Corporation. The subsequent diversification of the local economy has led to an increased focus on ecotourism and the arts.
- The Region’s Population, Culture, and History