Cultus Lake, British Columbia
Cultus Lake is a lake, associated community and provincial park in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, Canada. It is the source of the Sweltzer River. The lake itself is warm, and the area has become a popular recreation destination with ample opportunities for fishing, water skiing, wind surfing, wakesurfing, kayaking, standup paddle-boarding and hiking. Cultus Lake is located south of the Chilliwack River, near the city of Chilliwack and approximately east of Vancouver. In 1950, Cultus Lake became a Provincial park of British Columbia. Cultus Lake covers an area of 656 hectares, evenly  on either side of the lake. At one time the lake had a sawmill and booming ground until it became a provincial park in the 1950s. Etymology. Cultus Lake has always been an important place for spirit quests of the people. However, it was named with the Chinook Jargon word meaning primarily "bad", "worthless", or "good for nothing", though the same word can also mean "free", "without purpose", or simply "nothing". Recreation. Accommodations. British Columbia Parks has several camping sites in the area in addition to a few privately owned campgrounds. Cultus Lake Waterpark. The Cultus Lake water park includes  picnic areas, concession stands such as Pier 84' Fish and Chips, Burger Stop, Pizza 2 Go, Candy Shop, Sub shop and an Espresso Hut, a rentals booth which includes lockers, BBQs, umbrellas and loungers, and paid WiFi ($2/day). Their official website is www.cultus.com. The waterslides at the facilities include: Note: The park also has smaller slides and areas for smaller children such as They also offer lifejackets for free. Cultus Lake Adventure Park. Cultus Lake Adventure Park opened in July 2014 as the expansion of Giggle Ridge Adventure Golf adding 11 rides. After a multi phase expansion Cultus  Lake Adventure Park now offers more than 18 rides and attractions.www.cultus.com Amusement rides include: Government. The Cultus Lake Parks Board includes five commissioners, of whom 3 are elected from Cultus Lake, and 2 from the City of Chilliwack (as of 2017, Darcy Bauer and David Renwick). During the early 1900s, the Cultus Lake area began to build its popularity, which then led to the formation of a joint committee between Cultus Lake and the City of Chilliwack in 1924. This then led to the formation of the Cultus Lake Park Board in 1932, which is still in effect today. As  of 2014, the board chairman is David Renwick. Education. Cultus Lake Community School has approximately 150 students from Kindergarten to Grade 6. The school was first opened in 1947 as a three-room schoolhouse. It was destroyed by fire in February 1959; the current building opened in October of the same year. The school is administered by the Chilliwack School District.