Clearwater, British Columbia
Clearwater is a district municipality in the North Thompson River valley in British Columbia, Canada, where the Clearwater River empties into the North Thompson River. It is located north of Kamloops. The District of Clearwater was established on December 3, 2007, making it one of the newest municipalities in British Columbia. It is near Wells Gray Provincial Park and is surrounded by the Trophy Mountains, Raft Mountain and Dunn Peak. History. Prior to European settlement, the area that is now occupied by the village was occupied by the Okelhs First Nations. They were eventually superseded by the  Chilcotins in the 1870s. The fur trade brought the earliest settlers to the area. The Overlanders expedition to the Cariboo goldfields rafted down the North Thompson River in 1862. When they first arrived at the mouth of the Clearwater River, they named it for its distinct clarity compared to the relatively muddy waters of the North Thompson. The Overlanders also named Raft Mountain, which rises northeast of Clearwater to a height of . Geography, location and climate. Geography. Clearwater is 406 metres above sea level. It is located in the North Thompson Valley in the Shuswap Highlands of the Interior Plateau . The Cariboo Mountains are located to the west and the Monashee Mountains to the east. Demographics. In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Clearwater had a population of 2,388 living in 1,057 of its 1,145 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 2,324. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. The 2017 unemployment rate was 5.7%. The majority of residents are married or live common law. Nearly all residents speak English as their mother tongue though there is a small proportion who speak French. Industry. Forestry. Forestry  is the principal industry in the area. There was one major mill in the area, in Vavenby, but that mill was closed permanently by Canfor in 2019. There are several woodlot licenses within the area. Agriculture. There is local production of beef, alfalfa, hay crops and vegetables. Tourism. The town of Clearwater calls itself the "gateway to Wells Gray Provincial Park", as the main access to the park is through the town. Within the town is the Wells Gray Visitor Information Centre. In 2012 the total number of tourism based visitors was 578,445. In 2011 the estimated economic impact of  tourism in Wells Gray Country was $21,513,261. Sports tourism is also a growth sector for the community. Mining. The town is close to the Ruddock Creek mine and the Harper Creek mine. The forest industry, tourism, and related outdoors and sports services are major industries in the area. Sports. Parks. Within the city there are 7 parks; Capostinsky Park, Chad Memorial Park, Dutch Lake park, Raft River Viewing Park, Rotary Sports Park, Weyerhaeuser Pioneer Park and Wyndhaven Park. Dutch Lake Park has a beach and there are a number of water activities there in the summer as well as  ice fishing in the winter. Wells Gray Provincial Park is located just to the north. The park encompasses 5,250 square kilometres, with four rivers, six major lakes, and 39 named waterfalls, including Canada's fourth highest, Helmcken Falls. Mountain biking. A mountain bike park is located at Candle Creek, east of the city centre. This consists of 13 km of mountain and cross country trails. There are also trails present that head North from the city into Wells Gray park. Cross country skiing / snowshoeing. A series of cross country ski trails and snowshoeing trails are present at Candle Creek, east  of the city centre. Downhill skiing. The Clearwater Ski Hill is located on the south side of the city, which includes a small hill with a T-bar. This lift was the fastest T-bar in western Canada when it was installed. Education. K - 12. Clearwater has two schools: Raft River Elementary with approximately 300 students and Clearwater Secondary School with about 225 students. Clearwater Secondary School's team sports are named "The Raiders" and include soccer, volleyball, and basketball. Currently, they play in single "A" categories. The school falls under the jurisdiction of School District #73. Post-secondary. The  closest university to the town is Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. The university has a branch location in the town which provides a limited number of specialized courses. Healthcare. Hospital. The community is serviced locally by Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital, a level 1 community hospital. It has an emergency department, acute care beds as well as long care beds. This hospital refers patients to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. The hospital was originally founded in 1972 and consisted of several portable buildings connected together. Prior to its construction there was no prior hospital in the area, no prior regular physician  and no drug store. A new multi-level hospital was opened June 10, 2002. The original hospital structure was demolished in 2016. It is named after Dr. John Sebastian Helmcken. Assisted Living. Assisted living is provided in the adjacent Evergreen Acres and is scheduled for an expansion.