Peace River Country
Peace River Country | ||
---|---|---|
Provinces Alberta and British Columbia | | |
Largest City | Grande Prairie |
The Peace River Country (or Peace Country; French: Région de la Rivière-de-la-paix) is an aspen parkland region centring on the Peace River in Canada. It extends from northwestern Alberta to the Rocky Mountains in northeastern British Columbia, where a certain portion of the region is also referred to as the Peace River Block.
Geography
The Peace River Country includes the incorporated communities of
In British Columbia, the area extends from
History
The first European to explore the area was Sir Alexander MacKenzie, who travelled down the Peace in 1789 and eventually reached the Mackenzie River and the Arctic Ocean. In 1793 he used the same route to reach the Pacific Ocean.[4] Subsequently, the region saw a surge in the fur trade, with forts [5] built along the river from Fort Vermilion to Hudson's Hope.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the
Forestry plays a large role in the Peace Country economy. Pulp mills were built in Chetwynd, Peace River and Grande Prairie beginning in the 1970s.
The economy received another boost when
Economy
Peace Country contains Canada's northernmost lands suitable for
Other industries include oil and gas extraction and forestry. Lumber, oriented strand board, and pulp are produced in many forestry mills throughout the region.
Infrastructure
Peace Country is crossed by the southern leg of the Alaska Highway, the western extremity of Alberta Highway 43 and the southern portion of the Mackenzie Highway. Other important transportation routes include the northern part of Alberta Highway 2, Alberta Highway 35, British Columbia Highway 29, British Columbia Highway 97, and Alberta Highway 49.[3]
Regional air transport hubs are Grande Prairie Airport and Peace River Airport in Alberta and Fort St. John Airport in British Columbia.
Health care is provided through British Columbia's Northern Health and through Alberta Health Services, on behalf of Alberta's Ministry of Health.
See also
- Northern Alberta
- Peace River Regional District
- List of regions of Canada
References
- ^ Clare, Gerald R., Dawson Creek: An Illustrated History, 2008
- ^ Henry M. Leppard (January 1935). "The Settlement of the Peace River Country" Geographical Review, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 62-78
- ^ a b Discover the Peace Country. "Peace Country Map". Retrieved 2006-01-07.
- ^ Les McLaughlin, Legion Magazine. "Peace River Country". Archived from the original on 2006-03-02. Retrieved 2006-01-07.
- ^ Pettit, Donald A. The Peace: A history in photographs, 2008
- ^ Pettit, Donald A., The Peace: A history in photographs, 2008
- ^ "Canadian Agriculture at a Glance: Bison on the comeback trail". www.statcan.gc.ca.