Pouce Coupe
Pouce Coupe | |
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The Corporation of the Village of Pouce Coupe[1] | |
+1-250 | |
Website | www |
The Village of Pouce Coupe (
The community was settled by
Pouce Coupe's main industries today are petroleum, agriculture, and tourism. Popular recreational activities in the area include cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, fishing, hiking, and hunting. The village claims to be "the pioneer capital of the Peace Region".[3]
History
While there is debate regarding the origin of the name 'Pouce Coupe', the first known reference to it was in McLeod's Fort Dunvegan Journal, 19806 which identified a
After World War I homestead grants to returning soldiers created another wave of settlers and the community center moved to its present location in the early 1920s when the post office and other businesses moved to a newly subdivided townsite on Charlie LeRoy's homestead. Until 1932 Pouce Coupe would be the service center for the region.[8] The federal government established an office in the emerging village in 1915 and provincial government followed in 1921. The first school opened in 1917, the Alberta Red Cross opened a hospital in 1921, and the Pouce Coupe Light and Power Co. was established in 1931.[9]
As Northern Alberta Railways was extending their rail lines westward, to Wembley, Alberta in 1924 and to Hythe, Alberta in 1928, it was expected that Pouce Coupe would be next in line.[10] However, as land prices rose and speculation increased, the company made a deal to build the next station near the smaller community of Dawson Creek. The first train went through Pouce Coupe and arrived in Dawson Creek on January 15, 1931. Despite the Great Depression and Dawson Creek's increasing dominance over the region as the westernmost rail connection, Pouce Coupe continued to grow, and incorporated as a village, as westward migration into the Peace River Country continued.[11]
The 1941 census recorded 251 people living in the village. In 1942 the population swelled, as the US Army unloaded thousands of men and construction material in nearby Dawson Creek to build the Alaska Highway. The highway was built and the US Army gone within a year but by 1951 the population that remained numbered 459 residents. The village was connected to drinking water and sewage system in 1950, and a natural gas in 1954.[15] In large part because of the Women's Institute a library opened in 1951 and a new hospital in 1954.[16] In the following decades the village would remain in the shadow of Dawson Creek as the provincial and federal government offices moved there in the 1970s. The population level fluctuated between 800 and 930 people since then with the peak occurring in 1996 at 928 people.[17] In 2007, a large boundary extension northward over agricultural land neary doubled the area of the village and brought its borders within metres of the City of Dawson Creek's.
Demographics
Canada 2001 Census[18]
| ||
Pouce Coupe | British Columbia | |
Median age | 39.6 years | 38.4 years |
Under 15 years old | 20% | 18% |
Between 25 and 44 years old | 26% | 30% |
Over 65 years old | 23% | 14% |
Visible minority | 2.8% | 21% |
Protestant | 31% | 31% |
No religious affiliation | 41% | 37% |
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Pouce Coupe had a population of 762 living in 317 of its 345 total private dwellings, a change of -3.8% from its 2016 population of 792. With a land area of 2.06 km2 (0.80 sq mi), it had a population density of 369.9/km2 (958.0/sq mi) in 2021.[19]
According to the
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
2016 | 792 | +7.3% |
Infrastructure
Highway 2 runs north–south through Pouce Coupe, connecting the town to Dawson Creek (10 km (6 mi) northwest) and Alberta (x km (xx mi) southeast). Pouce Coupe's internal street network has 14 km (8.7 mi) of paved and 5 km (3.1 mi) of unpaved road.[20] The village's commercial activities are centered on the bend in highway. The residential areas are located mostly south of the highway with a gridiron layout. Industry is located north of the highway and agriculture to the west.
Pouce Coupe does not have rail, air, and bus services within its borders but uses those services as they are available in Dawson Creek. The rail line actually goes through Pouce Coupe, through the north beside by the highway and southwestern corner, but does not stop. The next place the train stops, after leaving Dawson Creek and going south through Pouce Coupe, is in
The Village's drinking water is supplied by the City of Dawson Creek. The water is drawn from the Kiskatinaw River 16 km west of the city and pumped through a booster pump station, a settling pond, a storage pond and a water treatment plant where it is chlorinated. The Village's sewage is collected by 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) of sanitary sewers and processed through a two-cell lagoon system.[20] Electricity is provided by BC Hydro and natural gas by Pacific Northern Gas.
Geography and climate
Weather | ||
Time | Temperature | Precipitation |
January | −14 °C (6 °F) | 3.0 cm (1.2 in) |
July | 14 °C (57 °F) | 5.6 cm (2.2 in) |
Average annual precipitation : 45.5 cm (17.9 in) | ||
Source: Weatherbase[21] |
Pouce Coupe is located in the western portion of the
Economy and education
Economy | ||
Rate | Village | Province |
Unemployment rate | 15.0% | 8.5% |
Participation rate | 56.6% | 65.2% |
Poverty rate | 20.8% | 17.8% |
Average male income | $50,721 | $50,191 |
Average female income | $24,181 | $35,895 |
Source: Canada 2001 Census[18]
|
The 2001 Canadian census recorded 315 income-earners over the age of 15 residing in Pouce Coupe; of these, 110 worked full-time throughout the year.
The only school in the village is the
Culture, recreation and media
Other than an annual Canada Day parade and festival, there are few cultural or recreational events within the village. No newspapers or television/radio stations operate within the village but the Peace River Block Daily News and
Government and politics
This article needs to be updated.(July 2021) |
The Village of Pouce Coupe's
Pouce Coupe is part of the
Federally, Pouce Coupe is located in the
Canadian federal election 2011: Pouce Coupe polls in
Prince George—Peace River[35] | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | city % | riding % |
Conservative Bob Zimmer 372 71% 62% New Democratic Lois Boone 99 19% 26% Green Hilary Crowley 31 5.9% 6.0% Liberal Ben Levine 16 3.1% 5.2% Pirate Jeremy Cote 5 1.0% 1.1% Turnout 524 53% 54%
2009 British Columbia general election Pouce Coupe polls in Peace River South[36] | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | town % | riding % |
References
- ^ "British Columbia Regional Districts, Municipalities, Corporate Name, Date of Incorporation and Postal Address" (XLS). British Columbia Ministry of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development. Archived from the original on July 13, 2014. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
- ^ a b c Statistics Canada, [1], 2016 Census, June 9, 2018.
- ^ South Peace Regional Profile, 61
- ^ MacGregor, J.C. The Land of the Twelve Foot Davies.
- ISBN 0-7748-0636-2
- ^ Tuck, 1-2
- ^ Tuck, 1-6
- ^ Tuck, 12
- ^ *"The Pouce Coupe Story" in Lure of the South Peace, pg 848-853.
- ^ The Choice of Terminal for the N.A.R.. Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine Dorthea Calverley, 1983. URL accessed on xx December 2006.
- ^ "The Pouce Coupe Story" in Lure of the South Peace, pg 848-853.
- ^ BC Stats, British Columbia Municipal Census Populations, 1976–1986 Archived 2012-07-23 at archive.today, Retrieved March 30, 2006.
- ^ BC Stats, British Columbia Municipal Census Populations, 1986–1996 Archived 2012-07-30 at archive.today, Retrieved March 30, 2006.
- ^ BC Stats, British Columbia Municipal Census Populations, 1996–2005 Archived 2012-07-19 at archive.today, Retrieved March 30, 2006.
- ^ Tuck, 25 and 28.
- ^ Tuck, 19.
- ^ BC Stats, Municipal Census Populations, 1976–2006.
- ^ a b c d e Statistics Canada, Community Highlights for Pouce Coupe, 2001 Community Profiles, November 27, 2005.
- ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), British Columbia". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
- ^ ISSN 0068-161X
- ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Pouce Coupe, British Columbia". Weatherbase. 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
- ^ Tuck, 1
- ^ The South Peace Regional Profile, pg. 62
- ^ a b South Peace Regional Profile, 72
- ^ Dawson Creek Catholic Social Services (2005) Pouce Coupe Elementary School Dawson Creek: In the News. Vol. III. pg 14.
- ^ CitySpaces Consulting Ltd. (May 2006). Housing Consultations: Challenges and Opportunities in Northeast BC. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, Appendix A.
- ^ Cowley, Peter, Stephen T. Easton, and The Fraser Institute (April 2005) Ranking the schools Archived 2006-02-21 at the Wayback Machine Report Card on British Columbia’s Elementary Schools — 2005 Edition. pg 123.
- ^ School District 59 (British Columbia) Board of School Trustees Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine, School District 59 (Peace River South). URL accessed April 18, 2006.
- ^ South Peace Multiplex. City of Dawson Creek. URL accessed on 4 January 2007.
- ^ Rusack, Gary (8 April 2005) Pouce Coupe Mayor Dies Peace River Block News. URL accessed April 18, 2006.
- ^ Village of Pouce Coupe (June 2007). ANNUAL REPORT 2007. Archived 2007-07-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Elections BC (2001) Peace River South Electoral District (pdf) Archived 2003-10-18 at the Wayback Machine, Statement of Votes, 2001. URL accessed April 18, 2006.
- ^ Elections BC (2005) Peace River South Electoral District (pdf) Archived 2006-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, Statement of Votes, 2005. URL accessed April 18, 2006.
- ^ Elections BC (1996) Peace River South Electoral District Archived 2007-10-05 at the Wayback Machine, 36th Provincial General Election - May 28, 1996, 5. URL accessed April 18, 2006.
- ^ "Forty-First General Election". Official Voting Results. Elections Canada. 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-20. Requires navigation to Prince George—Peace River
- ^ "Peace River South" (PDF). Statement of Votes: 39th Provincial General Election. Elections BC. 2009. Retrieved 2010-11-08.