Hazelton, British Columbia
Template:Use Canadian English Template:Infobox settlement Hazelton is a village municipality in the Skeena region of west central British Columbia, Canada. The place is on the southeast side of the Skeena River immediately north of the Bulkley River mouth, where the confluence forms a peninsula.<ref>Template:BCGNIS</ref> On BC Highway 62, the locality is by road about Template:Convert northwest of Smithers and Template:Convert northeast of Terrace. Hazelton is the original of the "Three Hazeltons", the other two being New Hazelton to the southeast and South Hazelton to the south.
Geography
The two rivers flow through the broad forested glacial valleys. The Roche de Boule range forms the southern wall of the Skeena valley. To the north are the Skeena Mountains and to the northwest the Kispiox Range. Layered sandstone and shale lie beneath the Hazeltons area. About 25,000 years ago, the ice sheet was Template:Convert thick. Over the past 11,000 years, the rivers have cut down through the thick moraine exposing the bedrock.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
First Nations and early European contacts
First Nations have inhabited the area for at least 7,000 years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the 1840s, Simon McGillivray, a Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) chief trader, led an expedition from Babine Lake to what would become Hazelton.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
In 1865, a survey party for the Russian–American Telegraph ventured up the Skeena to this point and left supplies for the construction crew arriving the following year.Template:Sfn In 1866, the telegraph line was extended from Quesnel via Fort Fraser and passed the future Hazelton that July, before terminating Template:Convert farther north.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1867, the line north of Quesnel was abandoned.Template:Sfn
During 1866–1868, the HBC operated the Ackwilgate fur trading post<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> immediately south across the Bulkley at Mission Point.<ref name=5Sep58>Template:Cite web</ref>
The abandoned telegraph trail provided access for prospectors.Template:Sfn During the Omineca Gold Rush of 1870–1871, the Hazelton settlement became strategic.Template:Sfn As many as 4,000 miners made it a base. After the goldrush ended, European residents dwindled to a handful.<ref name=24Aug50>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1881, William Collison founded the Anglican mission at Hazelton among the Gitxsan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In July 1888, the militia was sent from Victoria to quell an indigenous uprising at Hazelton, following the killing of Kitwancool Jim. On being informed the tension had subsided, only special constables went upriver to investigate, while the militia camped near Port Essington. Weeks later, the militia returned to base.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
The Anglican Church ran the federal government-funded Hazelton First Nations school 1889–1950.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1958, the original museum, called the House of Treasures was built in town<ref name=14Jul72>Template:Cite web</ref> to display indigenous artifacts. In 1968, the building was moved half a mile to the Ksan Historical Village, which was being developed as a combined campsite and village where area First Nations would produce, display, and sell, their arts and crafts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A special totem pole was carved and erected for the 1969 opening of the village.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Items were carved on site from wood or animal horn and displayed for sale. By 1972, six houses stood in a line beside the original tiny museum, creating an authentically rebuilt indigenous village.<ref name="14Jul72" />
In 1994, the Wet'suwet'en Education Society broke into the vacant, former Hazelton High School building, intending to commandeer the premises for indigenous programs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2012, a six-month blockade of the Gitxsan Treaty Society office ended peacefully.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Ksan Historical Village and Museum has expanded into seven decorated tribal houses fronted with several carved totems. Carvers demonstrate their skills to visitors, and the Ksan Dancers, who perform local native dances, present scheduled performances.<ref name=BCHaz>Template:Cite web</ref>
Name origin
The earliest newspaper reference to The Forks, the original name, was 1859,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and to Hazelton, was 1872.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Thomas Hankin, who staked the settlement in 1857, named it after the numerous hazelnut bushes in the vicinity.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, the former name remained predominant initially,<ref name=CanPac>Template:Cite web</ref> before the two names became used together or interchangeably until the end of that century.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Pre-railway
In 1870, the Cunningham & Hankin partnership, which would become R. Cunningham & Son, opened a branch store.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By the early 1870s, a saloon and stores existed.<ref name="CanPac" /> By 1874, two stores remained, after one closed the prior winter.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1880, the HBC purchased the W.J. Walsh store. This warehouse became the place from which supplies were forwarded via the Hazelton–Babine portage and Fort Babine to other HBC posts.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Charles William Digby Clifford was the resident HBC postmaster 1885–1887.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By the late 1880s, a police officer was based in the community,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and a jail was built at the time.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
During 1890–1915, Hazelton was the largest community in northwest BC. At the head of navigation on the Skeena, the place was the centre of activity for prospectors, traders, merchants, packtrain operators, and missionaries.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
In 1891, Richard S. Sargent arrived, becoming a leading figure in the community.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That year, the HBC SS Caledonia was the first steamboat to navigate the Kitselas Canyon and reach Hazelton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, both high and low water made the canyon impassable, limiting navigation to three months per year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sargent was the inaugural government postmaster 1899–1927<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and opened a trading post in 1900.<ref name=12Jul72>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1900, St Peter's Anglican church was built.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1901, the federal government telegraph service completed the Yukon Telegraph, which passed through Hazelton, linking Ashcroft with the Alaskan border<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1907, R.S. Sargent's store/post office burned to the ground.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The expectation that the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP) would be built via Hazelton, led to an auction of lots in the vicinity<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and a revival of Hazelton.<ref name="24Aug50" /> Since Hazelton proper was crammed onto Template:Convert surrounded by reserves, expansion was at Two Mile, also called the Hazelton City Addition.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1908, Joseph Leopold Coyle established the Omineca Herald newspaper.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> By this time, several stores and the Hazelton and Omineca hotels existed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The route southeastward to Aldermere (adjacent to Telkwa) was used by a weekly stage in summer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and sleighs in winter.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In February 1909, the Ingenica Hotel opened.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That year, a new police district headquartered at Hazelton was created,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the government offices moved from an old log shack into a new building,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and a new jail replaced<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the dilapidated two-cell log shack.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1910, fire consumed the Hazelton Hotel,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a 42-bed bunkhouse was erected at the back of the Omineca Hotel,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the post office moved into an addition to the Sargent store.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That year, a fire department was formed<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and two Template:Convert chemical engines ordered.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Union Bank opened a branch in temporary premises,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and a community hall was built.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By this time, a wagon road ran southwestward to Skeena Crossing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Pacific Highway Association offered a gold medal to the first car to travel from Seattle to Hazelton, which was the tentative terminus of an ambitious highway scheme. In October 1911, P.E. Sands and his mechanic completed the journey in a Flanders 20. Lacking a road north of Quesnel, they followed the old telegraph trail. For about Template:Convert of this section, it was necessary to dismantle the vehicle for hauling with horses. This was the only gap not covered under motor power. The motorists were honored by a banquet<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> before returning south by steamboat, train, and steamship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The awarded medal has been retained in Hazelton since 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The automobile is on display at the Kittitas County Historical Museum in Ellensburg, Washington.<ref>Template:Google books</ref>
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In 1911, the rebuilt Hazelton Hotel opened with 32 guest rooms and a bunkhouse which accommodated another 30 people.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mid-year, the Bank of Vancouver opened a branch,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> initially using a tent,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Inland Colonist relocated from Kitselas<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but publishing ceased that November.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Omineca Miner newspaper was launched that August.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1912, a series of suspicious stable fires occurred.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Months later, fire destroyed the HBC and Broughton & McNeil warehouses.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Further arson occurred a week later, when a fire at a vacant residence was extinguished before causing serious damage.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For decades, residents had speculated every spring when the loud whistle of the first boat would be heard, even wagering large sums of money. The arrival would be welcomed with cheers to mark winter bleakness transitioning into new life. When the steamboat departed at the end of the 1912 season, this era drew to a close.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ferries and bridges
In 1910, a Template:Convert suspension bridge across the Skeena opened<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Convert by road north of Hazelton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
During 1911 and 1912, a ferry linked Sealey and Hazelton.<ref>Template:Cite web
Template:Cite web</ref> During 1912, steamboats connected the rail head at Skeena Crossing with Hazelton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Hazelton–South Hazelton ferry across the Bulkley operated from mid-1912<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> until replaced by a low level bridge in January 1917<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> at the same location.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In July 1914, towers were constructed for the Skeena ferry (a large scow to replace the canoe in use).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Prior to the commencement of operations in August,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a boat temporarily attached to the ferry cable capsized, and a youth on board drowned.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By October, the service was fully operational.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1923–24, a new Template:Convert pontoon reaction ferry was installed.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
To replace the Hagwilget high level bridge and the Hazelton low level bridge,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the rebuilt Template:Convert Hagwilget suspension bridge<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> was officially opened in 1931.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That year, the Skeena ferry was carried downstream to Ritchie. A few days later, it floated farther down and beached at Pacific.Template:Sfn High water damaged the ferry in 1935. The towers, which were built in 1920, were reset in 1936.Template:Sfn During the 1936 flood, the ferry house floated away, riverbank erosion washed out sections of road on both shores, and the ferry tower was twisted on the Hazelton side.Template:Sfn
In 1953, the ferry was withdrawn.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
Post-railway arrival
In 1913, the Ingenica Hotel relocated to New Hazelton,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but the HBC rebuilt its burned premises on the same site.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sidewalks were constructed on both sides of Main St. The number of resident automobiles increased to six,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the first vehicle travelling from the Mexico–United States border arrived.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the battle between South Hazelton and New Hazelton to displace old Hazelton on the arrival of the railway,<ref>Template:Cite web
Template:Cite web</ref> the former proved a non-starter and the latter remained much smaller than the old township after railway construction activity moved on. Old Hazelton remained the chief supply point for district.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1914, when the C.V. Smith store/residence burned down, the structure was rebuilt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> When the Bank of Vancouver branch closed, the Royal Bank opened in the vacated premises,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> before moving months later.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> When the Union Bank relocated to larger premises, the former ones were repurposed as a Methodist church,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> before the congregation moved to St Andrew's Hall.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That year, the HBC store was enlarged.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1915, the Royal Bank closed<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Union Bank closed its New Hazelton sub-branch.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> C.V. Smith erected a new warehouse for his store.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1917, fire levelled the Sam Lee store/laundry,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Omineca Herald moved to New Hazelton,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Northern Telephone installed a new switchboard,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the provincial government offices moved to Smithers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1918, the Omineca Miner ceased publication.<ref name=4Jul72>Template:Cite web</ref>
On Christmas night, 1920, fire destroyed much of the central business district.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This may have been the fire that burned down St Andrew's Hall.<ref name=MicKlu>Template:Cite web</ref> In January 1921, fire broke out in the former Ingenica Hotel. Sam Lee, who operated the Royal Café in the building, sustained fatal burns.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Months later, the RCMP headquarters moved to Telkwa,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> leaving just one constable stationed at Hazelton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1922, Hazelton Methodist Church was built.<ref name="MicKlu" /> That April, a guest burned to death, when fire completely destroyed the Hazelton Hotel and several other buildings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In May 1925, the Royal Bank absorbed the Union Bank, rebranding the latter local branch.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1928, R.S. Sargent opened a hotel.<ref name="12Jul72" />
In 1931, fire completely destroyed the Omineca Hotel and several other buildings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1932, the Royal Bank branch closed<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Sargent hotel and two warehouses burned down.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1937, William John Sanders, a former Sergeant-at-arms in the BC Legislature died at his residence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1947, Canadian Trailway Stages inaugurated a Hazelton–Prince George bus service,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but the Hazelton–Vanderhoof leg was discontinued the next year.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> In 1948, the First Nations band surrendered Template:Convert of the reserve for sale to the public as lots in a subdivision, increasing the size of Hazelton from Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The present downtown covers about Template:Convert because not all lots sold.<ref name=6Jul72>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1949, the BC Power Commission entered into an agreement to operate the hospital generator and purchased Kitanmax Water and Power Co, the local distributor which supplied 68 customers. The transmission lines were extended to South Hazelton and New Hazelton. The next year, the commission replaced the DC generator at the hospital with a larger AC one, which also became the plant for supplying existing Hazelton customers and new ones south of the Bulkley.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
By 1951, the RCMP had a two-person detachment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That year, a Royal Bank sub-branch opened.Template:Sfn In February 1956, Hazelton was incorporated as a village.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> When the Inlander Hotel opened that year, the Royal Bank rented the lower level prior to building across the street.<ref name="4Jul72" /> The Sargent family, the proprietors, had operated a smaller hotel in another building which had burned down shortly before.<ref name="12Jul72" /> In 1959, the Royal Bank became a full branch and the New Hazelton one closed.Template:Sfn
In 1963, BC Hydro increased the electricity supply capacity by installing a 600-kilowatt unit.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During 1965–1972, the streets were first paved.<ref name="6Jul72" /> In 1969, the current one-storey brick-veneer post office was built.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Later that year, a dial telephone system replaced switchboard operators.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1972, a new lounge opened at the Inlander Hotel in what was once bank premises. The men's washroom was installed in the former vault.<ref name="4Jul72" /> In July 1979, a homecoming weekend was held for former residents.<ref>Template:Cite web
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By the early 1980s, the RCMP had consolidated at New Hazelton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1997, the Royal Bank moved to Hagwilget.Template:Sfn
Notable people
- Lyndsay Belisle (1977– ), Olympic wrestler, place of birth, and resident.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Jean-Jacques Caux, aka Cataline, (c.1830–1922), pack train operator, resident, and place of death.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Sperry Cline, (1881–1964), Boer War veteran, police officer, author, and resident.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
- Constance Cox, (c.1881–1960), schoolteacher, interpreter, place of birth, and resident.<ref name="5Sep58" />
- Doug Donaldson, (1957– ), politician and resident.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Dave Hancock, (1955– ), judge, politician, and childhood resident.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Ron Homenuke (1952– ), ice hockey player, place of birth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Vicki Huntington, (19??– ), politician and resident.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Carol Huynh (1980– ), Olympic wrestler, place of birth, and resident.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Simon Peter Johnson, aka Simon Gunanoot, (1874–1933), merchant, fugitive, and resident.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Alan Kerr (1964– ), ice hockey player, place of birth, and resident.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Cathy McMorris Rodgers, (1969– ), politician and childhood resident.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Roy Henry Vickers, (1946– ), indigenous artist, author, and resident.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Later community
In 2003, fire seriously damaged the Inlander Hotel.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2017, BC Transit introduced a Terrace–Hazeltons bus service<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and remains the current passenger transit provider.<ref>Template:Cite web
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In 2023, construction began on a three-storey building near the hospital, which provides 31 new affordable rental units.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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A walking tour of the downtown area includes antique pioneer machinery displays, an original steam donkey, heritage sites, the Pioneer Museum, a riverboat replica, and the historic St. Peter's Anglican Church.<ref name="BCHaz" />
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Hazelton had a population of 257 living in 113 of its 125 total private dwellings, a change of Template:Percentage from its 2016 population of 313. With a land area of Template:Cvt, it had a population density of Template:Pop density in 2021.<ref name=2021census>Template:Cite web</ref>
Education
In 1906, the one-room school openedTemplate:Sfn in a building provided rent free by the HBC.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1913, a new schoolhouse replaced the old building,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which had become too small to accommodate the 23 enrolled students.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1926, the school raised to rural status, and in 1930, a second classroom was added.Template:Sfn
In 1948–49, the status raised from Hazelton Superior to Hazelton Elementary-Senior High.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> At the time, the facility was described as a fine new modern school, with seven rooms and seven teachers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1962–63, the Two Mile elementary school opened.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> In 1963–64, John Field Elementary opened at Hazelton.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> In 1965–66, Hazelton Elementary-Senior High became Hazelton Secondary.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
In 1979, the two-room Two Mile school closed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In March 1992, the new Hazelton Secondary construction replaced the former building.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2014, John Field Elementary was renamed Majagaleehl Gali Aks, which means "flowers of the rivers" in the Gitxsan language.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Part of School District 82 Coast Mountains, Majagaleehl Gali Aks stands on the descent to the downtown area,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Hazelton Secondary (to the northeast) has about 375 enrolled students.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Adjacent to the secondary is a campus of the Coast Mountain College.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hazelton has traditionally been served by Nicola Valley Institute of Technology.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Healthcare
In 1904, Dr. Horace Cooper Wrinch opened the first hospital, which developed a nursing school, gardens and dairy farm.<ref name=Book98>Template:Cite journal</ref> Owned by the Methodist Church, funding came from the church, the province, Indian Affairs, and the public.<ref name=25Jan13>Template:Cite web</ref>
About one mile east of Hazelton, the two-storey main building, included an attic and basement.<ref name=1Jan10>Template:Cite web</ref> The facility comprised five staff and 13 beds in 1904,<ref name=15Dec11>Template:Cite web</ref> seven staff and 17 beds in 1909,<ref name="1Jan10" /> and 12 staff and 33 beds in 1911.<ref name="15Dec11" /> The latter increase came from adding a new wing in 1910. Patient care was private, semi-private, and public. By that time, the Template:Convert of cleared land grew vegetables and livestock feed.<ref name="1Jan10" />
By 1912, Template:Convert of the Template:Convert grounds were cleared. The lake was Template:Convert and birch clumps formed a Template:Convert natural park. The main road passed through the property.<ref name="25Jan13" /> In 1914, the hospital was wired for electricity.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
When the second rebuild opened in 1930,<ref name="Book98" /> the facility was renamed the Wrinch Memorial Hospital.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
By 1972, the hospital was a 50-bed facility with plans to double the capacity.<ref name="4Jul72" /> A single storey Template:Convert structure adjacent to the existing building<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> opened in 1977.<ref name="Book98" />
In 2002, the province reversed plans to downsize the hospital, retaining the nine acute care beds, the long-term beds, and the teaching role.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Part of Northern Health, the hospital provides acute, complex and community care, assisted living, and both shorter and longer term accommodation. The double occupancy rooms include 10 publicly subsidized long-term care beds. Outpatient care is supported. A BCAS station is based on the grounds.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Climate
Hazelton has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb).<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Winters are cold but are milder than what the latitude may suggest, owing to Pacific air masses. The average temperature in January is Template:Convert and from December to February, there are an average of 32 days where the maximum temperature reaches or surpasses freezing.<ref name="climate" /> However, Arctic air masses can push temperatures below Template:Convert, occurring on average three days per year.<ref name="climate" /> The average annual snowfall is Template:Convert. Summers are warm, with a July daytime high of Template:Convert although night time temperatures are cool, with a July low of Template:Convert. In an average summer, there are seven days where the temperature exceeds Template:Convert.<ref name="climate" /> The average annual precipitation is Template:Convert, with March and April being the driest months and October through January being the wetter months.<ref name="climate" /> The record high was Template:Convert on August 20, 1977 and the record low was Template:Convert on January 8, 1991.<ref name="climate" />