Houston, British Columbia
| Houston | |
|---|---|
| District municipality | |
| District of Houston[1] | |
| Motto: Where the welcome is warm and the wilderness beckons | |
| Coordinates: 54°23′51″N 126°38′31″W / 54.39750°N 126.64194°W | |
| Country |
 Canada |
| Province |
 British Columbia |
| Region | Bulkley Valley |
| Regional district | Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako |
| Incorporated | 1957 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Shane Brienen |
| Area | |
| • Total | 72.94 km2 (28.16 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 610 m (2,000 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 3,147 |
| • Density | 43.1/km2 (112/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| Area code(s) | 250 / 778 / 236 |
| Highways |
.svg.png){kind=small} BC 16 Trans-Canada Highway |
| Website | District of Houston |
Houston /ˈhjuːstən/ is a forestry, mining and tourism town in the Bulkley Valley of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its urban population is approximately 3600 people, with approximately 2000 in the surrounding rural area. It is known as the "steelhead capital" and it has the world's largest fly fishing rod. Houston's tourism industry is largely based on eco-tourism and Steelhead Park, situated along Highway 16.
History
The Morice area was first charted by amateur historian, cartographer and geologist, Reverend Adrien-Gabriel Morice (1859-1938) known to Northern British Columbian locals as "Father Morice." In 1880, Morice came to British Columbia as a Catholic missionary to the native people and was one of the first 'white men' to see most of the area. Morice wrote, The History of the Northern Interior of British Columbia (formerly New Caledonia) [1660 to 1880]. The Indigenous people were initially known as Carrier Indians, but today are more commonly referred to as the Wet'suwet'en and speak a language commonly referred to as Athapaskan. The Morice River was called "Wet-zuhn-kwa" by the Wet'suwet'en people because of the bluish-green color of the water.
Wet-zuhn-kwa produced many species of fish such as trout, dolly varden, spring salmon, sockeye salmon, pink salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead salmon. The area is also rich in wildlife as it is not uncommon to spot moose, deer, black bear, grizzly bear, cougars and so on. Nanika River feeds Morice Lake and produces sockeye salmon. Morice River is a tributary of the Skeena River system, which is the second-largest system in BC that enters the Pacific Ocean at Prince Rupert, B.C.
Geography
West of Houston are Telkwa, British Columbia (49 km.), Smithers, British Columbia (66), Moricetown, British Columbia (97), Old Hazelton, British Columbia, New Hazelton, British Columbia (130), Terrace, British Columbia (269), and Prince Rupert, British Columbia (413 km.). East of Houston are Topley, British Columbia (30 km.), Granisle, British Columbia (79), Burns Lake, British Columbia (81), Fraser Lake, British Columbia (150), and Prince George, British Columbia (304 km.).
Houston is located near the confluence of the Bulkley River and Morice River approximately 65 km (40 mi) south of Smithers along Highway 16.
The area is in a rainshadow of the Coast Mountains, however due to being dominated by a low pressure region, Houston receives a mid-range volume of precipitation annually.
Morice Lake is located 80 km (50 mi) south along the Morice River Forest Service Road (FSR). Nestled into the Coast Mountains, many Houstonites use this area for recreational camping and fishing.
Nearby communities:
- Perow
- Topley
- Buck Flats
- Barrett
- Quick
- Walcott
- Smithers
- Burns Lake
- Moricetown
Climate
| Climate data for Houston | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.2 (54) |
13 (55) |
20.5 (68.9) |
26.5 (79.7) |
31.1 (88) |
34 (93) |
35 (95) |
37 (99) |
32 (90) |
25 (77) |
14.5 (58.1) |
12 (54) |
37 (99) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −4 (25) |
0.5 (32.9) |
5.3 (41.5) |
11.8 (53.2) |
16.5 (61.7) |
20.1 (68.2) |
22 (72) |
22.2 (72) |
17.3 (63.1) |
9.7 (49.5) |
1.5 (34.7) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
10 (50) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −8.1 (17.4) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
5.2 (41.4) |
9.6 (49.3) |
13.5 (56.3) |
15.3 (59.5) |
14.9 (58.8) |
10.6 (51.1) |
4.8 (40.6) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
−6 (21) |
4.4 (39.9) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −12 (10) |
−9.5 (14.9) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
2.7 (36.9) |
6.8 (44.2) |
8.4 (47.1) |
7.5 (45.5) |
3.8 (38.8) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
−9.6 (14.7) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −38 (−36) |
−35 (−31) |
−35.6 (−32.1) |
−15 (5) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−2.8 (27) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−9.4 (15.1) |
−18 (0) |
−33.9 (−29) |
−39 (−38) |
−39 (−38) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 45 (1.77) |
25.2 (0.992) |
23.3 (0.917) |
22.6 (0.89) |
30.8 (1.213) |
49.7 (1.957) |
48 (1.89) |
34 (1.34) |
39.4 (1.551) |
45.9 (1.807) |
43.2 (1.701) |
40.4 (1.591) |
447.4 (17.614) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 7.4 (0.291) |
4.5 (0.177) |
6 (0.24) |
16.8 (0.661) |
30.2 (1.189) |
49.7 (1.957) |
48 (1.89) |
34 (1.34) |
39.3 (1.547) |
40.1 (1.579) |
15.5 (0.61) |
4.6 (0.181) |
296.1 (11.657) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 37.6 (14.8) |
20.7 (8.15) |
17.3 (6.81) |
5.7 (2.24) |
0.6 (0.24) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.1 (0.04) |
5.8 (2.28) |
27.7 (10.91) |
35.9 (14.13) |
151.3 (59.57) |
| Source: [2] | |||||||||||||
Transportation
Via Rail's Jasper – Prince Rupert train calls at the Houston railway station several times per week.
Politics
- Houston is located in the federal electoral district of Skeena-Bulkley Valley, which has been held since 2004 by incumbent Nathan Cullen of the New Democratic Party of Canada. In the 2008 general federal election, Houston Mayor Sharon Smith ran as a Conservative Party candidate where she was defeated. She was also defeated a month later in the mayoral municipal election.
- Provincially Houston is located in the new Nechako Lakes electoral district as of the general election of 2009 the elected MLA was John Rustad of the British Columbia Liberal Party. Previously the Bulkley Valley-Stikine electoral district was held by Dennis MacKay, also of the British Columbia Liberal Party.
Recreation
- The Houston Hikers' Society provides website where trail information, maps, photos and driving directions can be accessed.
- The Morice Mountain Nordic Ski Club is a volunteer non-profit society. The MMNSC is responsible for all developments and trail grooming as well as maintenance of the facilities, and for trail users' fee collections. The ski trails are situated 8 km (5 mi) south of Houston on Buck Flats Road. Skiing enthusiasts are able to explore over 45 kilometres (28 mi) of challenging and beginner trails covering a rolling topography around Silverthorne Lake
- Many locals frequent the Nanika-Kidprice Lakes Basin canoe route. This basin lies on the eastern slope of the Coastal Mountain Range and forms the upper watershed of the Morice-Bulkley rivers. The basin area is 920 meters (3,018 ft) above sea level and is surrounded by glaciated and snow-capped peaks that rise as high as 2,400 meters (7,870 ft). The 30 km (19 mi) route takes about three or four days to complete. There is approximately 4 km (2 mi) of portages between three lakes.
- The recently constructed Houston Leisure Facility holds a pool, hot-tub, sauna and fitness gym.
- Houston has a nine-hole golf course
Schools
Houston is located in School District 54 Bulkley Valley and has three public schools and one privately run Christian denominational school.
Elementary schools:
Secondary Schools:
The Houston Christian School teaches from K-12.
Trivia
- The Bulkley, a smaller stream running through Houston and the Morice River join just west of Houston. At the point of their joining they become the Bulkley River, not the Morice despite the fact the Morice is larger. This was done by Poudrier, a government cartographer who, it is rumoured, never saw the region.
- The Bulkley, is named for Colonel Charles S. Bulkley, one of the surveyors constructing the telegraph line through the Pleasant Valley. This was in the late 1800s.
- Houston is named in honour of the pioneer newspaperman John Houston.[3]
- Jamie Baxter Park was named after a boy that disappeared in the forest while playing in the Buck Flats area in the late 1970s. It was fall-time and temperatures at night dipped low and the boy eventually, lost his life.
Notes
"British Columbia Regional Districts, Municipalities, Corporate Name, Date of Incorporation and Postal Address" (XLS). British Columbia Ministry of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development. Retrieved November 2, 2014. "Calculation Information for 1981 to 2010 Canadian Normals Data". Environment Canada. Retrieved July 9, 2013. http://www.houston.ca/siteengine/activepage.asp?PageID=19&bhcp=1
References
- ↑ "British Columbia Regional Districts, Municipalities, Corporate Name, Date of Incorporation and Postal Address" (XLS). British Columbia Ministry of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
- ↑ "Calculation Information for 1981 to 2010 Canadian Normals Data". Environment Canada. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
- ↑ http://www.houston.ca/siteengine/activepage.asp?PageID=19&bhcp=1
Smith, Elnora. C. (1971). Marks On The Forest Floor - A Story Of Houston, British Columbia. Houston British Columbia: Houston Centennial '71 Committee.
External links
- Houston Visitor Centre
- Houston Secondary
- District of Houston
- Houston Today Newspaper
- Morice Mountain Nordic Ski Club
- Houston Hikers Society
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Coordinates: 54°23′55.7″N 126°38′37.8″W / 54.398806°N 126.643833°W