Dawson Creek
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- For the TV series, see Dawson's Creek. For the town at the centre of the Klondike Gold Rush, see Dawson City, Yukon.
| Dawson Creek, British Columbia | |||
| The Mile Zero Post looking south into downtown Dawson Creek. | |||
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| Nickname: Mile 0 City | |||
| Location of Dawson Creek within the Peace River Regional District in British Columbia, Canada | |||
| Country | Canada | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Province | British Columbia | ||
| Region | Peace River | ||
| Incorporated | 1936 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Calvin Kruk | ||
| - Governing body | City Council | ||
| - MP | Jay Hill | ||
| - MLA | Blair Lekstrom | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 20.66 km² (8 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 665 m (2,182 ft) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| - Total | 10,994 | ||
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) | ||
| Postal code span | V1G | ||
| Area code(s) | 250 | ||
| Website: City of Dawson Creek | |||
The City of Dawson Creek is a small city in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. It covers an area of 20.66 square kilometres (8 sq mi) with a 2006 population of 11,615 people.[1] Dubbed "The Capital of the Peace", it is a service centre for the rural areas south of the Peace River and the seat of the Peace River Regional District. Dawson Creek turned from a small farming community to a regional centre when the western terminus of the Northern Alberta Railways was extended there in 1932, and the US Army used that terminus as a transshipment point in 1942 during the construction of the Alaska Highway. Most of the city's development occurred between 1942 and 1966 when highways and railways were built connecting the farming area of the Peace River Country to the rest of BC through Dawson Creek.
Dawson Creek derived its name from the creek of the same name that runs through the city. The creek was named after George Mercer Dawson by a member of his land survey team when they passed through the area in August 1879.[2] The city, at the southern end of the Alaska Highway, is known as the "Mile 0 City" and is also home to a regional fall fair and heritage interpretation village.
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[edit] History
Dawson Creek was one of the farming communities established by European-Canadian settlers moving west through the Peace River Country. When homestead grants began to be issued to settlers in 1912 by the Canadian government the pace of migration increased. With the opening of a few stores and hotels in 1919 and the incorporation of the Dawson Creek Co-operative Union on 28 May 1921, Dawson Creek became a dominant business centre in the area.[3]
After much speculation by land owners and investors, the Northern Alberta Railways built its terminus 3 km (2 miles) from the Dawson Creek.[4] The golden spike was driven on 29 December 1930, and the first passenger train arrived on 15 January 1931. The arrival of the railway and the construction of grain elevators attracted more settlers and business to the settlement. The need to provide services for the rapidly growing community allowed Dawson Creek to become incorporated as a village in 1936. In 1939, as World War II was beginning, refugees from the Sudetenland arrived in the region and settled on land bought from the Canadian Pacific Railway and held in trust by the Canadian Colonization Association.[5] The community's population exceeded 500 people in 1941,[6] but by 1943 the population numbered in the thousands. The village rapidly developed in 1942, as thousands of American army troops, engineers and contractors poured into the city—which had become the terminal of rail transport—to construct the Alaska Highway.
The highway was completed in less than a year but throughout the following decade, with the workers long since gone, population and economic growth continued. In 1953, western Canada's largest propane gas plant was built[7] and federal government offices were established in town. In 1954 the John Hart Highway, and an associated rail line, was opened which linked the town to the British Columbia Interior and Lower Mainland through the Rocky Mountains. The village was re-incorporated as a city in 1958 as the population had more than tripled between 1951 and 1961.
Growth slowed in the 1960s with the population reaching its peak in 1966. In the 1970s, the provincial government moved its offices from Pouce Coupe to the city, Northern Lights College opened a Dawson Creek campus, and the Dawson Creek Mall was constructed. Several modern grain elevators were built, and the town's five wooden grain elevators, nicknamed "Elevator Row", were dismantled. Only one of the historic elevators remain today, converted to an art gallery. Since the 1970s, with the nearby town of Fort St. John attracting much of the industrial development, and Grande Prairie becoming a commercial hub, the town's population and economy have not significantly increased.
Since 1991, the city has undergone several boundary expansions. One expansion incorporated undeveloped land in the southeast around a proposed veneer factory by Louisiana-Pacific Canada. However, with the factory only half-built, the company abandoned its plans after the city extended sewer and water lines to the location. A business making manufactured homes bought the factory and completed its development in 2005.[8] Another expansion incorporated the existing Louisiana-Pacific Canada oriented strand board factory in the northwest corner of town, while further incorporations have included undeveloped land south of the airport for potential commercial or industrial use and north of town for potential residential use.
[edit] Demographics
The 1941 census, the first to include Dawson Creek as a defined subdivision, counted 518 residents. The second census, in 1951, recorded a sevenfold increase to 3,589 residents, and within five years the population doubled to 7,531 residents.[12] The rapid growth occurred because the city was the transshipment point, the western rail terminus, for the construction of the Alaska Highway and the farming communities afterwards. Growth continued throughout the 1950s and 1960s as another highway, this one to southern BC made the city a crossroads between British Columbia and Alberta. The population peaked in 1966 with 12,392 people and declined throughout the 1970s, rising again briefly during the construction of the nearby town of Tumbler Ridge in the early 1980s. Since then Dawson Creek's population has remained stable, rising only 3.5% since 2001.[11]
| Canada 2001 Census[13] | ||
| Dawson Creek | British Columbia | |
| Median age | 34.0 years | 38.4 years |
| Under 15 years old | 22% | 18% |
| Over 65 years old | 11% | 14% |
| Visible minority | 3% | 21% |
| Protestant | 37% | 31% |
| Catholic | 18% | 17% |
According to the 2001 Canadian census,[13] there were 10,740 people living in 4,410 households within the city. Of these households, 30% were one-person households, slightly above the 27% average provincewide, while those households consisting of married couples with children and married couples without children where both similar to the provincial averages at 26%. Dawson Creek had a smaller proportion of married couples than the province, 45% compared to 51%, but very similar persons per households. With 93% of Dawson Creek residents being Canadian-born, and 91% speaking only English, the city has few visible minorities. Only 12% of residents between 20 and 64 years of age completed university, half the provincial average, and 25% did not complete high school, much higher than the 19% provincial average.
In 2005, the twenty-two officer Dawson Creek Royal Canadian Mounted Police municipal detachment reported 2,561 Criminal Code of Canada offenses. This translated into a crime rate of 225 Criminal Code offenses per 1,000 people, down from the previous year's rate of 231, but still much higher than the provincial average rate of 125. In 2004, on the per 1,000 people basis, the city had higher crime rates compared to the provincial averages on all criminal code offenses except theft from motor vehicles (19.8 city, 20.2 provincially), heroin-related (0 city, 0.13 provincially), and murder (0 city, 0.03 provincially). The city had slightly higher but comparable levels of offensive weapons charges, cannabis-related, robbery, and motor vehicle thefts. However, on that same per 1,000 people basis, the city had much higher levels of shoplifting (13.8 city, 4.2 provincially), cocaine-related (7.8 city, 1.4 provincially), commercial break-and-enters (11.2 city, 4.2 provincially), residential break-and-enters (13.9 city, 6.0 provincially), and non-sexual assaults (26.2 city, 9.9 provincially).[14]
[edit] Geography and climate
At the foot of Bear Mountain ridge, the city developed around Dawson Creek watercourse which flows eastward into the Pouce Coupe River. The city is located on the Pouce Coupe Prairie in the southwestern part of the Peace River Country, 72 km (45 miles) southeast of Fort St. John, and 134 km (83 miles) northwest of Grande Prairie. According to the Canada Land Inventory the city is on soil that has moderate limitations, due to an adverse climate, that restrict the range of crops or require moderate conservation practices.[15] The land is flat, but slopes upwards in the northeastern corner elavating a residential area over the rest of the city.
| Weather averages[16] | ||
| Time | Temperature | Precipitation |
| January | −14.7 °C (5.5 °F) | 28.9 mm (1.1 in) |
| July | 15.2 °C (59.4 °F) | 83.9 mm (3.3 in) |
| Annual precipitation : 482 mm (19.0 in) | ||
| Annual snowfall: 174 cm (68.6 in) | ||
The city is in the B.C. Peace Lowland ecosection of the Canadian Boreal Plains ecozone on the continental Interior Platform. The city, located in the Cordillera Climatic Region, has a subhumid low boreal ecoclimate. In the summer the city is often dusty and dry. Heavy rain showers are sporadic, lasting only a few minutes. In the winter the city can get bitterly cold and dry. The city is subject to very heavy winds year round.[17] Unlike the rest of the province, the city and its region use Mountain Standard Time year round since it already has long daylight hours in the summer and short daylight hours in the winter.
[edit] Economy
The economy of Dawson Creek is based around four major industries: agriculture, retail, tourism, and oil and gas. Agriculture has historically been the most important industry to Dawson Creek, as the city is the regional transshipment point for agricultural commodities. The city is surrounded by the Agricultural Land Reserve, where the soil can support livestock and produces consistently good yields of quality grain and grass crops, such as canola, hay, oats, alfalfa, wheat, and sweet clover.[18] The service and retail sector caters to both the city's inhabitants, smaller nearby towns, and rural communities. However, significant retail leakage occurs to Grande Prairie, the closest major Alberta city, where the government does not charge provincial taxes on retail purchases, while B.C. charges 7%. In 2006 the provincial government rejected a proposal to lower the city's the provincial sales tax to 4%.[19] The problem of leakage has been exacerbated in recent years by the introduction of large-format retail stores into the small city. Residents still cross the border for high-priced items but now also purchase the medium- and low-priced items from foreign-owned large-format chain stores.
| Economy[13] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rate | City | Province |
| Unemployment rate | 10.3% | 8.5% |
| Participation rate | 69.5% | 65.2% |
| Poverty rate | 16.5% | 17.8% |
| Average male income | $49,551 | $50,191 |
| Average female income | $30,846 | $35,895 |
Dawson Creek has a large tourism industry as Mile '0' of the Alaska Highway.[20] Thousands of people drive on the Alaska Highway every year, starting in Dawson Creek and ending in Fairbanks, Alaska. This trek often occurs with recreational vehicles, sometimes in convoys which first gather in the city. In the winter, the hospitality industry caters to workers from the oil patches. Discoveries south of Dawson Creek[21] and higher energy prices have caused the oil and gas activities, which have driven the nearby Fort St. John, economy to spill over to the Dawson Creek economy. British Columbia's first wind farm is expected to be constructed several miles southwest of the city in 2008.[22]
[edit] Transportation and infrastructure
Dawson Creek's road network was laid out in the mid-20th century as the town rapidly expanded. The city maintains 88 km (55 mi) of paved and 11 km (7 mi) of unpaved roads[23] in mostly a grid pattern of large blocks of land connected to one another by only a few intersections, for example at a bridge or railway crossing. Because there are many internal intersections with stops signs in the grid pattern, traffic is forced onto two arterial roads: 8 Street going north–south and Alaska Avenue going southeast–northwest. These two arterial roads meet at a traffic circle where a metal statue marks the beginning of the Alaska Highway. Highways emanating from Dawson Creek include Highway 2 (south to Grande Prairie and southern Alberta), Highway 49 (east to Peace River and northern Alberta), Highway 97 (southeast to Chetwynd and Prince George) and Highway 97 (north to Fort St. John, British Columbia and the Yukon). A road along the southern and western borders of the city, including Highway 2, with few intersections is designated as a "dangerous goods route" for heavy trucks so that they can avoid traveling through the city. However, there is no route from Highway 49 so many still use city arterials, slowing traffic and damaging roads.
Dawson Creek is a regional node for air, rail and bus services. The Dawson Creek Airport, which services commercial flights by Central Mountain Air, was built in 1963 and had its 1,524 m (5,000 ft) runway paved in 1966. There are larger airports in Fort St. John and Grande Prairie that maintain a more comprehensive flight schedule than that available in Dawson Creek. Passenger rail service was available in Dawson Creek between 1931 and 1974. This passenger service began with the Northern Alberta Railways building its northwest terminus in the town and was extended in 1958 to Vancouver with a rail line through the Rocky Mountains. Passenger rail service ended in 1974 as commodity shipments of grains, oil and gas by-products, and forestry products became more important in the resource-based economy. Greyhound Bus lines maintains a bus station in Dawson Creek which connects the city to Vancouver, Edmonton (via Grande Prairie) and Whitehorse (via Fort Nelson).
The city draws its water supply from the Kiskatinaw River, 18 km (11 mi) west of town. Before reaching the city the water is pumped through a settling pond, two storage ponds, and a treatment plant where it is flocculated, filtered and chlorinated. The city also provides drinking water for Pouce Coupe and rural residents. Sewage is processed by a lagoon system east of town and released into the Pouce Coupe River.[21] Dawson Creek is located in School District 59 Peace River South which maintains five elementary schools (Tremblay, Parkhill, Frank Ross, Crescent Park, and Canalta elementary schools), one middle school (Central Middle School) and one high school (South Peace Secondary School). Established in 1975, Northern Lights College's main campus is located in Dawson Creek and offers diplomas for two-year programs and degrees from the University of Northern British Columbia.
[edit] Culture, recreation and media
The culture of Dawson Creek is centered around its designation as Mile '0' of the Alaska Highway. The Mile '0' post, as depicted in the flag, is located in the historic downtown area, one block south of the Northern Alberta Railways Park. This four acre, mostly paved, park is the gathering point for travellers and the official beginning of the Alaska highway. The park also includes the Dawson Creek Art Gallery which exhibits works from local artists and craftsmen. The Station Museum, connected to the art gallery, displays artifacts and exhibits associated with the construction of NAR railway and the Alaska highway. Other parks in Dawson Creek include the Mile Zero Rotary Park and the Walter Wright Pioneer Village. Annual events in the city include the Dawson Creek Symphonette and Choir, the Dawson Creek Art Gallery auction, the Dawson Creek Spring Rodeo, and the Peace Country Blue Grass Festival.[24] The largest event, held annually since 1953, is the Dawson Creek Fall Fair & Exhibition which is a five-day professional rodeo, with a parade, fairgrounds and exhibitions.[25]
City recreation facilities include two ice hockey arenas, a curling rink, an indoor swimming pool, an outdoor ice rink, and a speed skating oval. The South Peace Community Multiplex,[26] a new community facility under construction on the outskirts of the city, will replace the swimming pool. The project was controversial because a referendum on the Multiplex projected a cost of CAD$21.6 million,[27] however once construction began it was projected to cost CAD$35 million.[28] It will be located away from residential uses but close to the Exhibition Grounds and will feature an indoor rodeo arena, convention centre/ice arena seating 4000 complete with skyboxes. Nearby Bear Mountain, located south of the city, provides over 20 km (12 miles) of snowshoeing and cross-country skiing trails, as well as, areas for downhill skiing and about 500 km (300 miles) of trails for snowmobiles, mountain bikes and all-terrain vehicles.
Dawson Creek is served with several regional newspapers. The Dawson Creek Daily News (formerly Peace River Block Daily News) and Fort St. John's Alaska Highway News, both part of the Canwest Global chain of local papers, are dailies available in Dawson Creek. The Northeast News is a free weekly published in Fort St. John but with sub-offices in Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson. The only radio stations broadcasting from Dawson Creek is 890 CJDC AM, while 94.5 Peace FM (CHET) is rebroadcasted from Chetwynd, and 95.1 Energy FM (CHRX), 101.5 The Bear FM (CKNL) and 101.1 The Moose FM (CKFU) are available but broadcasted from Fort St. John. Television stations broadcasting from the city include the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation affiliate CJDC-TV and the community television station run by the Cable 10 Society.
[edit] Government and politics
The City of Dawson Creek has a council-manager form of municipal government. A six member council, along with one mayor, is elected at-large every three years. The current mayor, Calvin Kruk, served on the city council for three years before being elected mayor in November 2005 defeating one-term incumbent Wayne Dahlen. In 2007, the city authorized $54 million in expenditures, which paid for services such as sewerage, parks, recreation, road maintenance, snow removal, water treatment, and fire and police protection.[29][30] For creating its Community Energy Plan, which involved the installation of low-voltage street lights and solar-powered hot water heaters, the City was awarded the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' 2007 Sustainable Community Award.[31] The City is represented in School District 59 by two school board trustees,[32] and the Peace River Regional District by one director.[33]
Dawson Creek is situated in the Peace River South provincial electoral district and is represented by Blair Lekstrom in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Lekstrom served as mayor of Dawson Creek between 1996 and 2001. He became a Member of the Legislative Assembly in the 2001 provincial election with 67% support from Dawson Creek polls[34] and re-elected in 2005 with 57% support[35] from the city. Before Lekstrom, Peace River South was represented by Dawson Creek resident Jack Weisgerber. Weisgerber was first elected in 1986 as a member of the Social Credit Party and served as the Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources and Minister of Native Affairs. In 1991, while his party lost power, Weisgerber was re-elected and served as interim party leader before joining the Reform Party of British Columbia in 1994 and winning re-election in 1996 as party leader, even though Dawson Creek polls put him in third place behind the BC Liberal Party and New Democratic Party candidates.[36]
Federally, Dawson Creek is located in the Prince George—Peace River riding. The riding is represented in the Canadian House of Commons by Conservative Party Member of Parliament Jay Hill. Before Hill, who was first elected in 1993, the riding was represented by Progressive Conservative Frank Oberle. Oberle served as its MP for 20 years, between 1972–1993. Like the rest of the riding in recent elections, Dawson Creek voters favour the conservative candidates.
| Canadian federal election 2006: Dawson Creek polls in Prince George—Peace River[37] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | city % | riding % | ||
| Conservative | Jay Hill | 2,532 | 64% | 60% | ||
| New Democrat | Malcolm Crockett | 653 | 16% | 17% | ||
| Liberal | Nathan Bauder | 489 | 12% | 16% | ||
| Green | Hilary Crowley | 265 | 6.7% | 6.4% | ||
| Independent | Donna Young | 45 | 1.1% | 0.9% | ||
