Chetwynd
Little Prairie | |
|---|---|
| District of Chetwynd[1] | |
 The townsite of Chetwynd in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains | |
 Coat of arms | |
  Location within British Columbia  Chetwynd, British Columbia (Canada) | |
| Coordinates: 55°41′45″N 121°38′18″W / 55.69583°N 121.63833°W[2] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Regional district | Peace River |
| Settled | 1918 (trading post) |
| Incorporated | 25 September 1962 (village) |
| 31 May 1983 (district) | |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Allen Courtoreille |
| • Governing body | Chetwynd District Council |
| • MLA | Mike Bernier |
| Area | |
| • Land | 63.55 km2 (24.54 sq mi) |
| • Designated place (retired population centre) | 10.55 km2 (4.07 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 615 m (2,018 ft) |
| Population (2021)[3] | |
• Total | 2,302 |
| • Density | 36.2/km2 (94/sq mi) |
| • Designated place | 1,917 |
| • Designated place density | 181.7/km2 (471/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 (MST) |
| Postal code | V0C 1J0 |
| Area code(s) | 250 / 778 / 236 |
| Website | gochetwynd |
Chetwynd /ˈtʃɛtwɪnd/ is a district municipality located in the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains, in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. Situated on an ancient floodplain, it is the first town eastbound travellers encounter after emerging from the Rockies along Highway 97, and acts as the gateway to the Peace River Country. The town developed during the construction of infrastructure through the Rocky Mountains in the 1950s; additionally, it was used as a transshipment point during the building of hydroelectric dams, in the 1960s and 1970s, and the new town of Tumbler Ridge, in the early 1980s. Home to approximately 2,600 residents, the town’s population has increased little—if at all—since the 1980s, but is significantly younger than the provincial average.[4]
Once known as Little Prairie, the community adopted its name in honour of provincial politician Ralph Chetwynd, just prior to its incorporation, in 1962. The 64-square-kilometre (25 sq mi) municipality consists of the town, a community forest, and four exclave properties. Chetwynd has dozens of chainsaw carvings displayed throughout the town as public art. It is home to a Northern Lights College campus. Nearby, there are four provincial parks, two lakes, and several recreational trails.
Highways 29 and 97 intersect in town; the east–west Highway 97 connects the town to Prince George and Dawson Creek while the north–south Highway 29 connects Tumbler Ridge and Hudson's Hope. A rail line branches-off in three directions: northward to Fort St. John, east to Dawson Creek, and west through the Rockies to Prince George. The Chetwynd economy is dominated by the primary industries of forestry, fossil fuel extraction, and transportation. Chetwynd is a member municipality in the Peace River Regional District and, as of 2021[update], is represented in provincial politics by BC United MLA Mike Bernier (elected in 2013).
- ^ "British Columbia Regional Districts, Municipalities, Corporate Name, Date of Incorporation and Postal Address" (Microsoft Excel). British Columbia Ministry of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development. Archived from the original on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
- ^ "Chetwynd". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
2021censuswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Community Highlights for Chetwynd". 2006 Community Profiles. Statistics Canada. 11 September 2007. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2007.