Sicamous, British Columbia

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**Sicamous, British Columbia, Canada**
Motto:
Sicamous, British Columbia, Canada.
Census division
Regional District	Columbia-Shuswap
Area:	14.39 km²
Founded
Incorporated	1989
Population Municipal District Population	2839 (2001)
Population density	197.3/km²
Time zone	Pacific: UTC -8
Postal code span
Latitude Longitude	50°50′16″N, 118°58′13″W
Elevation	m MSL
Highways	Highway 1 Highway 97A
Waterways	Shuswap Lake
Mayor
Governing body	Sicamous Council

^1(sc) According to the Canada 2001 Census. ^2(gr) Geographic references.

Coordinates: 50°50′16″N, 118°58′13″W

Sicamous, British Columbia is a town in British Columbia located adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway at the Highway 97A junction of Mara Lake and the Shuswap Lake system. It is known as a popular all season tourist destination attracting visitors from throughout Canada and the United States as well as worldwide. It has a population of 2300 which nearly doubles during the summer months.

[edit] Location and Geography

Sicamous is located at 50° 50′ 16″ N 118° 58′ 13″ W

[edit] History

In the 1800's Sicamous and area was inhabited by a semi-nomadic Indian group called the Shuswaps. They crossed the Rocky Mountains to hunt buffalo on the plains. In this area they were called the "Schickamoos". In 1871 a Provincial Map shows Schickamoos Narrows which in early history was known as a "meeting place of Indians".

In 1864 gold was discovered on the Columbia. Seymour Arm became a supply centre in the Big Bend gold rush.

In 1885 permanent settlers arrived after the driving of the Last Spike at Craigellachie which linked Canada sea to sea. Among the first settlers in Sicamous were the families from Finland. Old Town ,or Eagle Pass Landing as it now known, became an almost instant town in 1871. It was the central supply centre for railway construction. Today it is used primarily for recreational purposes.

Later in the early 1900's CPR hill became a residential development. Finlayson's store and a jail was built in 1892 adding a post office in 1904. Also, the first school was opened around the years of 1908 and 1910. In 1949 the bridge was built across the channel, having previously been just a ferry crossing. Several hotels were opened over the years. In the early 1900's the well known Sicamous Hotel was built. The hotel was Tudor style with 75 rooms and a large elegant dining room. The numerous dances were locally popular and well attended events. The hotel was demolished in 1964. It is notable that there are still numerous enquiries about the hotel

Eagle Valley, in Sicamous, became the home of many settlers. They came and farmed the land putting up with forests, deep snow and hordes of mosquitoes. Then the well known D Dutchmen Dairy was built. The first newspaper in Sicamous was the Eagle Valley News, it was printed for the first time on October 22, 1958. It continues to print today.

Sicamous was incorporated in 1989.

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Subdivisions of British Columbia

Regional districts	Alberni-Clayoquot · Bulkley-Nechako · Capital · Cariboo · Central Coast · Central Kootenay · Central Okanagan · Columbia-Shuswap · Comox-Strathcona · Cowichan Valley · East Kootenay · Fraser Valley · Fraser-Fort George · Greater Vancouver · Kitimat-Stikine · Kootenay Boundary · Mount Waddington · Nanaimo · North Okanagan · Northern Rockies · Okanagan-Similkameen · Peace River · Powell River · Skeena-Queen Charlotte · Squamish-Lillooet · Stikine · Sunshine Coast · Thompson-Nicola
Principal urban centres	Abbotsford · Kamloops · Kelowna · Nanaimo · Prince George · Vancouver · Victoria
Large suburban communities	Burnaby · Coquitlam · Delta · Langley Township · North Vancouver District · Richmond · Saanich · Surrey
Other major centres	Campbell River · Chilliwack · Courtenay · Cranbrook · Fort St. John · Penticton · Port Alberni · Salmon Arm · Vernon