In 1912 I found myself in a position to take an extended vacation during the summer and I immediately planned to re-visit the Canadian Rockies … I determined to take hunting trip north of the Yellowhead Pass. On August 8th I left a Hinton, a station on the Grand Trunk Pacific Ry., with Fred Brewster, from whom I obtained the outfit of horses. Our definite plans were to get as far as possible into the country beyond the Smoky River — a tributary of the Peace — and there hunt. The real object of our trip was to determine the species of sheep existing in the mountains between the Athabasca and Peace Rivers. After five weeks of travelling through badly fallen timber, which made our progress slow, we reached the head of Sheep Creek, a stream flowing into the Smoky River.

— S. P. Fay

Adopted in 1965 on map 93H/16, as labelled on 1929 survey plan 10T264, “McGregor River area,” by Allen John Campbell [1882–1967], British Columbia Land Surveyor, and as identified in the 1953 BC Gazetteer. Presumably named by Campbell.

A pommel is the knob-like protuberance at the front of a saddle, and this feature is located at the end (and is the highest summit) of an undulating ridgeline extending southwesterly from Mount Sir Alexander.

Origin of the name unknown.

Adopted in 1945 as labelled on BC map 1H, 1917, and as identified in the 1930 BC Gazetteer. Coordinates of mouth adjusted 3 June 1974 on 93O/3, because of flooding of Williston Lake.

Having persuaded one of the Sekanais to accompany them in the capacity of guide, Mackenzie and party reached (June 12, 1793) a lake two miles long, which was no other than the source of the Parsnip. After a portage of only 817 paces, they came to another lake, whence they entered a small stream which was to try sorely their patience, and which, for that reason, they called the “Bad River.”

— Morice 1904

Alexander Mackenzie [1764–1820] called this branch of the Peace River the left branch, the Finlay River being the right branch.

The name of the river comes from the abundance of cow-parsnip (Heracleum maximum) growing on its banks.” (John Macoun, quoted in the report of N. B. Gauvreau, CE, 1891). This plant is sometimes called “Indian Rhubarb” since native Americans eat the petioles or leaf-stalks.

Patterson mentions the “almost tropical growth of the giant cow parsnip from which the river gets is name.” He found this growing up to 7-feet high and says “the din of the rain on the huge leaves was like the rush of a tremendous wind”.