Category Archives: Place

Avalanche Creek

British Columbia. Creek: Columbia River drainage
Former name of tributary of Canoe River
52.7444 N 119.0972 W GoogleGeoHack
Earliest known reference to this name is 1900 (McEvoy)
Not currently an official name.

Location approximater. Flows south into Canoe River south of Valemount. Possibly Dave Henry Creek, Yellowjacket Creek, Horse Creek.

References:

  • McEvoy, James [1862–1935]. “Map Showing Yellowhead Pass Route From Edmonton To Tête-Jaune Cache.” (1900). Natural Resources Canada

Diamond Willow Creek

British Columbia. Creek: Fraser River drainage
Flows S into Fraser River N of Dunster
53.1472 N 119.8389 W — Map 83E/4 — GoogleGeoHack
Name officially adopted in 1994
Official in BCCanada

No previous local name; recent community involvement in construction of campsite and picnic area here suggested that a name was desirable. Various suggestions were made by Dunster residents before they agreed with the 4-H Club proposal to name the creek and facilities for the abundance of “diamond” willow trees (Salix plenifolia, ssp pulchra) in the area.

References:

Dunster Creek

British Columbia. Creek: Fraser River drainage
Flows N into Fraser River at Dunster
53.1336 N 119.8353 W GoogleGeoHack
Name officially adopted in 2019
Official in BCCanada

Adopted in 2019 as required by water licensing. Because no traditional or local name was brought forward, “Dunster Creek” was chosen because the stream flows through the community of Dunster.

References:

Also see:

Charlie Leake Field

British Columbia. Airport
North of village of McBride
53.315 N 120.1705 W GoogleGeoHack
Earliest known reference to this name is 2021
Not currently an official name.
Commanding Officer Charlie Leake

Commanding Officer Charlie Leake

McBride’s 830m airstrip is named for Lieutenant Colonel Charles Leake, CD, RCAF (ret’d) [ca. 1932–2024], raised in McBride. Leake retired after 27 years in the military and returned to the McBride area. He died in Comox, British Columbia.

Leake was a partner in CCI Aviation. CCI stood for Charlie Chitwood, Charlie Leake, and Ian Monroe.

The airstrip, CAV4, accommodates small aircraft, and is operated by the Village of McBride.

References:

  • Arnold, Andrea. “Charlie Leake, veteran, still soaring through life in his 80s.” Rocky Mountain Goat, November 10 (2020). Rocky Mountain Goat
Also see:

Mount Sig Harstad

British Columbia. Mountain
South of McBride, between Castle Creek and Raush River
53.13 N 120.106 W GoogleGeoHack
Earliest known reference to this name is 2021
Not currently an official name.

Not an official name.

Buried in the McBride cemetery:
Harstad, Sig   1896 – 1979
Harstad, Eva May   1914 – 1996
Harstad, Leon S.   1944 – 2008
Harstad, Robert A.   1949 – 1993
Harstad, Sheena Maree   1969 – 1970

There is an entry for Mount Sig Harstad in the Cebuano Wikipedia, where we find that “The land around Mount Sig Harstad is mostly mountainous, but immediately surrounding it are hills. The highest point in the vicinity has an elevation of 2,816 meters and is 2.6 km south of Mount Sig Harstad. Less than 2 people per square kilometer around Mount Sig Harstad. The nearest larger town is McBride, 19.4 km north of Mount Sig Harstad. The area around Mount Sig Harstad is almost completely covered in grass.”

There is also a Mount Sig Harstad page on Geonames.

References: