Fraser River

Fraser River crossing in New Westminster, BC - Pattullo bridge, SkyTrain bridge, CN Rail bridge

The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for 1,375 kilometres (854 mi), into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of Vancouver. The river's annual discharge at its mouth is 112 cubic kilometres (27 cu mi) or 3,550 cubic metres per second (125,000 cu ft/s), and it discharges 20 million tons of sediment into the ocean. The river was named for Simon Fraser the explorer who travelled through the region around 1808.(Wikipedia)

The Fraser River, called the Sto:lo by the Halqemeylem and Lhtakoh by the Dakelh nations, was the route used by Indigenous of the region long before Simon Fraser came on the scene. Always a source of food and a travel and trade route, in 1858 gold was discovered and the region was soon occupied by gold seekers and the accompanying development.

Over 30,000 people from around the world moved to British Columbia, seeking to become successful gold miners. This new economic force, the Gold Rush, resulted in many gold mines, roads, and towns being built. The Canadian Pacific Railway — completed in 1885 — connected eastern Canada to British Columbia and played an important role in the development of the nation. Built in dangerous conditions by thousands of labourers, from Asia, Europe and other parts of Canada and the United States, the railway facilitated communication and transportation across the country. It was the need to expand this network that led to the decision to build the Kettle Valley Railway.