The
Peace River (French:
rivière de la Paix) is a
riverA river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, a sea or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water...
in
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
that originates in the
Rocky MountainsThe Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in Canada, to New Mexico, in the United States. The range's highest peak is Mount Elbert in Colorado at above sea level...
of northern
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
and flows through northern
AlbertaAlberta is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1, 1905.Alberta is located in western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south....
.
The regions along the river are the traditional home of the
Dunne-zaThe Daneẕaa are a First Nation of the Athapaskan language group, whose traditional territory is around the Peace River of the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, Canada...
or Beaver people. The
fur tradeThe fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur.-Russian fur trade:Before the colonization of the Americas, Russia was a major supplier of fur-pelts to Western Europe and parts of Asia. Fur was a major Russian export as trade developed in the early Middle...
r
Peter PondPeter Pond was born in Milford, Connecticut. He was a soldier with a Connecticut regiment, a fur trader, a founding member of the North West Company, an explorer and a cartographer.-Biography:...
is believed to have visited the river in 1785. In 1788 Charles Boyer of the
North West CompanyThe North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...
established a fur trading post at the river's junction with the Boyer River.
In 1792 and 1793, the explorer Alexander Mackenzie travelled up the river to the
Continental DivideThe Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Divide or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from, those river systems which drain into the...
.
The
Peace River (French:
rivière de la Paix) is a
riverA river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, a sea or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water...
in
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
that originates in the
Rocky MountainsThe Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in Canada, to New Mexico, in the United States. The range's highest peak is Mount Elbert in Colorado at above sea level...
of northern
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
and flows through northern
AlbertaAlberta is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1, 1905.Alberta is located in western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south....
.
History
The regions along the river are the traditional home of the
Dunne-zaThe Daneẕaa are a First Nation of the Athapaskan language group, whose traditional territory is around the Peace River of the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, Canada...
or Beaver people. The
fur tradeThe fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur.-Russian fur trade:Before the colonization of the Americas, Russia was a major supplier of fur-pelts to Western Europe and parts of Asia. Fur was a major Russian export as trade developed in the early Middle...
r
Peter PondPeter Pond was born in Milford, Connecticut. He was a soldier with a Connecticut regiment, a fur trader, a founding member of the North West Company, an explorer and a cartographer.-Biography:...
is believed to have visited the river in 1785. In 1788 Charles Boyer of the
North West CompanyThe North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...
established a fur trading post at the river's junction with the Boyer River.
In 1792 and 1793, the explorer Alexander Mackenzie travelled up the river to the
Continental DivideThe Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Divide or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from, those river systems which drain into the...
. Mackenzie referred to the river as "
Unjegah", from a native word meaning "large river". The Peace River, or
Unchaga or
Unjaja, was named after Peace Point near
Lake AthabascaLake Athabasca is located in the northwest corner of Saskatchewan and the northeast corner of Alberta between 58° and 60° N.-History:...
, where the Treaty of the Peace came authorized with the smoking of a
peace pipeA Calumet is a ceremonial smoking pipe used by some Native American Nations. Traditionally it has been smoked to seal a covenant or treaty, or to offer prayers in a religious ceremony....
. The treaty ended the decades of hostilities between the
BeaverThe Daneẕaa are a First Nation of the Athapaskan language group, whose traditional territory is around the Peace River of the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, Canada...
(Athapascan branch) and the
CreeCree is one of the largest group of First Nations/Aboriginals in North America, located mainly across Canada and historically in the United States from Minnesota westward but are found today in Montana....
in which the Cree dominated the Beaver until a
smallpox epidemicBetween 1775 and 1782, a smallpox epidemic raged across much of North America, killing more than 130,000 people. It rampaged the town of Boston during the British occupation and the American siege of 1775. It was present during the American invasion of Quebec in 1775...
in 1781 decimated the Cree. The treaty made the Beaver stay north of the river and the Cree south.
In 1794, a fur trading post was built on the Peace River at
Fort St. JohnThe City of Fort St. John is a small city in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of the Peace River Regional District, the city covers an area of about 22 km² with 17,402 residents . Located at Mile 47, it is the second largest city along the Alaska Highway, after...
, which was the first non-native settlement on the British Columbia mainland.
The rich soils of the Peace River valley in Alberta have been producing
wheatWheat is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Fertile Crescent region of the Near East. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
crops since the late 19th century. The Peace River region is also an important centre of
oilPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds.The term "petroleum" was first used in the treatise De Natura Fossilium, published in...
and
natural gasNatural gas is a gas consisting primarily of methane. It is found associated with fossil fuels, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is created by methanogenic organisms in marshes, bogs, and landfills...
production. There are also
pulpPulp is a dry fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating fibers from wood, fiber crops or waste paper.Pulp can be either fluffy or formed into thick sheets. The latter form is used if the pulp must be transported from the pulp mill to a paper mill...
and paper plants along the river in British Columbia.
Course
This river is 1,923 km long (from the head of
Finlay RiverThe Finlay River is a 402 km long river in north-central British Columbia flowing north and thence south from Thutade Lake in the Omineca Mountains to Williston Lake, the impounded waters of the Peace River formed by the completion of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam in 1968. Prior to this, the Finlay...
to
Lake AthabascaLake Athabasca is located in the northwest corner of Saskatchewan and the northeast corner of Alberta between 58° and 60° N.-History:...
). It drains an area of approximately 302,500 km
2. At Peace Point, where it drains in the
Slave RiverThe Slave River is a Canadian river that flows from Lake Athabasca in northeastern Alberta and empties into Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories....
, it has an annual discharge of 2161 m
3/s or 68,200,000 dam
3/a.
A large man-made lake,
Williston LakeWilliston Lake is a reservoir located in the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada.-Geography:The lake fills the basin of the upper Peace River, backing into the Rocky Mountain Trench which is where the Parsnip and Finlay met at Finlay Forks to form the Peace...
, has been formed on the upper river by the construction of the
W. A. C. Bennett DamThe W. A. C. Bennett Dam is a large hydroelectric earthfill dam on the Peace River in northern British Columbia, Canada. The dam, located 19 kilometres west of Hudson's Hope, and 85 kilometres northwest of Chetwynd, is named after the late former premier William A. C. Bennett, and came on-line in...
for hydroelectric power generation. The river then flows into Dinosaur Lake, which serves as a reservoir for the
Peace Canyon DamThe Peace Canyon Dam is a large hydroelectric dam on the Peace River in northern British Columbia, Canada. It is located 6 km southwest of Hudson's Hope, 23 km downstream from the W.A.C. Bennett Dam....
. After the dams, the river flows east into Alberta and then continues north and east into the
Peace-Athabasca DeltaThe Peace-Athabasca Delta is a large freshwater, inland delta in northeastern Alberta located where the Peace and Athabasca Rivers join the Slave River at the western end of Lake Athabasca.-Conservation:...
in
Wood Buffalo National ParkWood Buffalo National Park, located in northeastern Alberta and southern Northwest Territories, is the largest national park in Canada at 44,807 km². The park was established in 1922 to protect the world's largest herd of free roaming Wood Bison, currently estimated at more than 5,000...
, at the western end of
Lake AthabascaLake Athabasca is located in the northwest corner of Saskatchewan and the northeast corner of Alberta between 58° and 60° N.-History:...
. Water from the delta flows into the
Slave RiverThe Slave River is a Canadian river that flows from Lake Athabasca in northeastern Alberta and empties into Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories....
east of Peace Point and reaches the
Arctic OceanThe Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest, and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions.
The International Hydrographic Organization recognizes it as an ocean, although some...
via the
Great Slave LakeGreat Slave Lake is the second-largest lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada , the deepest lake in North America at , and the ninth-largest lake in the world. It is long and wide. It covers an area of in the southern part of the territory. Its volume is...
and
Mackenzie RiverThe Mackenzie River originates in Great Slave Lake, in the Northwest Territories, and flows north into the Arctic Ocean. It is the longest river in Canada at and, together with its headstreams the Peace and the Finlay, the second longest river in North America at in length. The Mackenzie and...
.
Communities
Communities located directly on the river include:
- Hudson's Hope, British Columbia
Hudson's Hope is a small town in northeastern British Columbia, Canada, in the Peace River Regional District. It covers an area of with a population of 1,157 people. Having been first settled in 1805, it is the third oldest community in the province, although it was not incorporated until 1965....
- Taylor, British Columbia
The District of Taylor is a small town in northeastern British Columbia, Canada, located on mile 36 of the Alaska Highway. Taylor, a member municipality of the Peace River Regional District, covers an area of about 17 km² with 1,380 residents. Being just south of the much larger city of Fort St...
- Peace River, Alberta
Peace River is a town in west northern Alberta, Canada. It is located on the Peace River, at its confluence with the Smoky River and Heart River...
- Fort Vermilion, Alberta
Fort Vermilion is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada, located on the banks of the Peace River. Established in 1788, it shares the title of oldest European settlement in Alberta with Fort Chipewyan. Fort Vermilion contains many modern amenities to serve its inhabitants as well as the surrounding...
Many
provincial parkA provincial park is a park under the management of a provincial or territorial government in Canada.While provincial parks are not the same as national parks, their workings are very similar...
s and wildland reserves are established on the river, such as
Butler Ridge Provincial ParkButler Ridge Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Located on the northern shore of the Peach Reach arm of Williston Lake, 20 km northwest of Hudson's Hope, the park covers an area of 6,694 ha...
,
Taylor Landing Provincial ParkTaylor Landing Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada....
,
Beatton River Provincial ParkBeatton River Provincial Park is a provincial park in the Peace River Country of northeastern British Columbia, Canada.-External links:...
,
Peace River Corridor Provincial ParkPeace River Corridor Provincial Park is a 2014 ha provincial park in British Columbia, Canada.It is located on the banks of the Peace River, at the confluence with Kiskatinaw River, downstream from Taylor. It is in the Boreal White and Black Spruce biogeoclimatic zone within the Peace Lowlands...
in British Columbia and
Dunvegan Provincial ParkDunvegan Provincial Park is a provincial park in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Dunvegan, at the crossing of Peace River and Highway 2, between Rycroft and Fairview.Dunvegan West Wildland Park is an extension of this provincial park.-See also:...
,
Dunvegan West Wildland,
Peace River Wildland,
Greene Valley Provincial ParkGreen Valley Provincial Park is a provincial park in north-western Alberta, Canada.It is located in the Heart River valley, close to the junction of Peace and Smoky River.The park provides winter range for moose and mule deer...
,
Notikewin Provincial ParkNotikewin Provincial Park is a provincial park located in northwestern Alberta, Canada, 37 km east of Manning.The park is located at the confluence of the Peace River and Notikewin River. Crummy Lake also is located here...
,
Wood Buffalo National ParkWood Buffalo National Park, located in northeastern Alberta and southern Northwest Territories, is the largest national park in Canada at 44,807 km². The park was established in 1922 to protect the world's largest herd of free roaming Wood Bison, currently estimated at more than 5,000...
in Alberta.
A few
Indian reserveIn Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
s are also located on the river banks, among them Beaver Ranch 163, John D'Or Prairie 215, Fox Lake 162, Peace Point 222 and Devil's Gate 220.
Tributaries
Tributaries of the Peace River include:
Williston LakeWilliston Lake is a reservoir located in the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada.-Geography:The lake fills the basin of the upper Peace River, backing into the Rocky Mountain Trench which is where the Parsnip and Finlay met at Finlay Forks to form the Peace...
- Finlay River
The Finlay River is a 402 km long river in north-central British Columbia flowing north and thence south from Thutade Lake in the Omineca Mountains to Williston Lake, the impounded waters of the Peace River formed by the completion of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam in 1968. Prior to this, the Finlay...
- Omineca River
Omineca River is a river in northern British Columbia, Canada. It flows into the Williston Lake, in the Peace River basin.-Tributaries:*Ominicetla Creek*Germansen Creek*Osilinka River*Mesilinka River...
- Ingenika River
- Ospika River
- Parsnip River
The Parsnip River is a 240 km long river in central British Columbia, Canada. It flows generally north-westward from the Parsnip Glacier in the Hart Ranges to the Parsnip Reach of Williston Lake, formed by the impounding of the waters of the Peace River by the W.A.C. Bennett Dam in 1968...
- Manson River
- Nation River
- Clearwater Creek
- Nabesche River
- Carbon Creek
Northeastern British Columbia
- Farrell Creek
- Halfway River
Halfway River is a river in north-eastern British Columbia, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Peace River.The river originates in the Muskwa Ranges at an elevation of . It flows from Robb Lake, between Mount Kenny and Mount Robb, then flows east to Pink Mountain...
- Moberly River
- Pine River
- Beatton River
The Beatton River is a tributary of the Peace River, flowing generally east, then south through north-eastern British Columbia, Canada. The river rises at Pink Mountain, about 10 km west of the Alaska Highway hamlet of the same name, and flows 240 km generally east, then south, draining into the...
- Doig River
Doig River is a river in Alberta and northern British Columbia, Canada.It originates on the northern fringes of Peace River Country in northern Alberta, south of the Chinchaga Wildland Park, in the Halverson Ridge of the Clear Hills, then flows westwards into British Columbia...
- Blueberry River
The Blueberry River is a river in the Peace River Block of northeastern British Columbia, Canada. It is a tributary of the Beatton River, which is a tributary of the Peace River....
- Kiskatinaw River
Kiskatinaw is a small river in north-eastern British Columbia, Canada.It is a tributary of the Peace River.The Kiskatinaw Provincial Park is established on the banks of the river, east of the Alaska Highway, along the old alignment of the highway, at the site of a curved wooden bridge...
- Alces River
Alberta
- Pouce Coupe River
Pouce Coupe is a river in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Peace River.Originating in Alberta's Saddle Hills County, it flows into British Columbia's Peace River Regional District, then returns in Alberta in Clear Hills County, where it empties into the Peace...
- Clear River
- Montagneuse River
- Hamelin Creek
- Ksituan River
- Hines Creek
- Saddle River
- Smoky River
Smoky River is a river in western Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Peace River. The descriptive name refers to the presence of "smouldering beds of coal in the riverbank" noted by the Cree Indians....
- Heart River
- Whitemud River
- Cadotte River
- Notikewin River
- Wolverine River
- Buffalo River
- Keg River
- Boyer River
- Caribou River
- Wabasca River
Wabasca River is a river in northern Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Peace River.It has a total drainage area of .-Course:...
- Mikkwa River
- Wentzel River
- Jackfish River
Lake ClaireLake Claire is a large lake in Alberta, Canada. It is located entirely in Wood Buffalo National Park, west of Lake Athabasca. It lies between the mouths of Peace River and Athabasca River, and is part of the Peace-Athabasca Delta system....
- Birch River
- McIvor River
- Baril Lake
- Mamawi Lake
External links