Spallumcheen, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Spallumcheen is a district municipality
in the Canadian
province of British Columbia
. Located in the Okanagan
region between Vernon
and Enderby
, the township had a population of 4,960 in the Canada 2006 Census
. The district, whose official name is the Township of Spallumcheen and which is the oldest rural municipality in the British Columbia Interior
, consists primarily of agricultural land surrounding the separately incorporated City of Armstrong
. Both Spallumcheen and Armstrong
are member municipalities of the Regional District of North Okanagan.
word, either "spil-a-mi-shine" meaning "flat mouth", or "spal-lum-shin" meaning "meadow flat". Another word, spalmtsin, which has an Okanagan language cognate spelemtsin, means "flat area along edge". Other variations include Spellmacheen and Spallamcheen, which were the original names used for the Shuswap River
, which exits the Shuswap Highland
in this area and heads north to Mara
and Shuswap Lake
s. The same word is the source of the mame of the Spillimacheen River
and the settlement of the same name
in the Columbia Valley
.
District municipality
A district municipality is a designation for a class of municipalities found in several locations, including Canada, Lithuania, and South Africa.-Usage in British Columbia:...
in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Located in the Okanagan
Okanagan
The Okanagan , also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as Okanagan Country is a region located in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. As of 2009, the region's population is approximately 350,927. The...
region between Vernon
Vernon, British Columbia
Vernon is a city in the south-central region of British Columbia, Canada. Named after Forbes George Vernon, a former MLA of British Columbia who helped found the famed Coldstream Ranch, the City of Vernon was incorporated on December 30, 1892. The City of Vernon has a population of 35,944 , while...
and Enderby
Enderby, British Columbia
The City of Enderby is in the North Okanagan of the Canadian province of British Columbia, between Armstrong and Salmon Arm. It is approximately 80 km north of Kelowna and 130 km east of Kamloops...
, the township had a population of 4,960 in the Canada 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
. The district, whose official name is the Township of Spallumcheen and which is the oldest rural municipality in the British Columbia Interior
British Columbia Interior
The British Columbia Interior or BC Interior or Interior of British Columbia, usually referred to only as the Interior, is one of the three main regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, the other two being the Lower Mainland, which comprises the overlapping areas of Greater Vancouver...
, consists primarily of agricultural land surrounding the separately incorporated City of Armstrong
Armstrong, British Columbia
The City of Armstrong is located in the North Okanagan of the Canadian province of British Columbia, between Vernon and Enderby. It overlooks the Spallumcheen Valley, which forms a broad pass between the Okanagan Valley to the south and the Shuswap Country to the north, and is about from each of...
. Both Spallumcheen and Armstrong
Armstrong, British Columbia
The City of Armstrong is located in the North Okanagan of the Canadian province of British Columbia, between Vernon and Enderby. It overlooks the Spallumcheen Valley, which forms a broad pass between the Okanagan Valley to the south and the Shuswap Country to the north, and is about from each of...
are member municipalities of the Regional District of North Okanagan.
Name origin
The name is derived from a Shuswap languageShuswap language
The Shuswap language, known to its speakers as Secwepemctsín , is the traditional language of the Shuswap people of British Columbia. An endangered language, Shuswap is spoken mainly in the Central and Southern interior of British Columbia between the Fraser River and the Rocky Mountains...
word, either "spil-a-mi-shine" meaning "flat mouth", or "spal-lum-shin" meaning "meadow flat". Another word, spalmtsin, which has an Okanagan language cognate spelemtsin, means "flat area along edge". Other variations include Spellmacheen and Spallamcheen, which were the original names used for the Shuswap River
Shuswap River
The basin of the Shuswap River lies northeast of the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. It is the upper part of the drainage better known to British Columbians as belonging to Shuswap Lake and the South Thompson River...
, which exits the Shuswap Highland
Shuswap Highland
The Shuswap Highland is a plateau-like hilly area of in British Columbia, Canada. It spans the upland area between the Bonaparte and Thompson Plateaus from the area of Mahood Lake, at the southeast corner of the Cariboo Plateau, southeast towards the lower Shuswap River east of Vernon in the...
in this area and heads north to Mara
Mara Lake
Mara Lake is a lake in the Shuswap Country of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located immediately south of the community of Sicamous and to the north of the community of Enderby. It is the outlet of the Shuswap River, which begins in the Monashee Mountains to the east...
and Shuswap Lake
Shuswap Lake
Shuswap Lake is a lake located in south-central British Columbia, Canada that drains via the Little River into Little Shuswap Lake. Little Shuswap Lake is the source of the South Thompson River, a branch of the Thompson River, a tributary of the Fraser River...
s. The same word is the source of the mame of the Spillimacheen River
Spillimacheen River
The Spillimacheen River is a tributary of the Columbia River in the Canadian province of British Columbia.-Course:The Spillimacheen River originates just east of Glacier National Park...
and the settlement of the same name
Spillimacheen, British Columbia
Spillimacheen is an unincorporated settlement in the Columbia Valley of British Columbia, Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Spillimacheen and Columbia Rivers, upstream from and southeast of the town of Golden.-References:...
in the Columbia Valley
Columbia Valley
The Columbia Valley is the name used for a region in the Rocky Mountain Trench near the headwaters of the Columbia River between the town of Golden and the Canal Flats. The main hub of the valley is the town of Invermere. Other towns include Radium Hot Springs, Windermere and Fairmont Hot Springs...
.