Chase, British Columbia

Village of Chase
—  Village  —
Chase and Little Shuswap Lake
Motto: Chase, a Shuswap Experience
Location of Chase in British Columbia
Coordinates: 50°49′8″N 119°41′4″W / 50.81889°N 119.68444°W / 50.81889; -119.68444
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Region	BC Interior
Regional district	Thompson-Nicola
Incorporated	1907
Government
- Governing body	Chase Village Council
- Mayor	Harry Danyluk
Area
- Total	3.05 km2 (1.2 sq mi)
Elevation	380 m (1,247 ft)
Population (2006)
- Total	2,409
- Density	807.2/km2 (2,090.6/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC-8)
Postal code span	V0E 1M0
Highways	1
Waterways	South Thompson River & Chase Creek
Website	Village of Chase

Chase is a village located in the Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It has a population of roughly 2,500, and its main industries are forestry and tourism. It is located at the outlet of Little Shuswap Lake, which is the source of the South Thompson River. Chase Creek, which drops over three small waterfalls before flowing through the town, enters the South Thompson just below the lake's outlet.

History

Adams River Lumber mill, 1919

The town of Chase was named after Whitfield Chase, an American from New York State who arrived in the area in 1867 after coming to Canada during the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. He was the first non-native settler who farmed and raised a family in what was then called the Shuswap Prairie. He married a young Secwepemc girl who was 25 years his junior. Her name was Per-soons, but when they married she changed her name to Elizabeth. His head cowboy Filemon deLeenheer married Elizabeth's sister, Cimmenak. Whitfield and Elizabeth raised ten children together. The town was named in honour of Whitfield Chase although the community did not exist until more than 10 years after his death.^[1]

An American logging company first came to the area in 1907 and purchased what became the original town site from Whitfield's heir. They subdivided the land into lots, installed water and electricity and sold the lots to workers and business people. For the location of the mill, they leased approximately 70 acres (280,000 m²) of land from the Chase family that bordered the Thompson River near Little Shuswap Lake.

The Chase Mill became known as the Adams River Lumber Company because they logged exclusively off the Adams River and Adams Lake area. The Adams River Lumber Company, after logging within 100 feet (30 m) of the Adams River and Lake closed the mill in 1925 and took their profits back to the United States. This lease terminated in 2006 and the property reverted to descendants and heirs of the Chase family.

Chase grew slowly over the next few decades with only a small core of permanent residents. It was not until incorporation in 1969 that the community began to market itself as a tourist destination and people began to explore the area. The community, as a result, saw an increase in population with visitors to the area returning to live, work and retire. Chase also benefited from the construction of the Coquihalla Highway in the mid-1980s.

See also

• Little Shuswap Indian Band (Squilax)

References

1. ^ Village of Chase Official Website

External links

• CFCH-FM 103.5 The Chase Lions Club Radio Station

Coordinates: 50°49′8″N 119°41′4″W / 50.81889°N 119.68444°W / 50.81889; -119.68444