The first salmon cannery was established in North America in 1864 on a barge in the Sacramento River.

A salmon cannery is a factory that commercially cans salmon. It is a fish processing industry that became established on the Pacific coast of North America during the nineteenth century, and subsequently expanded to other parts of the world that had easy access to salmon.

[edit] Background

The "father of canning" is the Frenchman Nicolas Appert. In 1795, he began experimenting with ways to preserve foodstuffs, placing food in sealed glass jars and then placing the jars in boiling water.^[1] During the first years of the Napoleonic Wars, the French government offered a 12,000-franc prize to anyone who could devise a cheap and effective method of preserving large amounts of food. The larger armies of the period required increased and regular supplies of quality food. Appert submitted his invention and won the prize in January 1810. The reason for lack of spoilage was unknown at the time, since it would be another 50 years before Louis Pasteur demonstrated the role of microbes in food spoilage. However, glass containers presented challenges for transportation. Shortly after, the British inventor and merchant Peter Durand patented his own method, this time in a tin can, creating the modern-day process of canning foods.^[2]

Canning was used in the 1830s in Scotland to keep fish fresh until it could be marketed. By the 1840s, salmon was being canned in Maine and New Brunswick.^[3] The commercial salmon canneries had their main origins in California, particularly on the Columbia River. They were never important on the US Atlantic Coast, but by the 1940s, the principal canneries had shifted to Alaska.^[4]

[edit] North America

[edit] Native Americans

Long before the appearance of Europeans, Native Americans operated a dried salmon industry from the Columbia River, trading salmon to the plains tribes.^[4] The Native Americans usually captured salmon by manually hauling seine nets (dragnets). The nets were woven with spruce root fibers or wild grass, and used sticks made of cedar as floats and stones as weights. The movement of the sticks during seining helped keep the fish together. The technique was to "sweep nets during ebb tide from upstream to down, with the net anchored at the beach upstream. A boat then carried the net out and around salmon migrating upstream."^[5]

Native Americans fishing

Native American fishing salmon with loop net 1938

Dipnet fishing at Celilo Falls 1941

Repairing salmon nets, ca. 1950

Indian Salmon Cannery, ca. 1890, New Metlakahtla, Alaska

Robert Hume operated salmon canneries on the Columbia and Rogue rivers between 1866 and 1908.

Salmon can label used by Hume

[edit] Settlers

Prior to canning, fish were salted to preserve them. Cobb claims that at the start of the 19th century, the Russians marketed salted salmon caught in Alaska in St. Petersburg.^[4][6] Shortly after, the Northwest Fur Com­pany started marketing salted salmon from the Columbia River. It then merged with the Hudson's Bay Company, and the salm­on was marketed in Australia, China, Hawaii, Japan and the eastern United States. Later, some salmon salteries were converted to salmon canneries.^[4]

The first industrial scale salmon cannery in North America was established in 1864 on a barge in the Sacramento River by the four Hume brothers together with their partner Andrew S. Hapgood.^[7] In 1866 the Hume brothers relocated the business to a site 50 miles inland on the Columbia River.^[7] The history of North American salmon canneries is exemplified by their history on the Columbia River. Within a few years each of the Hume brothers had their own cannery. By 1872, Robert Hume was operating a number of canneries, bringing in Chinese people willing to work for low wages to do the cannery work, and having local Native American people do the fishing. By 1883, the salmon canneries had become the major industry on the Columbia River, with 1,700 gillnet boats supplying 39 canneries with 15,000 tonnes of salmon annually, mainly Chinook.^[7]

The settlers learned the use of seine nets from Native Americans. By 1895 there were eighty-four seines on the Columbia, and Robert Hume started hauling them with teams of horses. The seines were operated from day break to dawn around islands and along beaches. At Puget Sound salmon were caught by fishing boats using purse seine nets. Purse seine nets are used to encircle a school of salmon and then trap them by drawing ("pursing") the bottom of the net together, as you would with a string purse. By 1905 the boats used engines for hauling the seine lines. In 1922 it was made illegal to use salmon purse seiners on and around the Columbia. In 1948, horse and manual seines were also outlawed.^[5]

By 1889 the Chinook runs were declining, and the canneries started processing the less sought after steelhead and sockeye salmon, followed by coho and chum salmon. The number of salmon continued to decline because the canneries intercepted them before they could spawn in the upper river. The decline was accelerated by mining and forestry operations, and the introduction of grazing animals, which resulted in the spawning grounds becoming silted and polluted. Further aggravation resulted from the diversion of water for irrigation. Columbia salmon harvest managers responded to these declines by introducing the hatchery production of fish fry. As a result, production leveled and remained fairly stable for some decades, before going into a further steady decline from 1930. The Columbia's last major cannery closed in 1980.^[7]

In 1928, in an attempt to measure the escapement of salmon in the south east of Alaska, the Bureau of Fisheries constructed four special weirs designed so the passing salmon could be counted (see photo below). Escapement is the proportion of spawning stock which survives fishing pressure during a salmon run. The counting stations were intended to provide harvest managers with data they needed to manage the salmon fisheries, but they missed much of the escapement. Smaller fish passed through the weirs uncounted, the salmon could not be counted during times of flood, and there were hundreds of other salmon streams in the area without counting

stations.^[8]

Europeans fishing

Source - Wikipédia - posté par Joachim De Naeyer

Manually seining salmon on Columbia River 1914

Hauling a seine on the Columbia River using horse teams 1938

Early steam seine netter

Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert vue du mont Morse
Administration
Pays	Canada
Province	Colombie-Britannique
Maire	Jack Mussallem
Fondateur Date de fondation	Charles Melville Hays 1910
Démographie
Population	12 508 hab. (2011)
Densité	228 hab./km2
Géographie
Coordonnées	54° 18′ 54″ Nord        130° 19′ 15″ Ouest / 54.315099, -130.320961
Superficie	5 493 ha = 54,93 km2
Localisation
Géolocalisation sur la carte : Colombie-Britannique Prince Rupert Géolocalisation sur la carte : Colombie-Britannique Prince Rupert Voir la carte Colombie-Britannique administrative Voir la carte Colombie-Britannique topographique

Prince Rupert^[1] est une ville portuaire située sur le littoral nord-ouest de l'île Kaien en Colombie-Britannique au Canada, juste au sud de l'Alaska Panhandle. C'est le siège du district régional de Skeena-Queen Charlotte.

Au recensement de 2006, on y a dénombré une population de 12 815^[2] habitants.

Histoire[modifier]

L'emplacement de la ville constituait le terminus ouest de la ligne de chemin de fer transcontinentale de la société Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. Les dirigeants de cette compagnie organisèrent en 1906 un concours avec une prime de 250 dollars pour choisir le nom qui serait attribué à la ville. C'est le nom du Prince Rupert, premier gouverneur de la Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson qui sera finalement choisi.

Source - Wikipédia - Posté par Joachim De Naeyer

Canada Place, which houses the East Building of the convention centre

West Building

The Vancouver Convention Centre (formerly known as the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre, or VCEC), is a convention centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; it is one of Canada's largest convention centres. With the opening of the new West Building in 2009, it now has 466,500 ft² (43,340 m²) of meeting space. It is owned by the British Columbia Pavilion Corporation, a crown corporationowned by the government of British Columbia.

[edit]East Building

The East Building is located in Canada Place, which it shares with a cruise ship terminal, and the Pan Pacific hotel. It has 133,000 ft² (12,400 m²) of space, including a 91,205 ft² (8,500 m²) column-free, dividable exhibition hall, 20 meeting rooms, and a ballroom.

The East building served as the Main Press Centre for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

[edit]West Building

Completed West Building

The West Building is directly adjacent to Canada Place and consists of 220,500 square feet (20,490 m²) of convention space, 90,000 square feet (8,400 m²) of retail space along a public waterfront promenade, and 440 parking stalls. Surrounding the building are 400,000 square feet (37,000 m²) of walkways, bikeways, public open space and plazas, for a total project area of 14 acres (57,000 m²) of land and 8 acres (32,000 m²) over water. The project also supplies infrastructure for future water based developments including an expanded marina, a float plane terminal, and water-based retail opportunities. The design architect for the expansion is LMN Architects of Seattle, in association with Vancouver firms MCM Architects and DA Architects + Planners. Morrison Hershfield ensured quality assurance and conducted enhanced field review during construction of all building envelope components including innovative curtain wall glazing and green roof.^[1] On February 9, 2010 the building was certified LEED Platinum by the Canada Green Building Council.

The West Building opened to the public on April 4, 2009. It effectively tripled the capacity of the convention centre. The building hosted theInternational Broadcast Centre for the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics. Connecting to the centre will be The Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel.

Adjacent to the West building is the Jack Poole Plaza^[2] (formerly known as Thurlow Plaza)^[3], in honour of Jack Poole, who died ofpancreatic cancer in 2009. He was responsible for securing the bid of the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics to Vancouver.

Olympic Cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza

[edit]Sustainability

The new west Building expansion is certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum and is designated a PowerSmart Convention Centre by BC Hydro. It was awarded a "GO GREEN" certificate from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) for industry-approved, environmental best practices in building management. The living roof, seawater heating and cooling, on-site water treatment and fish habitat built into the foundation of the West Building make it one of the greenest convention centres in the world. The Centre recycles an average of 180,000 kilograms of materials annually, nearly half of the total volume of waste generated. It avoids canned goods, disposable utensils and dishes, and donates leftover food to local charities.

The 6-acre (24,000 m²) "living roof" is the largest in Canada and the largest non-industrial living roof in North America. The roof landscape is designed as a self-sustaining grassy habitat characteristic of coastal British Columbia, including 400,000 native plants and 4 colonies of 60,000 bees each which provide honey for the public plaza restaurant. No public access is allowed to the roof, which made it possible to create a fully functional ecosystem with natural drainage and seed migration patterns using the roof's architectural topography. The landscape functionally connects to nearby Stanley Park via a corridor of waterfront parks. Irrigation to the roof is provided by the building's wastewater treatment plant. In the event that the roof irrigation demands exceed the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant, make-up water can be provided by a reverse osmosis desalinization plant drawing and treating seawater pumped from the harbour as well as municipal water through an air gap connection to the storage tanks, as needed.

All wastewater generated in the building is treated and recycled for use in toilet and urinal flushing, as well as green roof irrigation. The treatment facility uses a membrane bioreactor process, manufactured and supplied by GE/Zenon, consisting of two bioreactor tanks and an ultrafiltration (hollow fibre) membrane tank, followed by chlorination to remove colour and disinfect the reclaimed water. The treatment system is designed for an average daily flow of 75 cubic metres per day (20,000 gpd), and maximum flows of up to 150 cubic metres per day (40,000 gpd). With the City of Vancouver 2012 commercial metered water and sewer rates at $2.803 and $1.754, respectively, the convention centre can save over $21,000 per month in utility fees through water reuse. One of the biggest operating challenges is to maintain the treatment plant bacteria in a healthy condition during lengthy periods (e.g. late December through mid-January) of no or limited convention activity and concurrent wastewater generation within the building.

The building's heating and cooling system feeds through the deep water of the harbor, using it as a constant temperature base to reduce the amount of energy used for heating and cooling.

Along the waterfront, the shoreline ecology is fully restored from its previous brownfield state and supports a historic salmon migration path. An artificial reef structure rings the building perimeter, consisting of a series of concrete steps. Each step is planted with marine species adapted to a specific depth below the water, resulting in a kelp forest characteristic of the natural shoreline and supporting a diversity of harbor fauna. Underneath the building, which is set on pier foundations, runnels are set into the tide flats creating a tidal ecosystem zone that flushes daily and feeds the reef.

The site of the expansion is a former marine and rail industrial area, most of which was covered in impervious surfaces and contaminated. The decrease in site impervious surfaces is almost 30%, mitigating total suspended solids and phosphorus content from stormwater and reducing the site’s heat island contribution.

[edit]Cost overruns

Originally budgeted at $495 million, the expansion project's final cost was $883 million. Opposition critic Adrian Dix called it the largest overrun of any public project in British Columbia history, while Premier Gordon Campbell blamed rising steel and construction costs for the overrun. A report by the provincial auditor said the project was over budget partly because of late design changes and accelerated construction to ensure the West Building was ready for the 2010 Winter Olympics.^[4]

Source - Wikipédia - posté par Joachim De Naeyer

A Gitxsan pole (left) andKwakwaka'wakw pole (right) atThunderbird Park in Victoria, British Columbia

Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. The word totem is derived from the Ojibwe word odoodem, "his kinship group".

[edit]History

Since they are made of cedar, which decays eventually in the rainforest environment of the Northwest Coast, few examples of poles carved before 1900 exist. Noteworthy examples include those at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, BC and the Museum of Anthropology at UBC in Vancouver, BC, dating as far back as 1880. And, while 18th-century accounts of European explorers along the coast indicate that poles existed prior to 1800, they were smaller and few in number.

The freestanding poles seen by the first European explorers were likely preceded by a long history of monumental carving, particularly of interior house posts. The scholar Eddie Malin has proposed that totem poles progressed from house posts, funerary containers, and memorial markers into symbols of clan and family wealth and prestige. He argues that the Haida people of theQueen Charlotte Islands originated carving of the poles, and that the practice spread outward to the Tsimshian and Tlingit, and then down the coast to the tribes of British Columbia and northernWashington.^[1] This is supported by the photographic history of the Northwest Coast and the deeper sophistication of Haida poles. The regional stylistic differences among poles can be attributed to application of existing regional artistic styles to a new medium. Early 20th-century theories, such as those of the anthropologist Marius Barbeau, who considered the poles a post-contact phenomenon enabled by the introduction of metal tools, were treated with skepticism at the time and have been discredited in light of the above evidence.^{[citation needed]}.

Totem poles in front of houses in Alert Bay, British Columbia in the 1900s

The disruptions following American and European trade and settlement first led to a flowering of totem pole carving and then to a decline in theAlaska Native cultures and their crafts. The widespread importation of iron and steel tools from Britain, the United States and China led to much more rapid and accurate production of carved wooden goods, including poles. Historians have not determined if iron tools were introduced by traders, or whether Alaska Natives produced iron tools from drift iron recovered from shipwrecks; the presence of trading vessels and exploration ships simplified the acquisition of iron tools, whose use greatly enhanced totem pole construction.

The Maritime Fur Trade gave rise to a tremendous accumulation of wealth among the coastal peoples, and much of this wealth was spent and distributed in lavish potlatches frequently associated with the construction and erection of totem poles. Poles were commissioned by many wealthy leaders to represent their social status and the importance of their families and clans. By the 19th century, certain Christian missionaries reviled the totem pole as an object of heathen worship; they urged converts to cease production and destroy existing poles.^[2]

Due to United States and Canadian policies and practices of acculturation and assimilation, Alaska Natives sharply reduced their production of totem poles at the end of the 19th century. In the mid-20th century, a combination of cultural, linguistic, and artistic revival, along with intense scholarly scrutiny and the continuing fascination and support of an educated and empathetic public, led to a renewal and extension of this moribund artistic tradition. Freshly carved totem poles are being erected up and down the coast. Related artistic production is pouring forth in many new and traditional media, ranging from tourist trinkets to masterful works in wood, stone, blown and etched glass, and many other traditional and non-traditional media.

Today a number of successful native artists carve totem poles on commission, usually taking the opportunity to educate apprentices in the demanding art of traditional carving and its concomitant joinery. Such modern poles are almost always executed in traditional styles, although some artists have felt free to include modern subject matter or use nontraditional styles in their execution. The commission for a modern pole ranges in the tens of thousands of dollars; the time spent carving after initial designs are completed usually lasts about a year, so the commission essentially functions as the artist's primary means of income during the period. Totem poles take about 6–12 months to complete.

[edit]Meaning and purpose

From left to right, the One-Legged Fisherman pole, the Raven pole, and theKiller Whale pole in Wrangell, Alaska

The meanings of the designs on totem poles are as varied as the cultures that make them. Totem poles may recount familiar legends, clan lineages, or notable events. Some poles celebrate cultural beliefs, but others are mostly artistic presentations. Certain types of totem poles are part of mortuary structures, and incorporate grave boxes with carved supporting poles, or recessed backs for grave boxes. Poles illustrate stories that commemorate historic persons, represent shamanic powers, or provide objects of public ridicule.

"Some of the figures on the poles constitute symbolic reminders of quarrels, murders, debts, and other unpleasant occurrences about which the Native Americans prefer to remain silent... The most widely known tales, like those of the exploits of Raven and of Kats who married the bear woman, are familiar to almost every native of the area. Carvings which symbolize these tales are sufficiently conventionalized to be readily recognizable even by persons whose lineage did not recount them as their own legendary history." (Reed 2003).

House front poles were meant to show the success of the families.

Totem poles were never objects of worship. Very early European explorers thought they were worshipped, but later explorers such as Jean-François de La Pérouse noted that totem poles were never treated reverently; they seemed only occasionally to generate allusions or illustrate stories, and were usually left to rot in place when people abandoned a village. The association with "idol worship" was an idea from local Christian missionaries of the nineteenth century, who considered their association with Shamanism as an occult practice.

Totem poles at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia

The vertical order of images is widely believed to be a significant representation of importance. This idea is so pervasive that it has entered into common parlance with the phrase "low man on the totem pole." This phrase is indicative of the most common belief of ordering importance, that the higher figures on the pole are more important or prestigious. A counterargument frequently heard is that figures are arranged in a "reverse hierarchy" style, with the most important representations being on the bottom, and the least important being on top. There have never been any restrictions on vertical order^{[citation needed]}; many poles have significant figures on the top, others on the bottom, and some in the middle. Other poles have no vertical arrangement at all, consisting of a lone figure atop an undecorated column.

[edit]Shame poles

Poles used for public ridicule are usually called "shame poles", and were created to shame individuals or groups for unpaid debts.^[3] They are often placed in prominent locations.^[4] Shame poles are rarely discussed today, and their meanings have been forgotten in many places. They formed an important subset of poles carved throughout the 19th century.

One famous shame pole is the Seward Pole in Saxman, Alaska. It was apparently created to shame the former U.S. Secretary of State for not repaying a potlatch to the Tlingit people. The intent of the shame pole was indicated by the figure's nose and ears being painted red, to indicate his stinginess. It is a common misconception that the Lincoln pole, also located in Saxman, is a shame pole, but it was erected to commemorate the U.S Revenue Cutter Lincoln in its role in helping two rival Tlingit clans establish peace.

The Kiks.ádi, or Three Frogs Pole, in Wrangell, Alaska

Another example of the shame pole is the Three Frogs Pole in Wrangell, Alaska. This pole was erected by Chief Shakes to shame the Kiks.ádiclan into repaying a debt incurred by three of their slaves, who impregnated some young women in Shakes's clan. When the Kiks.ádi leaders refused to pay support for the illegitimate children, Shakes had the pole commissioned to represent the three slaves as frogs, the frog being the primary crest of the Kiks.ádi clan. The debt was never repaid, and the pole still stands next to the Chief Shakes Tribal House in Wrangell. This pole's unique crossbar shape has become popularly associated with the town of Wrangell. Not understanding the meaning of the pole, European Americans used its crossbar shape as part of the title design of the Wrangell Sentinel newspaper, which continues to use the design.

In 1942 the government commissioned a pole to commemorate Alexander Baranof, the Russian governor and Russian American Company manager, as a works project. Designed by George Benson, it stands in Totem Square, in downtown Sitka.^[5] The pole was carved by CCC workers in Wrangell in 1942, who competed with those of Sitka.^[6] They depicted Baranov as naked.^[7] Due to safety concerns, after a Sitka Tribe of Alaska-sponsored removal ceremony, the pole was lowered on October 20, 2010 with funds from the Alaska Dept. of Health and Social Services. TheSitka Sentinel reported that while standing, it was "said to be the most photographed totem [pole] in Alaska".^[5]

A shame pole was erected in Cordova, on March 24, 2007. It includes the inverted and distorted face of Exxon ex-CEO Lee Raymond, representing the unpaid debt that courts determined Exxon owes for having caused the oil spill in Valdez.^[8][9]

[edit]Totem poles outside of original context

When poles are removed from their original context their meaning changes. Poles used in the CCC-created totem parks of Southeast Alaska were removed from their original places as funerary and crest poles to be copied or repaired and then placed in parks based on English and French garden designs to demystify their meaning for tourists.^[10]

Poles from the Northwest have sometimes been exported to be displayed out of their original context. In Britain, at the side of Virginia Water Lake, in the south of Windsor Great Park there is a 100-foot (30 m) high Canadian totem pole given to Queen Elizabeth II, commemorating the centenary of British Columbia. In Seattle, Washington, a Tlingit funerary totem pole was raised in Pioneer Square after being taken from an Alaska village.^[11]

[edit]Construction and maintenance

Incomplete Haida pole in Skidegate, British Columbia

Erection of a totem pole is almost never done using modern methods, even for poles installed in modern settings on the outside of public and private buildings. Instead, the traditional ceremony and process of erection is still followed scrupulously by most artists, in that a great wooden scaffold is built, and hundreds of strong men haul the pole upright into its footing, while others steady the pole from side ropes and brace it with cross beams. Once the pole is completed, a potlatch is typically held where the carver is formally paid and other traditional activities are conducted. The carver will usually, once the pole is freestanding, perform a celebratory and propitiatory dance next to the pole while wielding the tools used to carve it. Also, the base of the pole is burnt before erection to provide a sort of rot resistance.

Dancing at a pole-raising celebration inKlawock, Alaska

Totem poles are typically not well maintained after their erection. Traditionally once the wood rots so badly that it begins to lean and pose a threat to passersby, the pole is either destroyed or pushed over and removed. Older poles typically fall over during the winter storms that batter the coast. A totem pole rarely lasts over 100 years. A collapsed pole may be replaced by a new one carved more or less the same as the original, with the same subject matter, but this requires a new payment and potlatch and is thus not always done. The beliefs behind the lack of maintenance vary among individuals, but generally it is believed that the deterioration of the pole is representative of natural processes of decay and death that occur with all living things, and attempts to prevent this are seen as somehow denying or ignoring the nature of the world.

This has not, however, prevented many people from occasionally renewing the paint on poles or performing further restorations, mostly because the expense of a new pole is beyond feasibility for the owner. Also, owners of poles who are not familiar with cultural traditions may see upkeep as a necessary investment for property, and ignore the philosophical implications.

[edit]Property

Each culture typically has complex rules and customs regarding designs represented on poles. The designs are generally considered the property of a particular clan or family group, and this ownership may not be transferred to the owner of a pole. As such, pictures, paintings, and other copies of the designs are often seen as an infringement of possessory rights of a certain family or cultural group. Many Native artists, Native organizations and Native governments note that the ownership of the artistic designs represented on a pole should be respected as private property to the same extent that the pole is property. They ask that public display and sale of pictures and other representations of totem pole designs should be cleared with both the owners of the pole and the cultural group or tribal government associated with the designs on the pole.

Totem poles in general are not the exclusive cultural property of a single culture, so the designs are not easily protected. The appropriation by art and tourist trinket worlds of Northwest Coast American culture has resulted in production of cheap imitations of totem poles, executed with little or no knowledge of the complex stylistic conventions demanded by Northwest Coast art. These include imitation styles made by other First Nations and Native American peoples in the various parts of Canada and the American Southwest. This proliferation of "totem junk" has diluted the public interest and respect for the artistic skill and deep cultural knowledge required to produce a pole.

In the early 1990s, the Haisla First Nation of the Pacific Northwest began a lengthy struggle to repatriate a sacred totem from Sweden's Museum of Ethnography.^[12][13] Their successful efforts were documented in a NFB documentary by Gil Cardinal, Totem: The Return of the G'psgolox Pole.

Source - Wikipédia - Posté par Joachim De Naeyer

Cet article est une ébauche concernant la Colombie-Britannique. Vous pouvez partager vos connaissances en l’améliorant (comment ?) selon les recommandations des projets correspondants.

Parc Stanley
Vue aérienne du Stanley Park
Géographie
Pays	Canada
Ville	Vancouver
Superficie	4,04 km²
Caractéristiques
Gestion
Fréquentation	8 000 000 en 2004
Protection	Lieu historique national (1988)
Géographie
Coordonnées	49° 18′ 13″ Nord        123° 08′ 43″ Ouest
Géolocalisation sur la carte : Vancouver (Voir situation sur carte : Canada)
modifier

Localisation du Stanley Park à Vancouver.

Anciennes « maisons longues » (longhouses) d'indiens Squamish situées àCoal Harbour en 1886

Stanley Park (« parc Stanley » en français) est un parc urbain de 404,9 hectares (1000 acres) qui se situe à Vancouver, en Colombie-Britannique. Le parc a été officiellement ouvert le 27 septembre 1888, où il a été baptisé du nom de Frederick Stanley, Gouverneur général du Canada de l'époque.

Il est le troisième plus grand parc urbain d'Amérique du Nord, étant 10% plus étendu que celui de Central Park à New York et mesurant presque la moitié de Richmond Park¹.

Le parc attire environ huit millions de visiteurs chaque année², incluant à la fois les touristes et les habitants, qui viennent pour ses installations récréatives et ses attributs naturels. Une corniche (seawall) de 8,8 kilomètres (5,5 miles) qui permet de faire le tour du parc, est utilisée par 2,5 millions de marcheurs, cyclistes et skaters chaque année³. Une grande partie du parc est boisée avec un demi-million d'arbres dont certains atteignent 76 mètres de haut (250 pieds) et une centaine est âgée de 100 ans ou plus^4,5.

Le parc dispose de plus de 200 km (125 miles) de chemins et routes, qui sont surveillés par la police montée du Vancouver Police Department⁶. Le Projet pour espaces publics a classé Stanley Park comme le 16^e meilleur parc au monde et le 6^e meilleur parc en Amérique du Nord⁷.

Histoire[modifier]

La zone du parc est le territoire traditionnel de peuples autochtones. Sur les rives de la baie Burrard et de la baie Howe, les Squamishsdisposaient de plusieurs villages dans ce parc. Les Musqueams utilisaient les terrains en contrebas du Fraser pour y entreposer des ressources⁸.

Le parc a été désigné lieu historique national le 11 novembre 1988⁹.

Attractions[modifier]

Installations récréatives[modifier]

Cette oasis de plus de 400 hectares, peuplée de cèdres et de sapins, crée une atmosphère de tranquillité et offre un point de vue imprenable sur les différents quartiers de Vancouver tout au long de la route circulaire en bord de mer. Le « Lagon perdu » (Lost lagoon) est un paradis pour beaucoup de variétés d'oiseaux, de petits îlots offrent un refuge pour les espèces vivant aux alentours. Le Lost Lagoon Nature House donne des informations sur l'histoire de la nature ainsi qu'une brochure pour en faire le tour. Malheureusement, plusieurs grands arbres du parc ont été détruits par une tempête durant l'hiver 2007. Une myriade d'activités diverses sont réunies autour et au sein du parc : un parcours de golf Pitch and Putt, le Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden, le Rose Garden, des courts de tennis, des jeux aquatiques pour les enfants et l'Aquarium de Vancouver.

Il est possible d'en faire le tour en se promenant le long de la piste cyclable et piétonne qui l'entoure (8,85 km), ou bien de le traverser en empruntant les nombreuses pistes qui le sillonnent. Le lac de Beaver est une oasis de paix au milieu de la forêt.

Source - Wikipédia - Posté par Joachim De Naeyer

Cet article est une ébauche concernant la Colombie-Britannique. Vous pouvez partager vos connaissances en l’améliorant (comment ?) selon les recommandations des projets correspondants.

Pont Lions Gate Lions' Gate Bridge
Pays	Canada (Colombie-Britannique)
Localité	Vancouver
Coordonnées géographiques	49° 18′ 55″ Nord        123° 08′ 18″ Ouest
Franchit	la baie Burrard
Fonction	Pont routier
Type	Pont suspendu de type ancré au sol avec tablier en poutre à treillis
Longueur	1 823 m
Portée principale	472 m
Hauteur	111 m
Construction	1937 - 1938
Géolocalisation sur la carte : Canada
modifier

Le pont Lions Gate vu des airs

Le pont Lions Gate (en anglais : Lions' Gate Bridge, mais le nom officiel est First Narrows Bridge) est un pont suspendu à usage routier, inauguré en 1938, qui traverse la baie Burrard au-dessus de First Narrows entre les villes de Vancouver et Vancouver Ouest en Colombie-Britannique, au Canada. Il constitue un des symboles de la ville de Vancouver.

Alors qu'à l'origine, il s'agissait d'un ouvrage privé, le pont est actuellement la propriété de la province de Colombie-Britannique.

Nom du pont[modifier]

Le nom officiel du pont est First Narrows Bridge (en français : pont First Narrows), car il est situé au-dessus du détroit First Narrows qui sépare West Vancouver de la presqu'île du parc Stanley (le terme narrows désigne en anglais un endroit resserré dans une étendue d'eau).

Le nom courant anglais Lions' Gate (en français : « La porte des lions ») fait référence au nom d'une célèbre formation montagneuse, constituée de deux sommets rapprochés, dans les montagnes North Shore (North Shore Mountains), contreforts de la Chaîne côtière.

Caractéristiques[modifier]

Le Lions Gate relie le parc Stanley, près du centre-ville de Vancouver (sur la rive sud de la baie Burrard), et Vancouver Ouest sur la rive nord de la baie. C'est un pont suspendu de type ancré au sol, avec tablier en poutre à treillis¹.

La portée principale du pont est de 472 mètres. La longueur totale du pont, avec les rampes d'accès, est de 1823 mètres. La hauteur despiliers est de 111 mètres et le tirant d'air maximal pour le passage des bateaux est de 61 mètres.

La circulation automobile sur le pont se fait sur trois voies. Le sens de circulation de la file du milieu peut être facilement modifié en fonction des besoins, à l'aide de feux de signalisation. Le trafic moyen sur le pont est de l'ordre de 70 000 véhicules par jour.

L'axe routier du pont fait partie des autoroutes provinciales 1A et 99 (également connue sous le nom anglais Sea to Sky Highway).

Les ponts suspendus ancrés au sol nécessitent la présence de massifs d'ancrage imposants et lourds. Prospect Point dans le parc Stanley convenait bien à l'installation du pont, mais à l'autre extrémité la plaine côtière a nécessité la construction d'une rampe d'extension.

Histoire[modifier]

Un premier pont, à usage ferroviaire et routier, avait été construit sur la baie Burrard en 1925, à hauteur de Second Narrows. Au début desannées 30, ce pont est endommagé et les habitants doivent à nouveau utiliser les bacs et les ferrys pour traverser la baie. L'idée ancienne de construire un nouveau pont, à l'entrée du port de Vancouver par dessus First Narrows se renforce, même après que le pont Second Narrows soit remis en service. Un vote est organisé en 1933 sur ce sujet et son résultat est favorable à la construction du nouveau pont.

Un homme d'affaires, Alfred James Towle Taylor, va jouer un grand rôle dans la réalisation du projet. Alfred Taylor pressentait le potentiel enimmobilier résidentiel que pouvait représenter la rive nord de la baie si on la raccordait directement au cœur prestigieux du centre ville de Vancouver. Pour lui, le pont ne devait pas seulement être une voie de communication mais également un ouvrage remarquable par sonesthétisme.

Pour financer le projet, Taylor pris contact avec la famille britannique Guiness qui possédait des terrains sur la rive nord. Le coût total du pont s'élèvera finalement à 5,6 millions de dollars canadiens.

Après des années de pourparlers avec les autorités, Taylor finit par obtenir leur accord et le projet put se réaliser.

En 2011, le pont a été retenu pour être le lieu de l'accident d'ouverture du film Destination finale 5.

Construction[modifier]

La construction du pont, qui a duré du 31 mars 1937 au 19 avril 1938, a été un spectacle public considérable pour les habitants et les visiteurs de la région.

Source - Wikipédia - posté par Joachim De Naeyer

City of Fort St. John
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname(s): The Energetic City
City of Fort St. John   Location of Fort St. John in British Columbia
Coordinates: 56°15′9″N 120°50′47″W
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Regional District	Peace River
Incorporated	31 Dec 1947 (village)
Government
• Mayor	Lori Ackerman
• Governing Body	Fort St. John City Council
• MLA	Pat Pimm, BC Liberal
• MP	Bob Zimmer, Conservative
Area
• City	22.69 km2 (8.76 sq mi)
• Metro	620.80 km2(239.69 sq mi)
Elevation	690 m (2,260 ft)
Population (2011)
• City	18,609
• Density	820.2/km2 (2,124/sq mi)
• Metro	26,380
• Metro density	42.5/km2 (110/sq mi)
Time zone	Mountain Time Zone (UTC−7)
• Summer (DST)	(uses Pacific Time (PDT) in most areas) (UTC−7)
Postal code span	V1J
Area code(s)	+1-250
Website	City of Fort St. John website

The City of Fort St. John is a city in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of the Peace River Regional District, the city covers an area of about 22 km² (8.5 sq mi) with 18,609 residents (2011 census).^[1] Located at Mile 47, it is one of the largest cities along theAlaska Highway. Originally established in 1794, as a trading post, Fort St. John is the oldest European-established settlement in present-day British Columbia. Fort St. John is served by the Fort St. John Airport. The municipal slogan is, Fort St. John: The Energetic City.

[edit]History

Over the years the community has been moved a number of times for varying economic reasons. The present location is thought to be its sixth. The original trading post built in the area was named Rocky Mountain House (not to be confused with the modern Alberta city by that name). It was established one year after Sir Alexander Mackenzie explored the area in 1793. One of a series of forts along the Peace River constructed to service the fur trade, it was located southwest of the present site of Fort St. John. The Dunneza and Sikanni First Nations used it as a trading post. It was also used as a supply depot for further expeditions into the territory. The fort closed in 1805. Fort d'Epinette was built in 1806 by the North West Company. It was renamed Fort St. John in 1821 following the purchase of the North West Company by the Hudson's Bay Company. This fort was located about 500 metres downstream from the mouth of the Beatton River, which at that time was known as the Pine River (d'epinette in French). It was shut down in 1823. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1958.^[2]

Former flag of Ft. St. John.

After a lapse of nearly forty years, Fort St. John was reopened in 1860 on the south side of the Peace River, directly south of the present community. It was moved in 1872 by Francis Work Beatton directly across the river. This community lasted until 1925 when the river ceased to be the main avenue of transportation and the fort was moved closer to where settlers were establishing homesteads. The new town was constructed at Fish Creek, northwest of the present community, on the new trail to Fort Nelson. It did not shut down until 1975. In 1928, C. M. Finch moved his general store to two quarters of land where he also built a government building to house the land, telegraph and post offices. The present site for the town was firmly established after he donated five acres (20,000 m²) for a Roman Catholic Church and additional land for a hospital.

[edit]Demographics

Population of Fort St. John, 1976–2006.^[3][4][5]

The first census to include Fort St. John as a defined subdivision occurred in 1951 and recorded 884 people. The population rapidly increased, doubling almost every 5 years for 15 years so that by 1966 there were 6,749 residents living in the community.^[6] Population growth slowed in the 1970s, rising by 1,551 people, from 8,264 in 1971 to 9,815 in 1978. However, by 1981 the population had swelled to 14,337 people, an increase of 4,522 people in just 3 years. A recession in the 1980s kept the population from reaching 15,000 until 1994. However, Fort St. John has managed to become the largest city in the BC Peace, and second largest after Grande Prairie in the entire Peace region, which straddles the boundary between the provinces of BC and Alberta. Since then, the population has continued to rise steadily at about 2% a year.

The latest census, taken in 2001, recorded 16,034 residents living in 6,155 households and 4,240 families. This was 7% more people than the previous census five years earlier. As seen by the median age almost ten years younger than the provincial median and less than half the proportion of the population over 65 years old, the city has a young population. Of those over 15 years of age in 2001, 45% were married, higher than the 51% provincial average. With 94% of Fort St. John residents being Canadian-born, and 93% with an English-only mother tongue, the town has few visible minorities. Though not included as visible minorities 11% identified themselves as Aboriginal, a higher proportion than the 4% provincial average.

Crime rate in Fort St. John, 1984–2005.^[7]

Police protection is contracted to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police which operates a 26 officer municipal detachment and a 10 member rural detachment from the city.^[8] In 2005, the municipal detachment reported 4,048 Criminal Code of Canada offenses, which translates into a crime rate of 228 Criminal Code offenses per 1,000 people, much higher than the provincial average of 125 offenses. During that year, compared to the provincial average, the RCMP reported much higher crime rates in Fort St. John for cocaine, cannabis, non-sexual assaults, property damage, and arson related offences. However, the city had lower crime rates for robbery, theft from motor vehicles, and business break-and-enters.^[7]

[edit]Geography and climate

Fort St. John, located on the upland prairies north of the Peace River, experiences a coldhumid continental climate (extremely close to a subarctic climate), encompassing frigid winters and warm summers. A predominately southwesterly wind blows through town, with wind speeds averaging around 13.7 km (8.5 mi).^[10] Fort St. John uses Mountain Standard Time in the winter and in the summer, and because of its northerly latitude experiences short daylight hours in the winter and long daylight hours in the summer.

[hide]Climate data for Fort St. John
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	11.6 (52.9)	12.8 (55.0)	18 (64)	27.9 (82.2)	31.8 (89.2)	31.7 (89.1)	33.3 (91.9)	33.6 (92.5)	30.0 (86.0)	25.6 (78.1)	18.3 (64.9)	11.4 (52.5)	33.6 (92.5)
Average high °C (°F)	−9.9 (14.2)	−6 (21)	0.3 (32.5)	9.3 (48.7)	15.7 (60.3)	19.2 (66.6)	21.2 (70.2)	20.2 (68.4)	15.1 (59.2)	8.2 (46.8)	−2.9 (26.8)	−8 (18)	6.9 (44.4)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−14.2 (6.4)	−10.5 (13.1)	−4.4 (24.1)	4 (39)	10 (50)	13.8 (56.8)	15.7 (60.3)	14.6 (58.3)	9.9 (49.8)	3.9 (39.0)	−6.7 (19.9)	−12.1 (10.2)	2 (36)
Average low °C (°F)	−18.4 (−1.1)	−15 (5)	−9.1 (15.6)	−1.3 (29.7)	4.1 (39.4)	8.2 (46.8)	10.2 (50.4)	8.9 (48.0)	4.6 (40.3)	−0.4 (31.3)	−10.4 (13.3)	−16.2 (2.8)	−2.9 (26.8)
Record low °C (°F)	−47.2 (−53.0)	−42.2 (−44.0)	−36.7 (−34.1)	−28.9 (−20.0)	−10.6 (12.9)	−0.6 (30.9)	0.7 (33.3)	−2.9 (26.8)	−12.8 (9.0)	−25 (−13)	−39.2 (−38.6)	−44.6 (−48.3)	−47.2 (−53.0)
Wind chill	−59.5	−59.3	−48.7	−37.8	−19.9	−6.2	−4.4	−7.8	−18.4	−35.3	Summit Pass (el. 1,305 m or 4,281 ft) is a high mountain pass in the Northern Canadian Rockies in the province of British Columbia. It is one of two passes the Alaska Highway utilizes to cut westwards across ranges of the Rocky Mountain System; further north is the lower Muncho Pass. Source - Wikipédia - posté par Joachim De Naeyer ]]> joachimdenaeyer Tue, 11 Sep 2012 05:38:03 +0000 http://www.blogg.org/blog-94449-billet-1416389.html http://www.blogg.org/blog-94449-billet-1416245.html Grande Prairie is a city in the northwestern part of the province of Alberta in Western Canada. It is located on the southern edge of the Peace River Country (part of the Peace Region or simply "The Peace", as is often locally known, which encompasses much of northwestern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia). The city is surrounded by the County of Grande Prairie No. 1. Grande Prairie is one of Canada's fastest growing cities. As of its 2007 civic census, its population was 50,227, up 6.9% from the Canada 2006 Census figure of 47,076. As of 2006, the population of the Grande Prairie Census Agglomeration was at 71,868;[5] the census agglomeration has now been expanded to cover the County of Grande Prairie No. 1 in its entirety. It is currently Alberta's seventh largest incorporated city by population. Grande Prairie is the largest city between Edmonton and Fairbanks, Alaska on the route via Highway 43, the Alaska Highway, and the Richardson Highway. It lies about 460 km (290 mi) and 2,480 km (1,540 mi) from each city respectively. The city has adopted the Trumpeter swan as an official symbol because it is near the migration route and summer nesting grounds of this large and graceful swan. For that reason, Grande Prairie is sometimes nicknamed the "Swan City". Contents   [hide]  1 History 2 Geography 2.1 Climate 3 Demographics 4 Economy 5 Recreation and culture 6 Sports 7 Infrastructure 7.1 Transportation 8 Education 8.1 Secondary 8.2 Post-secondary 9 Media 10 See also 11 References 12 External links [edit]History Grande Prairie was named for the large prairie which lies to the north, east, and west of it. In the 18th century, the prairie was occupied by bands of the Beaver First Nation who began trading with the North West Company at Dunvegan in the early 19th century. The earliest recorded reference to the prairie was by trader Samuel Black in 1824. In 1880, a Hudson's Bay Company post called La Grand Prairie was established by George Kennedy 15 miles (24 km) northwest of the present city. In the late 19th century, the prairie was settled by Cree and Iroquois from around Jasperand Lac Ste. Anne. When 17 townships were surveyed for homesteading in 1909, a land rush soon followed, with many settlers arriving over the Edson Trail. In 1910, the Grande Prairie Townsite was sub-divided. By 1912, it included a bank, hotel, post office, and land office, making it a district metropolis. In 1916, it became the terminus of the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway from Edmonton. The Edson Trail from Edson to Grande Prairie was opened in 1911 as a means for settlers to reach the Grande Prairie area. It was basically nothing more than a tract of clear cut bush and forest, and thus was a very difficult route for many settlers, especially during wet weather. Because of this, large scale settlement came late compared to other major farming regions further south in Canada. Grande Prairie was incorporated as a village by the Province of Alberta in 1914. It was not until the arrival of the railway in 1916 that farmland quickly expanded as waves of settlers came into the Peace region. This drove up Grande Prairie's population past the 1,000 mark, allowing it to incorporate as a town on March 27, 1919. A local recession in the 1920s caused a temporary depopulation of Grande Prairie. But the population rebounded afterwards by the 1930s, by which time the population had reached 1,464. Settlement continued unabated even into the 1930s during the Dust Bowl era because the Peace Region was able to escape the severe drought conditions that plagued the Canadian Prairies further south at the time.[6] The Second World War saw the US and Canadian military establish Grande Prairie as a part of the Northwest Staging Route for the construction of the Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek to Alaska. Although Dawson Creek was chosen as the major starting point of the construction of theAlaska highway, Grande Prairie was a major stopover point for military aircraft during the war, and benefited economically from this. Although Grande Prairie was well located in the southern edge of the Peace Region, it was competing with the towns of Peace River and Dawson Creek for the title of the most important centre of commerce and agriculture in the region until the late 1950s, when its population growth began to outstrip these towns as oil and natural gas exploration was underway in the Peace Region, especially since the first major discovery of oil further south in Leduc near Edmonton in 1947 and the construction of a large pulp mill in the early 1970s. The construction and paving of Highway 43 (originally sections of Highways 2, 34, and 43 from the BC border to the Yellowhead Highway just west of Edmonton) in 1956 cut down on the travel time by road significantly, further enhancing Grande Prairie's accessibility and economic status. The town was incorporated as a city in 1958. At that time, its population was approximately 7,600. The opening of the Procter & Gamble kraft pulp mill in 1972 and the discovery of the Elmworth deep basin gas field spurred an economic boom. Grande Prairie's population went from just over 12,000 in the early 1970s to over 24,000 by the time the oil boom went bust in 1981. A tornado struck the downtown area and east side of Grande Prairie on July 8, 2004. Although the tornado was considered a very weak one (F0-F1 on the Fujita scale) and the weather was not severe at the time, it was still strong enough to incur damage to houses and flip vehicles over. There were no casualties or fatalities.[7] [edit]Geography Aerial view of Grande Prairie and farmland to the north Grande Prairie is located just north of the 55th Parallel, and is 465 km (289 mi) northwest of Edmonton. The City of Grande Prairie lies at an elevation of 669 m (2195 ft) above sea level. The city is surrounded by farmland to the north, east, and west. To the south, it is mostly a vast boreal forest with aspen, tamarack, lodgepole pine, jack pine, and black spruce extending well into the foothills of the Canadian Rockies south and southwest of the city. Bear Creek goes through the city from the northwest to the south end and is a tributary of the Wapiti River to the south. The Bear Creek Reservoir is the small body of water by Grande Prairie Regional College in the northwest part of the city, and is ringed by marshy wetland. The terrain immediately surrounding Grande Prairie is largely flat to gently rolling, but rises gradually to hilly terrain closer to the foothills to the south and southwest. On clear days, some peaks in the Rockies are visible to the southwest from Grande Prairie. The city lies on the southern edge of aspen parkland, which is a transitional biome between boreal forest and prairie. The Peace Countrycontains the northernmost area of aspen parkland in North America. However, much of the aspen parkland in the region has long since been altered by extensive farming and oil/gas drilling activity. [edit]Climate Grande Prairie has a northern continental climate typical of northwestern Alberta and northeastern BC. Winters are generally cold with some mild spells. Summers are often fairly cool to pleasantly warm in the daytime, but nights can be cool despite the long summer days typical for its latitude. Hot days over 30 °C (86 °F) are rare, occurring on average, only one to two days a year, which is not unexpected this far north. Winter conditions can vary tremendously from year to year. Winters have been known to be mild enough to produce "brown Christmas" conditions, where little or no snow may fall until after Christmas due to unusually mild early winter conditions. The average January temperature is −15 °C (−9 °C average high and −19 °C average low) and the average July temperature is 15.9 °C (22 °C average high and 10 °C average low). However, temperatures as low as −52 °C and as high as 34.5 °C[8] have been recorded. Grande Prairie gets 317.7 mm (12.5 inches) of rain and 158.6 cm (62.4 inches) of snow per year on average. The total annual precipitation is 446.6 mm (17.6 inches)[8] which includes both rain and snow. Snowfall amounts, however, vary greatly from year to year. Being fairly close to the foothills of theCanadian Rockies, it can get quite windy in Grande Prairie, especially in the spring and fall. Chinooks are not an unheard of occurrence in the Grande Prairie area. Grande Prairie has 314 sunshine days per year on average. Summers can bring thunderstorms, although they are not as frequent nor as severe as those further south in Central Alberta. Rainfall can vary from year to year, but the Peace Region is noted for never having experienced truly severe drought conditions more typical of Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. Tornadoes are rare but not unknown in the Peace Region. October 28, 2006, heralded a new record for the city: nearly 40 centimetres (15 inches) of snow fell in 24 hours. It was the greatest single-day snow fall in nearly fifty years.[citation needed] [show]Climate data for Grande Prairie [edit]Demographics [show]Population history In the 2011 Census, the City of Grande Prairie had a population of 55,032 living in 21,180 of its 22,979 total dwellings, a 16.8% change from its 2006 adjusted population of 47,107. With a land area of 72.8 km2 (28.1 sq mi), it had a population density of 755.9/km2 (1,957.9/sq mi) in 2011.[4] The population of the City of Grande Prairie according to its 2007 municipal census is 50,227.[28][29] In 2006, according to the Canada 2006 Census, Grande Prairie had a population of 47,076 living in 17,941 dwellings, a 27.3% increase from 2001. The city has a land area of 61.08 km2(23.58 sq mi) and a population density of 770.7 /km2 (1,996 /sq mi).[30] A neighbourhood in Grande Prairie As recorded in the Canada 2001 Census, the median age was 29.7 (Alberta median age was 35.0), and the Median Total Income for age 15 and up was $25,414.[31] About 9 percent of residents identified themselves as aboriginal at the time of the 2006 census.[32] 4.9% of residents identified as visible minorities.[30] The largest minority group were Filipinos, which accounted for 22.7% of total visible minorities.[30] Almost 90 percent of residents identified English as their first language at the time of the 2006 census, while almost three percent identified French and two percent identified German as their first language learned. The next most common languages were Polish, Tagalog, Cree, and Ukrainian.[33]More than 70 percent of residents identified themselves as Christian at the time of the 2001 census while almost 28 percent indicated they had no religious affiliation. For specific denominationsStatistics Canada counted 9,255 Roman Catholics (about 25 percent of the population) and 3,955 members of the United Church of Canada (about 10 percent), as well as 2,165 Anglicans and 2,020 Lutherans (about 5 percent each).[34] Less numerous denominations included 880 Baptists and 790 residents identifying as Pentecostal (about 2 percent each). [edit]Economy This section does not cite anyreferences or sources. (April 2012) Major industries include oil and gas, agriculture, forestry, and food services. Agriculture was the first economic mainstay of Grande Prairie since settlement began in the early 20th Century. It remains part of the local economy today. A variety of crops such as barley,wheat, canola, and oats are grown in the area. Livestock such as cattle and buffalo (bison) are also raised in the area. Despite being north of 55°N, the climate is mild enough to allow for farming on a large scale to prosper. Longer daylight hours during the summer at this latitude aid in crop production. The Peace Region is the northernmost major farming region in North America. Land within the region is still being cleared for new farmland. Although some oil and gas drilling has been ongoing in the area since the 1950s, oil and gas exploration did not begin to occur on a large scale until the late 1970s. It was in the mid-1970s that the Elmworth gas field was discovered and developed, causing the city to grow rapidly until the last oil boom ended in 1981. Forestry is a major part of Grande Prairie's economy, for large tracts of forest lie to the south in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. The Weyerhaeuser Canada kraft pulp mill, opened in 1972 byProcter & Gamble, is one of Grande Prairie's largest employers. Canfor runs a sawmill and lumber yard operation on the west side of the city. The Ainsworth Oriented Strand Board plant opened in late 1995. Grande Prairie serves as the economic and transportation hub for a trading area of nearly 250,000 people. Grande Prairie is also on the CANAMEX trade route linking Canada, the United States, and Mexico. [edit]Recreation and culture The city has a number of parks and golf courses including the large Muskoseepi Park in the Bear Creek Valley and the Dunes Golf Course south of the city. Muskoseepi Park has excellent bike trails extending nearly the entire length of Bear Creek within the city. Muskoseepi Park also has an outdoor swimming pool and a pavilion with a cafeteria and an outdoor pond which converts into a skating rink in the winter. Crystal Lake in the northeast part of the city also has parkland, preserved wetlands (great for birdwatching), and walking/bike paths around its entire circumference. Live music can be found in several downtown bars and intermittently at all-ages locations such as Tito's Restaurant and the GP Curling Club. Summer-long music festivals have been organized by community-minded individuals and charitable organizations. Genre-wise the music scene is typically dominated by punk, rock, and metal bands. Well attended shows tend to be high-energy and mosh-pits are usually expected from engaged audiences. More established acts include This Conviction, Calculating Collapse, Reject, The Damn Plastards, Stacy Lloyd Brown / The Goodbye Generation, and Emerson Drive.[35] Cultural venues include the Bowes Family Crystal Centre (a concert hall and hockey rink — the local