Communities

The 257 km long Bulkley River runs through the valley which is bounded on the west by the Hudson Bay Mountain range and on the east by the Babine Mountains. The northern boundary of the valley is usually considered the Bulkey's confluence with the Skeena River at Hazelton, although it is sometimes placed further south near Moricetown. The valley's southern edge is at Bulkley Lake, part way between Houston and Burns Lake.

The Wet'suwet'en people have called the valley home for thousands of years. With the neighbouring Gitxsan, they had their Aboriginal title in the area affirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada with its Delgamuukw decision of 1997. 

The valley is named for the river, which is after American Engineer Charles Bulkley, who oversaw the construction of the telegraph line through the area in the 1860s. The Grand Trunk Railway was constructed through the valley by 1914, and development hastened thereafter. Today, Highway 16 traverses the entire valley.


Burns Lake

Burns Lake is a rural village situated at the heart of the Lake Districts, surrounded by a  necklace of immaculate lakes and the mountains of Tweedsmuir Park. Burns Lake was established in 1911...

read more »


Fort St James

Fort St. James is one of the oldest permanent European settlements in British Columbia.  This area was originally home to the Nak'azdli band of the Carrier First Nations. The fort functioned as the...

read more »


Fraser Lake

Fraser Lake is located on the Southwest side of its namesake, one of the largest lakes in the province. The community of Fraser Lake was established in 1914 during the construction of the Grand...

read more »


Granisle

Surrounded by pristine beauty unique to this part of Canada, the friendly village of Granisle was originally built on the shores of Babine Lake to accommodate miners from the copper mine.  Granisle...

read more »


Hazelton

Hazelton is a small town located at the junction of the Bulkley and Skeena Rivers in northern BC. It was founded in 1866 is the northernmost point of the Yellowhead Highway, a major interprovincial...

read more »


Houston

Houston is a small town located near the confluence of the Bulkley and Morice rivers. The town was known as “Pleasant Valley” until 1910, due to its natural beauty which enticed loggers, miners,...

read more »


Kitimat

Kitimat is a coastal city in Northwestern BC, in the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine. The Kitimat Valley is part of the most populous urban district in Northwest BC, which includes Terrace to...

read more »


Kitselas

The center consists of 4 contemporary longhouses, an interpretive trail, and a viewpoint overlooking the Skeena River. Each longhouse is designed and used for specific displays and presentations....

read more »


Moricetown

Moricetown is a Wet'suwet'en village in Central British Columbia, Canada on the west side of the Bulkley River on Coryatsaqua (Moricetown) Indian Reserve No. 2, and on Moricetown Indian Reserve...

read more »


Nisga’a

Approximately 2,500 live in the Nass Valley (within the four villages) and another 3,500 Nisga’a live elsewhere in Canada, and around the world. The Nisga’a people number about 6,000. In British...

read more »


Port Edward

Port Edward is a small community located on the mainland, south of Prince Rupert, and west of Terrace. The District itself consists of approximately 18,387 hectares, bordered by the Skeena River,...

read more »


Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and has a population of 12,508...

read more »


Smithers

The Bulkley Valley in which Smithers is situated was originally inhabited by the Wet'suwet'en. Smithers was founded in 1913 as the regional headquarters for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. The new...

read more »


Stewart

Stewart is a district municipality at the head of the Portland Canal in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. In 2011, its population was about 494.  Stewart is surrounded by sweeping terrain,...

read more »


Telkwa

The history of Telkwa has ebbed and flowed with the dramatic changes of the community with the Telegraph Trail, the rush of settlers at the turning of the Century, and the arrival of the Grand...

read more »


Terrace

Terrace is a city on the Skeena River in British Columbia, Canada. The Kitselas people, a tribe of the Tsimshian Nation, have lived in the Terrace area for thousands of years. The community...

read more »


Vanderhoof

Vanderhoof, situated in the traditional territory of the Carrier First Nations, is located at the geographic centre of the province in the heart of the Nechako valley. It was founded by Herbert...

read more »

Funding Recognition Logo Area

Copyright 2013 Bulkley Valley Museum
website by spark design