Heffley Creek

History

Heffley Creek, now inside the boundaries of the City of Kamloops, has its roots as a farming community in the 1860s. The creek was given a French name during the fur trade era and was marked on a 1837 map as Buraigon Creek. The name was later rendered as Bourdignon and Courdignon. During this period the east side of the North Thompson River was one of the routes of the fur brigades on their way to the North.

The first two settlers along the creek were Robert Todd and Samuel Bigham, who were partners in business as packers and were both former Hudson's Bay Company employees. They took out adjoining 160 acre preemptions with Bourdignon (Heffley) Creek as the northern boundary. Todd's lot was more westerly, bordering on the North Thompson River. Bigham was the uncle of Joseph McKay, the Chief Trader at the Hudson's Bay Company post at Kamloops from 1860 to 1865.

By the 1880s other ranchers had settled up the valley towards Heffley Lake and on the heights above the North Thompson River. The Sentinel noted half a dozen different families apart from the major landowners, Edwards, Sullivan and Knouff. The paper also mentioned a good deal of prospecting in the region. In the 1890s many other families settled around Heffley Creek. The Bedard family homesteaded near Knouff Lake in 1898.

Until recent years, when it has become a residential community, Heffley Creek has been primarily a quiet farming village raising cattle, sheep, and mixed vegetables. What conflicts did occur were most often over water rights, as one can imagine in a region where irrigation is essential. Local residents quipped that the people of Heffley would quarrel over dividing the rain drops.

Location

Heffley Creek is a neighbourhood along the Yellowhead Highway in Kamloops. Heffley Creek is bordered by the Thompson River to the west, Sun Peaks to the east, Rayleigh to the south, and Vinsula to the north. It contains a neighbourhood general store, community hall, and elementary school. Along with the Rayleigh neighborhood, it is physically separated from the rest of Kamloops by the Thompson River and by the Kamloops Indian Reserve; one must physically leave the city limits of Kamloops in order to travel from Heffley Creek/Rayleigh to the rest of the city.

Places to See

• Kamloops
  
  Kamloops, a city of 83,000, is the Tournament Capital of Canada. Blessed with an abundance of sunshine and an outdoor enthusiast's dream with all the lakes, fairways and nature trails you'll need for golfing, fishing, boating, kayaking, walking, hiking, and mountain biking.
  
  
• Apex Mountain Resort
  
  It requires equal amounts of action and ambience for a mountain to become a world-class destination. At Apex, it's the varied terrain, first-rate amenities, and friendly atmosphere that keeps people coming every year.
  
  Located a short 30-minute drive from Penticton, this full service resort offers activities for all members of your family. In addition to exceptional downhill and cross-country skiing, Apex has a tube park, snowshoe trails, sleigh rides, and snowmobile tours.
  
  Within walking distance of the village, your choice of accomodation includes bed and breakfasts, condos, chalets, hostels, and hotels. There are also a variety of restaurants on the mountain, serving everything from home-style to gourmet cuisine.
  
  And the fun doesn't end when the sun goes down. After the lifts close, you can party in the pub or soak in a hot tub. If you have any energy left, tie up your ice skates and take part in a game of hockey on the outdoor rink or make your way around the night-lit skating loop.

Things to Do

• Golf
  
  The Thompson Okanagan region boasts a spectrum of golf courses that are second to none. Described by some as the "Ultimate Golfing Experiece", the Thompson area has rolling hills, majestic mountains, and rugged landscapes, creating vivid surroundings for the professionally designed courses found within the region.
  
  
• Fishing
  
  Kamloops is famous for its fishing. The eponymous Kamloops trout lure thousands of visitors each year, as they're perfect for fly fishing, and normally weigh between 1.5 to 3 pounds- although some grow up to 5 pounds of more! There is also an abundance of kokanee salmon, Gerrard trout, and eastern brookies.
  
  
• Wildlife Viewing
  
  High elevation forests around Kamloops are home to interesting species like boreal owls, moose, singing hermit thrush and chattering red squirrels. You may also see spade foot toads, badgers, dancing sharp-tailed grouse, bighorn sheep, cougars, bears, coyotes and red foxes.
  
  
• Hiking
  
  Release your spirit of adventure and come explore the distinctive habitat of the Okanagan's living desert landscape or the cool shadows of the forest and lake area. There are interpretive trails, sightseeing routes, and guided excursions.

Events

• Kamloops Cowboy Festival
  
  The annual Kamloops Cowboy Festival is a celebration of western heritage in Kamloops and showcases the best in cowboy poetry and western music, as well as cowboy artists and artisans. The two main venues - The Calvary Community Church and Forster's Convention Centre - allow the Kamloops Cowboy Festival to accommodate an ever increasing number of guests. The Cowboy Festival attracts entertainers, artists and fans from throughout North America and as far as Europe!
  
  Entertainment begins with jam sessions and a kick-off party Thursday night, and goes almost non-stop all weekend. There are three stages offering Cowboy Poetry and Western Music each day from noon until evening. On Friday and Saturday nights, guests have a choice between main stage concerts at Calvary Community Church or the dinner theatre shows at Forster's Convention Centre. Cowboy Church on Sunday morning is always very popular, followed by another day of great entertainment. The Cowboy Art and Gear Show features more than 30 artists and artisans, displaying a wide range of artwork and custom-made cowboy equipment. A series of seminars and workshops are offered over the weekend on varied topics such as ranch roping, poetry and songwriting, guitar picking styles, and learning to yodel the cowboy way.
  
  
• Icewine Festival
  
  Enjoy the cold, crisp mountain air, sipping world-class icewine, having an unbelievable weekend of fun, and sampling excellent food. Absorb marvelous tips on making and tasting icewine, and enjoy the happy laughter ringing in the cold - it's the Annual Okanagan Icewine Festival at Sun Peaks Resort, Canada's third largest ski resort.
  
  This is truly the most unique of all wine festivals. There are more than twelve events, including the Taste of Sun Peaks, where the culinary experts of Sun Peaks Resort showcase their specialties alongside Okanagan Wines. Seminars include pairing wine with cheese and wine with chocolate, as well as the always popular and sold out Sun Peaks Progressive Tasting: guests move around the village sampling wines from over 20 wineries.
  
  
• Kamloopa Pow Wow
  
  The Kamloopa Pow Wow is one of the largest showcasings of Native relics in Western Canada! The Pow Wow is a spectacular expression of the Secwepemc heritage in the Kamloops area and boasts a vibrant display of storytelling, song, and dance. The Thompson River Valley was first inhabited by the Shuswap people.
  
  The Pow Wow is years upon years of stories and events of previous years, all packed into 3 days in beautiful Kamloops.

Contact Information

Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association

1332 Water Street
Kelowna, BC V1Y 9P4

Phone: 250-860-5999
Toll-Free: 1-800-567-2275
Fax: 250-860-9993
E-mail: info@totabc.com
Website: www.totabc.com

Tourism Kamloops

1290 West Trans Canada Highway
Kamloops, British Columbia V2C 6R3

Phone: (250) 372-8000
Fax: (250) 372-2121
Email: inquiry@tourismkamloops.com
Website: www.tourismkamloops.com