Article

Powell River

Published Online May 25, 2008

Last Edited April 8, 2022

Powell River, BC, incorporated as a city in 2005, population 13,943 (2021 census), 13,157 (2016 census). The City of Powell River is located on the east side of the Strait of Georgia, 133 km northwest of Vancouver. It is bounded on the east by the Smith Mountain Range, Powell Lake and Haslam Lake. The city enjoys a mild climate year-round, moderated by the warm current of the strait. It takes its name from the river draining Powell Lake, which was named for Israel Wood Powell, British Columbia’s superintendent of Indian affairs in the 1880s.

Settlement

The original settlement was a pulp and paper milling centre established as a company town in 1912. The old townsite was declared a national historic district in 1995 and many former company houses have been restored. Incorporated as a district municipality in 1995, Powell River was granted city status in 2005.

Economy

The forestry industry remains important to the region’s economy, in particular the pulp and paper mill. Commercial fishing and mining, based on nearby Texada Island, are also economically important. The climate and scenery make Powell River and its hinterland an attractive summer resort area. Saltwater and freshwater fishing and boating are major forms of recreation. Inauguration in 1965 of an automobile ferry from Comox, on Vancouver Island, boosted tourism.