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Evolution of Single Industry Towns
Geography of B.C.
Single Industry Towns
 The earliest communities (post European
contact), were built around the fur trade –
often a fort
 During the gold rush there was a boom in
single resource towns – Yale, Boston Bar,
Emory Creek, and Barkerville in the Fraser
Canyon and Silverton and Sandon in the
Kootenays.
 The early settlement of BC has been characterized by
the harvesting of natural resources.
 The communities that arose were based on harvesting
of one or more natural resources such as forests, fish,
minerals, and agricultural products
 Communities that rely on one single industry for the
majority of their employment, income and
community wealth are referred to as single industry
towns or single-resource communities.
 Many of these communities disappeared after the
gold rush was over and became known as “ghost
towns”. These are scattered throughout B.C.
 Company towns are another form of single resource
community. These towns were built by the company
that owned the mine, smelter, sawmill or pulp-mill or
cannery.
 The company usually owns all the land, houses,
buildings, roads, recreation facilities, etc. and charges
its employees a rent (usually deducted from their
paycheque)
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 Examples of company towns – Powell River, Port

Mellon, Woodfibre, Brittania , Cumberland, Trail,
Port Alice, Ocean Falls, Tumbler Ridge
 Resource towns today are often fly in camps (e.g.,
mines, logging camps). Workers fly in - 1 month
on/off basis.

Powell River, 1956, Canada Historic

Places Registry, Parks Canada

Trail, BC – Source:
Columbia Basin Institute

 There was a “stigma” attached to company towns.

 The towns were controlled by the company. There
were no town councils, all decisions affecting the
community were made by the company. Many of
these companies were foreign owned by large
corporations.
 There was a feeling emerging that these towns should
have more autonomy and the community should have
a say in how things were run. Trade unions often
helped to voice their concerns to the company.
 The best houses were usually reserved for the mill or
mine managers, next best were for foremen, etc.
 Demographics – in the early towns, mostly single
labourers, few families who were housed in
bunkhouses or hotel type buildings
Kitimat 1966

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Kitimat, BC. BC’s first “planned” community.
 Instant Towns Act, 1965 – provincial legislation to
give communities more autonomy (elected councils,
power of taxation, community benefits, etc.)
 8 instant towns built between 1965 and 1971:
 Gold River, Mackenzie, Sparwood, Fraser Lake,
Logan Lake, Tahsis, Elkford, Granisle
 Also, Tumbler Ridge, Port Alice (new townsite of
Rumble Beach)
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Instant Towns
 Political, economic and social factors in the 1950’s
and 1960’s led to the demise of the old company
town.
 Unions battled for better working and living
conditions
 Better housing, health care, and educational
opportunities were needed
 Economic restructuring of the resource industries –
led to the closure of some mines and mills
 Some places became more accessible as
transportation improved
Vancouver Sun
 Planned, designed communities with more amenities.
People owned their own homes, etc.
 Still dependent upon world economic conditions and
commodity prices for pulp, lumber, minerals.
 Social issues – isolation, medical services, living
conditions, recreation. What is a healthy community?
How to measure? Indicators?
 Several have closed due to poor economic conditions
for specific commodities – lumber, pulp and paper,
minerals, etc.