Kawkawa Lake is a

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

located east of

Hope Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large. As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish ...

, British Columbia. Kawkawa is also the name for the neighbourhood in Hope surrounding Kawkawa Lake. The lake is home to many species of fish, but it is best known for its large kokanee (land-locked salmon), which can reach up to 3+ lbs in weight. Kawkawa Lake Park is situated on the lake and has amenities such as: toilets, swimming beach, grassy play area, park benches with picnic tables and a small dock that has a concrete boat launch. There was also a privately operated resort and campground on the lake's shore. This was shut down in 2019, where boats are also welcome. Water sports around the lake include: skiing, wake boarding, tubing, jet skiing, as well as dune buggy rentals. Another activity for visitors is hiking through the nearby

Othello Tunnels ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Cyprus, Island ...

, located only 15 minutes from the town of Hope. The Kawkawa Lake Indian Reserve No. 16 is located on the southeastern shore of the lake, and is one of the reserves under the administration of the Hope-area

Union Bar First Nation The Union Bar First Nation ( hur, Iwówes) is a band government of the Sto:lo people, located near Hope, British Columbia Hope is a district municipality at the confluence of the Fraser and Coquihalla rivers in the province of British Columb ...

Stó:lō history

The name of the lake is from the

Halq'eméylem Halkomelem (; in the Upriver dialect, in the Island dialect, and in the Downriver dialect) is a language of various First Nations peoples of the British Columbia Coast. It is spoken in what is now British Columbia, ranging from southeastern ...

word ''Q'áwq'ewem'', meaning "home of loons", after two

loons Loons (North American English) or divers (British English, British / Irish English) are a group of aquatic birds found in much of North America and northern Eurasia. All living species of loons are members of the genus ''Gavia'', family (biolog ...

that once lived here: ''q'ewq'weelacha'' and ''q'ewq'ewelot''. There is also another story about a young man who jumped from the rocky bluffs on the north side of the lake, plunging all the way to the bottom landing on a pit house. The dim light from the pit house was later seen deep below the water, by a woman passing by. When a dam was built later, it adversely effected the

salmon run ''Salmon Run'' is a 1982 video game for the Atari 8-bit family created by Bill Williams and distributed via the Atari Program Exchange. ''Salmon Run'' was the first game in Williams's career, followed by a string of successes noted for their o ...

up the ''Kw'ikw'iya:la'' (

Coquihalla River The Coquihalla River (originally or more recently and popularly ) is a tributary of the Fraser River in the Cascade Mountains of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It originates in the Coquihalla Lakes and empties into the Fraser River at ...

). Ethnographic Overview of Stó:lo People and the Traditional Use of the Hudson's Bay Company Brigade Trail Area
Brian Thom (Written while working at Stó:lo Nation, Chilliwack, BC) Prepared for: Chilliwack Forest District, Ministry of Forests For Contract No. 12015-20/CS96DCK-002. August 1995

References

{{British Columbia hydrography Lakes of the Lower Mainland Sto:lo Yale Division Yale Land District