Tsʼilʔos Provincial Park is a

provincial park Ischigualasto Provincial Park A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are similar to state parks in other countries. They are typically open to t ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. Tsʼilʔos ( ;BC Geographical Names Information System roughly in Chilcotin) is the official BC Parks designation for this provincial park, though sometimes it is written as "Tsʼil-os", "Tsʼyl-os", or "Tsylos". The "ʔ" in the name represents a glottal stop.

History

The park was established January 1994 after a five-year planning process was implemented to address long-standing conflicts between preservationist, resource extraction and First Nations interests. After decades of controversy, a consensus was reached among various conservation, logging, mining, tourism and public participants. Chief Roger William of the Xeni Gwet’in (Nemiah Indian Band) was very involved in the planning process and negotiations with the provincial government. The park is part of the traditional territory of the Xeni Gwet’in. Tsʼilʔos, also known as

Mount Tatlow Tŝ’ilʔoŝ, also known as Mount Tatlow, is one of the principal summits of the Chilcotin Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains of southern British Columbia. Standing on an isolated ridge between the lower end of Chi ...

, dominates the park and gives it its name, and is spiritually significant to the Xeni Gwet’in. According to tradition, Tsʼilʔos keeps watch over the people of the Xeni and their territory. Pointing at or climbing Tsʼilʔos are considered disrespectful, and the Xeni Gwet’in believe that doing so will offend Tsʼilʔos, resulting in severe weather changes.

Conservation

The park aims to protect black bear, mule deer, moose, mountain goat, cougar, and beaver. Ecologically sensitive animal populations found in the area include California bighorn sheep, grizzly bear, fisher, wolverine, bald eagle, and amphibian species. Sockeye salmon spawn along the shores of

Chilko Lake Chilko may refer to: *Chilko River The Chilko River is a river in the Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, flowing northeast from Chilko Lake to the Chilcotin River. Its main tributary is the Taseko River. Th ...

the centerpiece of the park. The adjacent lands are also important habitat for Vaux's swift, Peregrine falcon, and Townsend's big-eared bat.

Recreation

The following recreational activities are encouraged: camping, picnicking, hiking, mountaineering, swimming, kayaking, horseback riding expeditions, hunting trips and flyfishing.

Location

Located 160 kilometres southwest of Williams Lake, or 250 km north of

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The ...

Size

233,240 hectares in size.

References

External links

Tsʼilʔos Provincial Park
Provincial parks of British Columbia Geography of the Chilcotin Chilcotin Ranges {{BritishColumbia-park-stub