Barrière River (also spelled Barriere River) is a tributary of the

North Thompson River The North Thompson River is the northern branch of the Thompson River, the largest tributary of the Fraser River, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It originates at the toe of the Thompson Glacier in the Premier Range of the Cariboo M ...

, one of the main tributaries of the

Fraser River The Fraser River () is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain (Canada), Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of V ...

, in the

Canadian province Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Constitution of Canada, Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North Amer ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

. It flows through the

Shuswap Highland The Shuswap Highland is a plateau-like hilly area of in British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the P ...

region north of

Kamloops Kamloops ( ) is a city in south-central British Columbia, Canada, at the confluence of the North Thompson River, North and South Thompson Rivers, which join to become the Thompson River in Kamloops, and east of Kamloops Lake. The city is the ad ...

. Its name in Secwepemctsín is St́yelltsecwétkwe.

Name origin

In 1828

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...

fur trader

Archibald McDonald Archibald McDonald (3 February 1790 – 15 January 1853) was chief trader for the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Langley, Fort Nisqually and Fort Colvile and one-time deputy governor of the Red River Colony. Early life McDonald was born in Leec ...

named the mouth of the river ''Barrière'' because rocks there were an impediment to navigation. Another possibility is that the name relates to

fish trap A fish trap is a animal trapping, trap used for fishing, catching fish and other aquatic animals of value. Fish traps include fishing weirs, lobster trap, cage traps, fish wheels and some fishing net rigs such as fyke nets. The use of traps ar ...

s placed across the river by the Secwepemc people.

Course

The Barrière River originates near Vavenby Mountain in the

, south of Vavenby. It flows south into Saskum Lake, then continues south for some distance. It turns west and is joined by Fennell Creek. Bear Creek joins from the north just before the Barrière River empties into North Barrière Lake. Vermelin Creek and Harper Creek empty into the lake from the north. The Barrière River flows from the west end of the lake, turning south as numerous tributaries join, such as Birk Creek, Mack Creek, Slate Creek, and Sprague Creek. The East Barrière River then joins from the east and the Barrière River turns to flow west. The East Barrière River originates near the north end of

Adams Lake Adams Lake is a deep, cold-water lake in south-central British Columbia, which separates the Thompson Country, Thompson and Shuswap Country, Shuswap regions and the Thompson–Nicola Regional District, Thompson–Nicola and Columbia–Shuswap R ...

and flows generally east, through East Barrière Lake before joining the main Barrière River. After its confluence with the East Barrière the main Barrière River flows west and southwest, between Barrière Mountain on the south and Mount Borthwick and Garrison Mountain on the north. It is joined by Leonie Creek just north of the town of Barriere. The river flows through the town and by the Simpcw North Thompson Indian Band "Barriere River 3A"

Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve () or First Nations reserve () is defined by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." ...

before emptying into the North Thompson River.

History

The Barrière River is part of the traditional lands of the Simpcw people, or "People of the North Thompson River", a division of the Secwepemc people. In the early 19th century the Barrière River was often difficult to cross by fur traders travelling the Hudson's Bay Brigade Trail between

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

and

. The trail ran along the east bank of the North Thompson River and required crossing the Barrière River.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barriere River Thompson Country Tributaries of the Fraser River Rivers of British Columbia Kamloops Division Yale Land District

Name origin

Course

History

See also

References