Butedale is a privately owned
ghost town
A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...
on
Princess Royal Island
Princess Royal Island is the largest island on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is located amongst the isolated inlets and islands east of Hecate Strait on the British Columbia Coast. At , it is the fourth largest island in Britis ...
, in
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 ...
, Canada. The historic cannery village was founded in 1911. The village was founded by John Wallace, who sought to take advantage of fishing, mining and logging opportunities in the area.
Initially the salmon
cannery
Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container ( jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, although unde ...
was established by Western Packers, which was purchased and operated by the Canadian Fishing Company until it ceased operating in the 1970s. At its peak, Butedale's summertime population was over 400.
A post office was opened there in 1917, and closed on March 4, 1974.
The site also included a Canada Customs Office and was a Port of Entry to Canada..Southbound American fishing vessels could clear customs at Butedale.
Background
There is a small dam that can generates power from ''Butedale Lake'' above the town, which is permitted to generate one megawatt of power.
flows out of the lake and falls into the ocean north of the townsite within the freehold lands at Butedale.
Butedale is a popular point of interest for cruise ship and ferry passengers sailing the
Inside Passage
The Inside Passage () is a coastal route for ships and boats along a network of passages which weave through the islands on the Pacific Northwest coast of the North American Fjordland. The route extends from southeastern Alaska in the United St ...
of British Columbia. Permission is required from Inside Passage Marine to visit the site. Butedale is accessible by boat, floatplane or helicopter.
Gallery
Image:Butedale, BC, April 1975.jpg, Butedale, BC, April 1975
Image:Butedale Cannery 2 2002.jpg, Butedale as seen from Fraser Reach
Image:Butedale Cannery Sept 2002.jpg, Butedale
Image:Butedale General Store Sept 2002.jpg, Butedale General Store
Image:Butedale, British Columbia.jpg, Butedale seen from the middle of the channel
See also
*
Surf Inlet, British Columbia
References
External links
Youtube: Butedale Falls & Town seen from the Inside Passage
Unincorporated settlements in British Columbia
North Coast of British Columbia
Populated places in the Regional District of Kitimat–Stikine
{{BritishColumbiaNorthCoast-geo-stub