Cultus Lake is a lake, associated community and provincial park in the

Fraser Valley The Fraser Valley is a geographical region in southwestern British Columbia, Canada and northwestern Washington State. It starts just west of Hope in a narrow valley encompassing the Fraser River and ends at the Pacific Ocean stretching from th ...

region of

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. It is the source of the Sweltzer River. Cultus Lake is located south of the

Chilliwack River Chilliwack ( ) is a city of about 100,000 people and in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is located about east of the City of Vancouver in the Fraser Valley. The enumerated population is 93,203 in the city and 113,767 in the gr ...

, near the city of

Chilliwack Chilliwack ( ) is a city of about 100,000 people and in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is located about east of the City of Vancouver in the Fraser Valley. The enumerated population is 93,203 in the city and 113,767 in the gr ...

and approximately east of

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

. In 1950, Cultus Lake became 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 the ...

. Cultus Lake covers an area of 656 hectares, evenly on either side of the lake. At one time the lake had a sawmill and booming ground until it became a provincial park in the 1950s.

Etymology

Cultus Lake is an important place for spirit quests of the Sto:lo people. However, it was named with the

Chinook Jargon Chinook Jargon (' or ', also known simply as ''Chinook'' or ''Jargon'') is a language originating as a pidgin language, pidgin trade language in the Pacific Northwest. It spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to othe ...

word meaning primarily ''bad'', ''worthless'', or ''good for nothing'', though the same word can also mean ''free'', ''without purpose'', or simply ''nothing''.

Climate

Recreation

Recreation facilities include

Cultus Lake Waterpark Cultus Lake Waterpark is one of the three amusement parks operated by Destination Cultus in Cultus Lake, British Columbia, with the others being Cultus Lake Adventure Park and Splashdown Vernon. It claims to be the largest water park in the pro ...

and the Cultus Lake Adventure Park, which opened in July 2014 as the expansion of Giggle Ridge Adventure Golf. British Columbia Parks has several camping sites in the area in addition to a few privately owned campgrounds.

Government

In the early 1900s, the Cultus Lake area was a popular destination, which led to the formation of a joint committee between the ''City of Chilliwack'' and the ''Corporation of the Township of Chilliwhack'' (sic) in 1924. This then led to the formation of the Cultus Lake Park Board in 1932, which is still in effect today. The Cultus Lake Park Board includes five commissioners, of whom 3 are elected from Cultus Lake, and 2 from the City of Chilliwack. As of 2022, the board chairman is Kirk Dzaman.

Education

Cultus Lake Community School has approximately 150 students from Kindergarten to Grade 6. The school was first opened in 1947 as a three-room schoolhouse.History of Cultus Lake Community School
(SD33 web site) It was destroyed by a fire in February 1959; the current building opened in October of the same year. The school is administered by the

Chilliwack School District School District 33 Chilliwack is a school district in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, Canada. It has an enrollment of approximately 15,321 full students, and approximately 2,400 teachers and support staff. Its annual budget for the ...

References

External links

Cultus Lake Park
community web site
BC Parks webpage
{{authority control 1950 establishments in British Columbia Canadian Cascades Chinook Jargon place names Lakes of the Lower Mainland Neighbourhoods in Chilliwack Populated places in the Fraser Valley Regional District Protected areas established in 1950 Provincial parks of British Columbia Unincorporated settlements in British Columbia