Ruskin, British Columbia

Ruskin, British Columbia

Ruskin is a rural and industrial area about 40 kilometres east of Vancouver, BC straddling the border between the suburban municipalities of Maple Ridge and Mission, on the west bank of the lower Stave River.

History

The name originated with the first settlement of the area by followers of English art critic and essayist, John Ruskin, the theorist of the Gothic Revival and an advocate of "gentlemanly socialism" and dedication to crafts and rural industry, similar to the pre-Raphaelites and some of the Fabianist groups. The erstwhile Ruskinite commune failed within a few years but the name remained. About 20 years after the failure of the colony, the area was bisected by newly-created school districts which were copied by the later municipal partition of the area.

Several lumber mill operations thrived at Ruskin, mostly cedar shake mills, including some of the highest-volume operations in the world (the largest being at nearby Whonnock and in Mission City), drawing on the gigantic trees of the Stave River basin. Some logging operations in the area were owned and run by Japanese-Canadians until their expropriation in World War II, and evidence of Japanese-style logging activity such as corduroy roads can still be found in the surrounding forests.

Located two miles upstream from the Stave's confluence with the Fraser is Ruskin Dam (49°11'42.46"N, 122°24'30.86"W), the newest and largest of the three dams comprising the Stave River power development, which supplied power to the British Columbia Electric Railway and electrical power to the growing metropolis at Vancouver.

The power project was originally begun at Stave Falls, four miles further upstream. The newer dam power plant at Ruskin was opened in 1931, and forms Hayward Lake. Once Ruskin's generating power was online, the Stave River project contributed the bulk of Greater Vancouver's power until the completion of the Bridge River Power Project near Lillooet in 1961. Touted at the time as a wonder of modern architecture, it follows the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's penchant for Classical Revival, but indulges in neo-Gothic motifs in tribute to John Ruskin, and has an additional art deco flavour.

An electric railway separate from the main passenger operations of the BCER, known as the Stave Valley Branch ran between the CPR mainline and the dam at Stave Falls; this was relocated to a higher elevation with the creation of Hayward Lake, and the ruins of many of its trestles line the western shore of that reservoir; the rail grade has been converted into a hiking and biking trail in recent times. Between the dam and the sawmills there was a drive-in theatre located on the banks of the Stave River until about 1970; it was converted into a large trailer park adjoining the older houses of the millworking community attached to the mills.

chools

Students from the part of Ruskin in Maple Ridge are served by School District 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows and it has an elementary school called Ruskin Elementary School. Those from the parts of Ruskin in the District of Mission attend Silverdale Elementary School in Silverdale.

Businesses

Ruskin has three businesses; Shake and Shingle Pub, Cuts N' Cuddles, and Big Mikes Fun Farm.

Popular culture

Ruskin Dam and the bridge to the powerhouse were featured sets in the "X-Files" (chapters 'Patient X' and 'The Red and The Black' of Season Five). It was called Reeves Dam used in episodes of "Smallville": "Prototype", "Phantom" and "Bizarro", where Clark Kent confronts Bizarro.

It was also seen in the movie "The Invisible" starring Justin Chatwin.

References

*Cherrington, John A. "Mission on the Fraser", Mitchell Press, Vancouver (1974). ISBN B0006CL344
*Miller, Charles A. "Valley of the Stave", Hancock House, Vancouver (1981) ISBN 0-88839-121-8
*Schroeder, Andreas. "Carved from Wood: Mission, B.C. 1861-1992", The Mission Foundation, Mission BC (1992) ISBN 1-55056-131-6
*Stanley, Meg and Wilson, Hugh. "Station Normal: The Power of the Stave River", Douglas & McIntyre, Vancouver (2001) ISBN 1-55054-932-4

See also

*John Ruskin
*Ruskin, Florida
*Ruskin Colony (Tennessee)

External links

* [http://www.whonnock.ca/ruskin/index.htm Ruskin Community Website]
* [http://bcer.trams.bc.ca/pics/stavelq.jpgMap of Stave Valley Branch, British Columbia Electric Railway]
* [http://www.bchydro.com/recreation/mainland/mainland1211.html BC Hydro Ruskin Dam Recreation Site]
* [http://www.bchydro.com/recreation/mainland/mainland1209.html BC Hydro Recreation page on Hayward Lake]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • British Columbia Electric Railway — Infobox SG rail railroad name=British Columbia Electric Railway logo filename= logo size= old gauge= marks= locale=southwestern British Columbia and Vancouver Island start year=1891 end year=1989 hq city=The British Columbia Electric Railway… …   Wikipedia

  • Mission, British Columbia — District of Mission Motto: The Future Our Mission …   Wikipedia

  • Crofton, British Columbia — Coordinates: 48°51′49.8″N 123°38′44.6″W / 48.863833°N 123.645722°W / 48.863833; 123.645722 …   Wikipedia

  • Chemainus, British Columbia — Chemainus   Community   …   Wikipedia

  • Maple Ridge, British Columbia —   District Municipality   Maple Ridge looking north; Fraser River and Derby (Old Fort Langley) in foreground, Pitt Meadows at left …   Wikipedia

  • Crawford Bay, British Columbia — Crawford Bay   Village   …   Wikipedia

  • List of settlements in British Columbia — This is a list of communities in British Columbia, a province in Canada. For the purposes of this list, a community is defined as either an incorporated municipality (including Indian reserves), or an unincorporated settlement inside or outside… …   Wikipedia

  • North Delta, British Columbia — North Delta s Social Heart area includes the George Mackie Library opposite Nordel Shopping Centre …   Wikipedia

  • Maple Bay, British Columbia — Maple Bay is a picturesque seaside community located in the Cowichan Valley of southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. A narrow inlet and surrounded by smooth, pebbled beaches, Maple Bay is home to marine activity all year round. The …   Wikipedia

  • List of communities in British Columbia — This is a list of communities in British Columbia, a province in Canada. For the purposes of this list, a community is defined as either an incorporated municipality (including Indian reserves), or an unincorporated settlement inside or outside… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”