Founded in 1879, Dawson Creek was important for trapping and the fur trade. Then it became a small farming community, and then a regional center when the western terminus of the Northern Alberta Railways was extended here in 1932. The community grew rapidly in 1942 as the US Army used the rail terminus as the logistics center during construction of the famous Alaska Highway.
The latest census data (2011) reveals a population of just under 12,000 happy folks. There was a big street festival in downtown yesterday, but the heat was well into the 90's and the sun was too intense so I skipped it and updated this blog instead.
Following is a photo as I entered the town yesterday. How sad that comfort food along my trip has resulted in the layering of so much lard on me, and so quickly, eh? I'm really not that fat; I'm really not that fat. What appears to be fat is simply the wind billowing my polo shirt. Right. Beginning right now, no more comfort food. It's time for watercress, bean sprouts and tree bark for the next several days! Woe, oh woe...
Wikipedia has a pretty good page on Dawson Creek. It's at:
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawson_Creek
Sadly, they also have a pretty good page on Dawson's Creek--which has absolutely nothing to do with Dawson Creek--but maybe that's a good thing. Not that imagine anyone is interested, but in the interest of thoroughness:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawson%27s_Creek
The real Dawson Creek is infinitely more interesting.