Englishman River
Englishman River (Halkomelem: K̓wal̓uxw) is a river in the eastern side of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.{{Cite web |url=https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/10010.html |title=BCGNIS Geographical Name Details |access-date=2009-02-06 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070815192711/http://ilmbwww.gov.bc.ca/bcgn-bin/bcg10?name=10010 |archive-date=2007-08-15 |url-status=live }} It starts on the eastern slopes of the Beaufort Range, originating from tiny Jewel Lake and flowing in an easterly direction for {{convert|40|km|abbr=on}}, entering the Strait of Georgia at Parksville, British Columbia. It is an important watershed providing habitat for various species of salmon and community water to the residents of Parksville and surrounding area. The Englishman River watershed includes Arrowsmith Lake, Hidden Lake, Fishtail Lake, Rowbotham Lake, Healy Lake, Shelton Lake, and Rhododendron Lake.
Englishman River Falls Provincial Park is a popular tourist destination approximately {{convert|10|km|abbr=on}} upstream from the mouth of the river. It is famed for its two picturesque waterfalls and treed campsites. The park was created on December 20, 1940, in an effort to protect the old-growth forest and its associated ecosystem along the river in the vicinity of the waterfalls.{{Cite web|url=http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/englishman_rv/|title=Englishman River Falls Provincial Park - BC Parks}}
A dammed reservoir on the Englishman is a source of water for Parksville, British Columbia.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pqbnews.com/news/englishman-dam-ensures-parksvilles-water-supply/|title = Englishman dam ensures Parksville's water supply|date = 29 September 2017}}
South Englishman River
The Englishman's south fork begins at Shelton (Echo) Lake{{cite web | url=https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/16251.html | title=BC Geographical Names }} and shortly after exiting the north end of that lake enters Healy (Panther) Lake.{{cite web | url=https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/13248.html | title=BC Geographical Names }} The river then exits the far end of the lake and flows northeast to where it merges with the main fork of the Englishman.{{cite web | url=https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/20663.html | title=BC Geographical Names }}
History
The indigenous name of the river, Kw’a’luxw, comes from the island dialect of Halkomelem, meaning "dog salmon" due to the river's well-known salmon populations.
According to a local legend, indigenous people in the area found the skeleton of a Caucasian man near the waterfalls, thus giving the river its current name; the river was given its name because "an Englishman was drowned while attempting to cross."Victoria Colonist, December 1949, Islander, p. 10{{dubious|date=June 2024}} A further source is cited as "Hirst, being the first settler by the river, was referred to by Indians as ‘that Englishman by the river‘. Hence the name Englishman's River came to be known".{{cite news |last=James |first=Phyllis |date=1977-05-08 |title=TRANFIELDS of Vancouver Island |url=https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist19770508/page/n82/mode/1up?view=theater&q=englishman+river+rivers |work=The Daily Colonist |location=Victoria, British Columbia |access-date=2024-06-26 | language=en}} Spanish mapmakers originally named it the "Rio de Grullas," presumably because of the large number of great blue herons living at its estuary (grulla being Spanish for "crane").
See also
References
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