Chetwynd

From Dominion of British Columbia
Chetwynd
City of Chetwynd
Coordinates 55°41′45″N 121°38′18″W
Country British Columbia
District Peace River Regional District
Population 72,503
Postal code area CH
Postal code district CH1, CH1E, CH1N, CH1W
Suburbs Aspen Place (CH2)
Wabi (CH8)

Chetwynd is a city in northeastern British Columbia, within the Peace River Regional District.

History

Chetwynd became the first city created under the auspices of the Liveable North Programme in 1976.

Commerce

There is extensive industry in the Chetwynd area, primarily related to forestry and fossil fuel extraction.

Transportation

Air

Chetwynd International Airport (IATA: XCY, ICAO: BCCY) is located close to the centre of town. Air BC, Central Mountain Air, Hawkair, and Northern Thunderbird Air operate scheduled flights connecting Chetwynd to Ganiks Laxha, Gitlaxt′aamiks, Hagwilget, Prince Rupert, Vancouver, and Victoria. Until 2019, Northern Thunderbird operated a service between Chetwynd and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Rail

Chetwynd is situated at the junction of BC Rail's Peace River and Fort Nelson Lines. Freight traffic is extensive, and a variety of passenger trains call at Chetwynd Station, the most prestigious of which is the Aurora Borealis (Trains 123/124), a twice-weekly Limited Express operated jointly by BC Rail and VIA Rail of Canada between Edmonton, Alberta, and Whitehorse, Yukon. Two Express services operate through Chetwynd, the Kiskatinaw (Trains 81.1-3/82.1-3) running thrice daily between Prince George and Dawson Creek, and the Tahltan Highlander, an overnight sleeper service between Dawson Creek and Dease Lake. There are also twice-daily Local services running between Dawson Creek and Mackenzie (Trains 8033E.1-2/8034E.1-2) and Dawson Creek and Fort St John (Trains 8041E.1-2/8042E.1-2).

East Chetwynd Station, two miles from Chetwynd Station on the Fort Nelson Line, serves the Chetwynd Forest Products sawmill and plywood plant, and the Dawson Creek–Fort St John trains also call here.

Road

The John Hart Highway (BC Highway 97) and the Don Phillips Highway (BC Highway 29) both pass through Chetwynd.

Sport

All three professional sports clubs in Chetwynd share their origins in the Chetwynd Railway Sports Club, which was established in 1954. Over the years the professional football, hockey, and rugby sections were spun off into fully autonomous entities that are independent in all but name; the amateur departments of these sports, and the sections for other sports, are still fully part of the RSC.

Football

Chetwynd Railway FC presently play in the Northeast Football Championship. From the late 1960s through the early 1980s they were regular members of the BCFL Division Three and twice earned promotion to Division Two, but since their relegation from Division Three after the 1981 season they have not managed to secure a return to League play. The club's only honour thus far was the Northeast Football Championship title in 2004; the best FA Cup performance was in reaching the Fifth Round in 1973.

Hockey

The Chetwynd Locomotives of the BC Hockey League play at the Hillstrom Pine Valley Arena, which has a capacity of 4,440 spectators.

Rugby

Chetwynd Railway RFC of the BC Rugby Union share Rotary Park with the association football club.