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History
Before Houston was established in the early 1900's, the area was known as Pleasant
Valley. The village was named after John Houston, the former Mayor of Nelson, BC.
When the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway came into the area in 1912, the town became a
tie-cutting center. The first hotel was a large tent. Today, Houston offers several
motels, bed & breakfasts, and camping.
Location
Houston is located in Northwestern B.C., 465 kilometers (290 miles) east of Prince
Rupert and 320 kilometers (199 miles) west of Prince George along Highway 16. Highway
16 links British Columbia with Northern Alberta and Highway 37, the route to the Yukon
and Alaska. This location- roughly midway between two major centres- makes Houston a key
supply and service centre for this big area.
CN Rail's bustling main line passes through Houston to the Pacific Ports of Kitimat,
Prince Rupert, and Ridley Island. Spurs link Houston with North America and the world.
Daily scheduled flights are available just 45 minutes from Houston. Houston's own airport,
which serves small and medium sized aircraft, has been upgraded to accept jet aircraft. Two
helicopter services operate out of the Houston Area. Via Rail and Greyhound offer regular
passenger service.
Things to See
- Robbie Bell Bull
When Houston local Robby Bell won his second Canadian title as a bull rider, Red Menhinick
decided to commemorate his victories. In doing so, the "Robby Bell Bull" was born. With
donations from the community, Red and Rob's parents began the work on finding someone who
would carve the statue for them. After going to many places they found Monty Braun from
Chetwynd, who does wood carving all by chainsaws. Monty Braun started carving the bull
and rider on April 20, 2001. It took him about 11 weeks to carve the sculpture. On July the
4th, 2001 the bull and rider were placed by the Houston Husky station using a crane to place
it on its platform. The Bull and rider dedication ceremony was held in January where Robby
himself was there to celebrate with his family and friends.
- World's Largest Fly Rod
What started out as a drawing on a napkin by local resident Warner Jarvis turned into a community
project to create Houston's greatest tourist attraction. The World's Largest Fly Rod sits menacingly
between the Chamber of Commerce building and Steelhead Park, a symbolic reminder of the epic battle
between humans and their sea-dwelling adversaries. The rod is 60-feet long and made entirely of
aluminum (aluminium for you readers outside of North America). To date, the rod has never caught
a fish- nor has anyone been Herculean enough to even use it- but tales from local fishermen of valiant
struggles and harrowing escapes from titanic monsters of the sea indicate that the rod will eventually be brought
into action.
Things to Do
- Tours!
There are free tours of the World's largest sawmill, Canfor, and the nearby Houston Forest
Products operations. In July and August, there are comprehensive six-hour tours of local
forest operations, including active logging sites, reforestation, wildlife viewing, and
eco-system appreciation.
- Fishing!
Two famous fly fishing rivers (the Bulkley Valley and Morice River) meet at Houston.
Their legendary steelhead runs provide much of the recreation. The numerous lakes
within the area are home to Rainbow, Cutthroat, and Kokanee trout, as well as Chinook
and Coho salmon.
- Bird Watching
A variety of species unique to Northern B.C. can be sighted. These species include
bald eagles, Canada geese, Steller's jays, and many more.
- Boating, Canoeing, and Kayaking
Enjoy quiet boating on one of our many lakes in the area. Bring a rod and camera and
take in the wilderness beauty.
- Hiking!
An abundance of hiking trails offer breathtaking scenery, and a chance to enjoy the wildlife.
- Skiing!
Take in the winter scenery while cross-country skiing on groomed cross country trails and other nature trails around the area.
Events
- Discover Houston Trade Show
This is the Houston & District Chamber of Commerce's fundraising event for the fall
season. The Trade Show just keeps getting bigger and better! Last year's trade show
was another success - over 2,000 people attended! Held on the 1st weekend in
September, after Labour Day, it features local businesses, as well as businesses from
all over BC, showcasing their feature items.
Notable Comments
- Moby Herman, a 72-year old resident of Houston, B.C., stepped into Morice River with his latest
ingenious creation: the world's smallest fly fishing rod. At only 2 centimetres and made completely out
of tin foil, the rod was designed to catch BC's Lilliput Salmon, long regarded as being too small for
conventional fly fishing rods. Unfortunately, as Herman lowered his line into the water, a Brobdingnagian Steele-
with a body as high as five men and jaws as strong as Atlas- suddenly burst out from beneath the surface
and swallowed the poor fisherman whole. It retreated into the icy depths and has not been seen since.
- Rupert Burns, in an article for the Dawson Creek Inquirer
- "I like Houston!"
- Delores Clayburn, an enthusiastic five-year old from Kamloops
Contact Information
District of Houston
PO Box 370
3367- 12th Street
Houston, BC V0J 1Z0
Phone: 250-845-2238
Fax: 250-845-3429
Email Address: doh@houston.ca
Website: http://www.houston.ca
Houston Chamber of Commerce
Box 396
3289 Highway 16
Houston, BC V0J 1Z0
Phone: 1-250-845-7640
Fax: 1-250-845-3682
Website: http://www.houstonchamber.ca/index.html
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