Black Creek, British Columbia

Black Creek is a community on the eastern side of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It is approximately 16km north of Courtenay. It is primarily an agricultural hamlet and bedroom community to Courtenay and Campbell River - approximately 20 km to the north.

History

Black Creek was the host to several logging camps in the early years of the 20th century such as the Comox Logging & Railway Camp #3 which was on what is now Endall Road. The area was made available to German speaking Mennonite settlers primarily from the USSR via Mexico or the Canadian prairie provinces in the 1930s. They left a legacy of hard work, wresting dairy and fruit growing farms from stoney ground that had once boasted some of the largest Douglas firs in the world. It is still evident today in the many small but beautiful gardens and farms that line the Old Island Highway.

In the 1950s many Austrian and German immigrants were sponsored by Black Creek Mennonites, and much of the life of the community was conducted in a mixture of German and English well into the 1960s. The conservative and church-oriented community contributed significantly to the musical and academic life of the Comox Valley, especially the high schools.

Today, Black Creek still retains two Mennonite churches (United Mennonite and Mennonite Brethren), though only a few of the original families still live in the area.

Mount Washington

The Black Creek area is convenient to Mount Washington Alpine Resort Ski Resort on Mount Washington, located 19 miles (31 km) west of Hwy 19 at Courtenay. Mount Washington (elevation 5,216 feet/1590 m) is known for having good snow conditions from early in winter to mid-spring, despite the fact that the top of the mountain isn't as high as the peaks of Blackcomb or Whistler Mountains. The snow is often deeper than anywhere else in British Columbia, and occasionally anywhere else in the world. In 1995, Mount Washington had more snow than any other ski resort in the world. This accounts, in part, for Mount Washington being the second-busiest winter recreation destination in British Columbia, behind Whistler-Blackcomb Ski Resort. Mount Washington also provides excellent hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding in summer.

Oyster River

The Oyster River and Black Creek watersheds abound with fish and wildlife populations, co-existing successfully with a small rural population of local residents. The Oyster River watershed stretches inland into Strathcona Provincial Park on the eastern slopes of the Vancouver Island Mountains, and the Black Creek watershed winds through the lower elevation lands immediately south of the Oyster River.

External links

* [http://www.britishcolumbia.com/regions/towns/?townID=46 Black Creek]
* [http://www.macaulayrd.com Macaulay Road Community Forum]