Cultus Lake, British Columbia

This article is about the lake, community and park in British Columbia. For the lake in Oregon, see Cultus Lake (Oregon).

Cultus Lake
Location	Fraser Valley, British Columbia
Coordinates	49°03′12″N 121°59′12″W / 49.0533°N 121.9867°W / 49.0533; -121.9867Coordinates: 49°03′12″N 121°59′12″W / 49.0533°N 121.9867°W / 49.0533; -121.9867
Primary inflows	Frosst Creek, Ascaphus Creek, Smith Falls Creek, Windfall Creek, Clear Creek, Teapot Creek, Watt Creek
Primary outflows	Sweltzer River
Catchment area	65 km²
Basin countries	Canada
Surface area	6.3 km²
Average depth	32 m
Max. depth	41.8 m
Surface elevation	47 m

Cultus Lake Park is a lake, associated community and provincial park in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, Canada. It is the source of the Sweltzer River. The lake itself is warm, and the area has become a popular recreation destination with ample opportunities for fishing, water skiing, wind surfing, and hiking. Cultus Lake is located 11 kilometers (6.8 mi) south of the Chilliwack River, near the city of Chilliwack and approximately 80 kilometers (50 mi) east of Vancouver.^[1] In 1950, Cultus Lake became a Provincial Park of British Columbia. Cultus Lake covers an area of 656 hectares, evenly on either side of the lake. At one time the Lake had a sawmill and booming ground until it became a provincial park in the 1950s.

History

Cultus Lake has always been an important place for spirit quests of the Stó:lo people. However, it was named with the Chinook Jargon word meaning primarily bad,^[2] worthless, or good for nothing, though the same word can also mean free, without purpose, or simply nothing.^[3] The Cultus Lake water park was made in the 1980s.

Government

During the early 1900s, the Cultus Lake area began to build its popularity, which then led to the formation of a joint committee between Cultus Lake and the City of Chilliwack in 1924. This then led to the formation of the Cultus Lake Park Board in 1932, which is still in effect today.^[4] The current head of the Cultus Lake Parks Board is former elementary school principal Brian Nokleby.

Accommodations

In the early 2000s houses on Cultus Lake were no more than $200,000. Now in 2009, house costs begin at $325,000^{[citation needed]}. To rent a house for a week in Cultus Lake for the summer runs from $500 to $2700 depending on the location. There are also several campgrounds in the area.

Education

Cultus Lake Community School has approximately 150 students from Kindergarten to Grade 6. The school was first opened in 1947 as a three-room schoolhouse.^[5] It was destroyed by fire in February 1959; the current building opened in October of the same year. The school is administered by British Columbia School District 33 Chilliwack.

Waterpark

Cultus Lake Waterpark is British Columbia's most popular waterpark.^{[citation needed]} The park includes picnic areas and many rides and attactions. The waterslides are:

• Blasters n' Twisters 1989
• Radical Rapids 1988
• Valley of Fear 2000
• Free Fall 1988
• Speed Slide 1988
• Colossal Canyon 2009
• Zero-60 Raceway 2009
• Pool with a clockwise current called the Adventure River. 2003

Note: The park also has smaller slides and areas for small children.

Panorama of the Waterpark

References

1. ^ British Columbian Tourist Attractions
2. ^ Chinook Jargon Phrasebook: Adverbs & Adjectives
3. ^ A dictionary of the Chinook jargon: or, the Trade language of Oregon By George Gibbs page 3.
4. ^ Chilliwack Museum Official Website
5. ^ History of Cultus Lake Community School (SD33 web site)

• BC Parks webpage

External links

• Cultus Lake Park community web site
• homepage