Powell River (British Columbia)

This article is about the river. For the city, see Powell River, British Columbia.

The Powell River is a river in the northern Sunshine Coast region of British Columbia, Canada that flows a short distance through the eponymous city of Powell River, British Columbia to enter the Salish Sea.^[1] It is one of the shortest rivers in the world, measuring 500 Meters in length. ^[3]

Powell River
Aerial photograph of Powell River
Mouth of Powell River
Location
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
District	New Westminster Land District
Physical characteristics
Mouth	Powell River
• location	Strait of Georgia
• coordinates	49°52′32″N 124°33′35″W[1]
• elevation	0 m (0 ft)[2]

Name origin

Along with Powell Lake, it was named for Dr. Israel Wood Powell, a medical doctor and educator who was a veteran of the Cariboo Gold Rush. Dr. Powell was Commissioner for Indian Affairs for British Columbia from 1873 to 1881.^[1]

In 2021 the city of Powell River entered into negotiations with the Tla'amin Nation regarding a potential name change.^[4]

See also

• List of rivers of British Columbia

References

1. "Powell River (river)". BC Geographical Names.
2. Elevation derived from ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model, using GeoLocator, BCGNIS coordinates, and topographic maps.
3. "Did you know? Five river facts to get you into the flow of Canadian Rivers Day". WWF.CA. 10 June 2016.
4. "čɛčɛhaθɛč taθ qʷal (Welcome) - Community Conversation: Possible Name Change - City of Powell River".