Powell River is located on the Sunshine Coast of the British
Columbia mainland 135km(88 miles)North of Vancouver.
Jervis Inlet seperates Powell River and the Upper Sunshine
Coast,from the Lower Sunshine Coast.To the west lies the Strait of Georgia and Vancouver Island.Choose your form of travel and enjoy a scenic trip to one of the most beautiful
places on the Pacific Coast.

By Car.

From Vancouver,enjoy a beautiful scenic drive upp the  Sun -
shine Coast.Take the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale and stop in Gibsons.You will find Molly's Reach,the restaurant
from the famous 1970's TV series "The Beachcombers".
Continue up the coast and enjoy the picturesque waterfront of Davis Bay and sechelt.Take a second ferry from Earls Cove to
Saltery Bay and you've reached the Upper Sunshine Coast and
Powell River region.The entire trip from downtown Vancouver to
Powell River takes about 5 hours.You only pay once to ride the
2 ferries up the Sunshine Coast and the fare is less than the trip to
Vancouver Island from Horseshoe Bay,giving you just one more
reason to make the journey.

If you're travelling from Vancouver Island,take the ferry a Little
River from Comox.The passage takes one hour and 15 minutes
and the ferry docks in the heart of Powell River.Some people
choose to explore boththe Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island and if this is for you,be sure to ask for the Circle Tour Package at
the Terminal and enjoy extra saving on you trip.BC Ferries website: www.bcferries.bc.ca.

By Air

Pacific Coastal Airlines offers dailly direct fligths from Vancouver
International's South Terminal to the Powell River Municipal
Airport with connections to many BC Cities.Shuttle Service is
provited to connect with Domestic and Internatonal fligths at
Main Terminal. Flight time approximately 25 minutes.
Pacific Coastal Airlines Website :www.pacific-coastal.com

Westjet Airlines offers daily fligths from Comox Airport on
Vancouver Island,to many Canadian cities.Travel via BC Ferries
to Powell River,sailing time approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Car rentals available at terminals.Taxi service and public transit
connect airports with ferry terminals.
Westjet Website: www.westjet.com

Limousine Service are available from the airport.
Contact Pearl City Limousines at 604-414-8257 for pickup

By Bus

Malaspina Coach Lines,connects the Sunshine Coast to Vancouver and
the Vancouver international Airport.For schedule and pricing information
please call Toll Free 1-877-8287 or check their website www.malas -
pinacoach.com

1.)
In the early days,Townsite was the main area in Powell River,
and it was referred to just as Powell River,Westview,Cran -
berry and Wildwood villages amalgamated,the original
Powell River became known as the Townsite.
2.)
To the left are some images from the early days in Powell River,including:old townsite homes,now known as Heritage
Homes; Second Avenue,which led right down to the mill - at
one time it was the busiest street in Powell River;the old ball
diamond,where many a great game was played;the Company Department Store,where most Powell Riverites did their Shop
ping;Dwight Hall,which is still a much-loved venue for concerts and dances today ; and the Patricia Theatre(still
running!),the oldest continuously running theatre in B.C.

Powell River's Townsite is a facinating area to explore.
Remnants of the past flavour every street.Visit the Townsite
Heritage Centre for more information about this special area. 

                       Billy  Goat  Smith.

" Robert 'Billie Goat'Smith,was one of Powell Rivers most
colourful characters.Billy Goat Smith come to Powell Lake,
around 1906 and built his cabin near to Jim Brown Creek at
the head of the lake.'Billie Goat'Smith raised goats,hence his name.

'Billie Goat' lived almost purely off the land.He got all his
meat from hunting,he made his own flour and he drank goats milk.He had one of the finest gardens around.

'Billie Goat'hated strangers on his land.If anyone came
anywhere near his property,he would be out ther with a .22
aimed at them.Although he sound hostile,the few people
that actually knew him,say he was pretty gentle and that he had a sence of humour.

'Billie Goat'Smith only went as far as the Shingle Mill,and was
known to go to a few "Drinking Parties".He moved freely
around the lake until his boat was destroyed in 1931.After
that he rarely left his property.Other than a few friends bringing him supplies,Billie Goat Smith shut out the real world

No one really knows why he went into hiding,but there are a few theories.The first is that he was in the U.S.Navy and he jumped ship at Portland and went into hiding at Powell Lake.
This theory is the story he told to one of his friends,but when
it was mentioned that he go home and see his family,he was
petrified.This is why people think there is something more.It
is also thought that he was part of a big murder in New York.
Or that he was involved in a bank robbery.

Whoever he was,'Billie Goat'Smith,was a real character."
( Jack Wilson interview by the Powell River News.)
                           

                    P A P E R S     P I O N E E R S.

The Powell River Company was incorporated in 1909 by Dr.
Dwight Brooks and M.J.Scanlon.

1.) This area's deep harbour,and the energy potential which
would be available from a dammed Powell River,convinced
these gentlemen from Minnesota to build the largest Pulp and
Paper Mill in Western Canada.The company was initially beset
by problems significant enough to cause the cofounders to
proced with the massive undertaking. Rhe building of the dam presented a number of challenges -- one being the
the displacement of many people to make way for the dam's watershed.

In spite of all the difficulties,paper rolled off the Number One Paper Machine for the first time in 1912,an accomplishment the entire community of Powell River celebrated.Just a year later,entire community of Powell River celebrated. Just a year later,the mill had four paper machines up and running at 650 ft per second (the fastes in the world at the time)and producing 250 tons of paper a day.
By the mid 1960's the Powell River Mill was the highest producer of wood fibre pulp and paper newsprint in the world.

The Mill was purchased from the Powell River Paper Company in 1955 by MacMillan Bloedel and was sold in 1998 to Pacifica Papers. 

This story may seem surprising to those of you who have never heard it before,but Powell River was the site of a famous armed robbery. Notoious criminals Charles Bagley and Edward Fawcett,were wanted for serious crimes in the US and Canada when they decided to hit our small town in March
1932.The RCMP were aware that Bagley and Fawcett were on the loose and sent notices to most police departments in BC,
butfailed to notify Powell River because it was thought to be too isolated to be in danger from the criminals.

Nevertheless,the two bandits did come to Powell River.They stole a boat in Vancouver and hid it near Stillwater.They camped in the woods for a numbers of days and scouted out the town.Fawcett was spotted in a beer parlour by a police officer,who failed to recognize him.

On the night of March 14.,the bandits snuck into town and stole Townsite Manager,John McIntyre's car and drove to the Patricia Theatre.As they attempted to break into the theatre,Powell River Company watchman,James Vick arrived on his rounds, and was surprised by the burglars.He was knocked out,bound hand and foot,and left in the theatre lobby while Bagley and Fawcett went upstairs to break open the safe.After opening the safe and stealing the money,the criminals drove to a small creek and hid the loot under a bridge.They then returned to the liquor store and promptly forced theyr way inside.Using nitroglycerine,they attempted to blow open the safe but were unsuccessful.Hearing the commotion across the street,John McLeod,neihbour to the liquor store,threw on a dressing gown and walked over to see what was happening.Bagley saw him comming,and ran outside to meet him.Bagley promptly clubbed Mr.McLeod over the head with his gun and knocked him out.

Meanwhile,Mr.Vick,who had been left tied up in the theatre,
had crawled over to the front desk.With his hand still bound,
he struggled to stand up and than knocked the phone off the hook with his head.Forgetting the phone number of the police station,he dialled the fire department with his tongue.When the firemen arrived,they found Mr.Vick and called the police.
They then headed down the street to the liquor store to see 
what the commotion was about.

After Bagley had clubbed Mr.McLeod,he looked up to see the firemen running down the street towards him.He jumped into the waiting car with Fawcett and they speed away.Bagley leaned out the window and shot at the firemen,causing them to dive for cover and Mr.McLeod to hide inside a garbage can.As they drove off,Constable ellis arrived in a police car and chaed after them.The robbers had to stop to retrieve the stolen money from under the bridge.This delay allowed 
Mr.Ellis to nearlycatch up to them.Seeing the office in such close pursuit,the crooks decided to pull over.Bagley got out off the car and fired his shotgun at Ellis,hitting one of his headlights and causing him to also pull over.Ellis got out,
jumped into ditch and fired all his bulletsat the crooks,but missed with every shot.The two bandits then disappeared out of sight,speeding down the road towards Stillwater.

By this time,a large group of police officers and Powel River citizen,many still in their pyjamas,had gathered and set off to find the criminals.They never found them, as Bagley and Fawcett had driven to their waiting boat and fled to Vancouver.Both were eventually arrested in Vancouver ,but escaped from prison.Bagley was caught in California in 1935 and was hanged for killing a prison guard.Fawcett later died in a gun battle with an Oregon sheriff,during a bank hold - up.