District of Vanderhoof Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, British Columbia

District Municipality (1) - A populated place with legally defined boundaries, incorporated as a district municipality under the provincial Municipal Act. E of Fraser Lake, W of Prince George, Range 5 Coast Land District

Mapped Location

District of Vanderhoof: The mapped location is an approximation and should not be used for navigation or wayfinding.

 

Information

General information on District of Vanderhoof

  • Feature Type: Incorporated

 

Official, historical, colloquial and alternative toponyms for District of Vanderhoof

A brief list of names that this geographic feature has been named

Name Description
District of Vanderhoof Official

 

Origin Notes and History of District of Vanderhoof

References to District of Vanderhoof that document the origin of its place name

Vanderhoof (Post Office & Station) labelled on BC map 1G, 1916. Incorporated as a Village Municipality 22 January 1926. Incorrectly identified in the 1930 BC Gazetteer as a town; form of name incorrectly changed to Vanderhoof (Post Office & Railway Station) 2 November 1937 on Geological Survey sheet 630A, Fort Fraser; form of name corrected to Vanderhoof (Village) 2 March 1950 on 93K/1, in keeping with incorporated status. Re-incorporated as a District Municipality 31 December 1982, called District of Vanderhoof. Vanderhoof (District Municipality) confirmed 29 November 1984 on file Ottawa file 203-2; re-confirmed 14 October 1988 on 93F/16, 93G/13, 93J/4 and 93K/1.

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office  |  Province of British Columbia

Vanderhoof Post Office was opened 1 December 1914, named in association with the railway station, in turn so-named c1912-13 by Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad Company.

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office  |  Province of British Columbia

".... after Mr. Vanderhoof, a writer and social worker from New York. He was probably delicate in health and resided in this area." (information provided 17 Septemer 1942 by Mr. Stewart, Deputy Minister of Railways, but no explanation why the townsite would acquire his name.) [contrast with explanation in Akriggs' 1986 book.]

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office  |  Province of British Columbia

"Probably after Herbert Vanderhoof, a writer and social worker from New York, who lived at Vanderhoof for some time in the early 1900s."

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
Provincial Archives' Place Names File (the "Harvey File") compiled 1945-1950 by A.G. Harvey from various sources, with subsequent additions  |  Province of British Columbia

Named after Herbert Vanderhoof, a Chicago publicity agent. In 1908 the Canadian Government, the CPR, CNR and GTPR engaged Vanderhoof to conduct a major campaign in the American press to draw settlers to western Canada. Making maximum use of farm journals of the day, and of his magazine "Canada West", Vanderhoof was so successful that a second, similar contract was signed with him. Vanderhoof had ambitious plans for the development of the settlement that was given his name in 1914. He is said to have planned, among other schemes, the building of a large hotel as a refuge for burned-out authors!

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
Akrigg, Helen B. and Akrigg, G.P.V; British Columbia Place Names; Sono Nis Press, Victoria 1986 /or University of British Columbia Press 1997  |  Province of British Columbia

 

Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako

Political Boundaries

Last updated: 2023-09-27