Ocean Falls, British Columbia
| Ocean Falls | |
|---|---|
| Ghost town | |
 |
|
| Coordinates: 52°21′05″N 127°41′30″W / 52.35139°N 127.69167°WCoordinates: 52°21′05″N 127°41′30″W / 52.35139°N 127.69167°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Regional District | Central Coast |
| Population | |
| • Total | About 50 |
| Demonym(s) | Rain People |
| Time zone | Pacific Standard (PST) (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| Postal code span | V0T 1P0 |
| Area code(s) | 250 |
| Website | http://www.traveloceanfalls.com/ |
Ocean Falls is a community on the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Formerly a large company town owned by Crown Zellerbach, it is only accessible via boat or seaplane, and is home for a few dozen full-time residents, with the seasonal population upwards of 100.
Ocean Falls is noted for its abundance of rain - about 4,390 millimetres (172.8 in) annually, and its residents are sometimes referred to as the "Rain People." Situated around a waterfall from Link Lake straight into Cousins Inlet, it has considerable energy resources that are largely untapped.
The Heiltsuk native speaking people inhabited the coastal region surrounding Ocean Falls for more than 9,000 years. In 1903, the Bella Coola Pulp and Paper Company surveyed the area and was impressed with the hydro power potential of the site. In 1906, following the company's acquisition of 260 acres (1.1 km2) of land, clearing began for the town and three years later, a sawmill, hospital and school were established. In 1912, the dam was erected and the pulp mill began operating. The Ocean Falls pulp and paper mill was the largest mill in British Columbia for many years. The mill produced mechanical, sulfite and sulphate pulp processed on two newsprint machines, two kraft paper machines and one tissue machine. Much of the electrical power for the mill and town was produced by four hydro turbines.
Ocean Falls' population numbered 250 in 1912 and grew to 3,500 by 1950. By 1970, the number of inhabitants had dropped to 1,500. By 1990, only about 70 people, mostly loggers, remained.
The profit structure of the original investment changed considerably during the mill's many years of operation. Low labour costs, inexpensive hydro power and low infrastructure costs made the Ocean Falls mill a viable proposition. Nevertheless, the remote location, rising labour costs and the high cost of operating a town site made further investment unattractive. The Ocean Falls pulp and paper mill was a very large and complex production facility and modernization costs were prohibitive.
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Wikipedia