Sicamous
| Sicamous | |
|---|---|
| District municipality | |
| District of Sicamous | |
| Motto: Houseboat Capital of Canada | |
 Location of Sicamous in British Columbia |
|
| Coordinates: 50°50′0″N 118°58′52″W / 50.83333°N 118.98111°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province |
 British Columbia
|
| Region | Shuswap Country |
| Regional district | Columbia-Shuswap |
| Government | |
| • Governing body | SSDT |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.71 km2 (4.91 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 350.25 m (1,149.11 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 2,441 |
| • Density | 192.0/km2 (497/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| Area code(s) | 250 / 778 / 236 |
| Highways |
 BC 1 &  BC 97A
|
| Waterways | Shuswap Lake, Mara Lake |
| Website | District of Sicamous website |
Sicamous is a district municipality in British Columbia located adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway at the Highway 97A junction, where Mara Lake empties into Shuswap Lake via a short narrows. Sicamous is a resort town about halfway between Calgary and Vancouver and is the eastern gateway to the Apple Country. With 341km of shoreline, it styles itself as the houseboat capital of Canada. It has a population of 3,166.
Sicamous is an adaptation of a Shuswap language word meaning "river circling mountains".
In the 1800s, Sicamous and area was inhabited by a semi-nomadic Indigenous nation called the Secwepemc or Shuswap. They crossed the Rocky Mountains to hunt buffalo on the plains. In this area they were called the "Schickamoos". In 1871, a Provincial Map shows Schickamoos Narrows, which in early history was known as a "meeting place of Indians".
In 1864, gold was discovered on the Columbia. Seymour Arm became a supply centre in the Big Bend Gold Rush.
In 1885, permanent settlers arrived after the driving of the Last Spike at Craigellachie, which linked Canada sea to sea. Among the first settlers in Sicamous were the families from Finland. Old Town, or Eagle Pass Landing as it now known, became an almost instant town in 1871. It was the central supply centre for railway construction. Today it is used primarily for recreational purposes such as sledding, houseboating, hiking, swimming, and biking.
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