PRINCETON is located three hours east of Vancouver On Crowsnest Hwy 3. Situated east of the Cascade Mountains at the forks of the Similkameen & Tulameen Rivers, the town is the entry point into BC’s Southern Interior & the gateway to Similkameen & Okanagan Wine & fruit country. Princeton, population about 2600, was incorporated as a village in 1951 & a town in 1978. The town, originally known as Vermilion Forks, was renamed "Prince Town" (later corrupted to "Princeton") to honor an 1860 visit to eastern Canada by Prince Edward.
Town & area Visitors can partake of the historical walk in downtown Princeton (maps available at the visitor center). Many outdoor activities are available in the area include hiking or biking along the Kettle Valley Rail Trail or hiking the China Ridge Trails, exploring area ghost towns using self-guided tour directions from the Princeton visitor center or Museum, or visiting the area’s Ochre Bluffs, the source of ochre traded by the Similkameen people before settlement. They can also explore the archaeological sites in & around Princeton including the ruins of East Princeton on the eastern outskirts of town. Conceived in 1910 as a "Great Cement City", the area is now a resort known as "Princeton Castle". There are many Guest Ranches in the area & over 50 lakes in a 50 kms radius of the town for fishing & water sports. The town has thoroughbred horse racing, & hosts several annual events such as a rodeo, traditional music festival, & International Air Show.
The history of Princeton is the history of Interior British Columbia. The Princeton area was inhabited by the Similkameen people before the arrival of settlers. The first Europeans in the Princeton area were explorers & fur traders. They were followed by miners headed to the latest gold rush, then trail builders, then settlers, many of whom started ranches. Copper and coal mines were developed next. They were the reason for the building of the Great Northern and Kettle Valley Railways. (The last spike in the KVR was driven at Princeton.) Then came the loggers and timber mills. Old trails eventually became the routes for modern highways. Princeton subsequently grew into a regional retail and service center & recreation and tourism became an important industry. The town's biggest employer these days is Weyerhaeuser sawmill & a few smaller timber companies.
More info here: http://www.princeton.ca/visitors/about-us
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princeton,_British_Columbia
CHILLIWACK, pop about 80,000, is located in the upper Fraser Valley, 100kms east of Vancouver on the Trans Canada Highway. The city is bound on the north by the Fraser River and on the south by the Canada-United States border. The main industry is agriculture. There are 900 farms with dairy farming accounting for almost half of all farm revenues. Poultry, vegetable and berry production, floriculture and the nursery industry play a growing, crucial role in the region’s economy as well.
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