Industry in the North Peace

Fort St. John had its beginnings as a trading post so its earliest industry was trapping. Although most of the settlement did not begin until after the 1910's, trapping and the prospect of finding gold brought many people, predominantly bachelors, to the area before then. As more and more people and families came west, farming became the predominant industry. The fertile soil of the Peace River valley was a great draw for those on the prairies in the 1920's and '30's and the business of agriculture grew. The area would remain largely agricultural in nature until the 1950's. Oil and gas exploration and discovery transformed the frontier town. Although farming and ranching are still strong contributors to the economy, activity in the oilpatch is now the number one industry in the North Peace. It is for this reason that Fort St. John is called "The Energy Capital of BC." It is hydroelectric power generation that now drives Hudson's Hope. Two dams on the mighty Peace at Hudson's Hope make electricity production the predominant industry. Taylor has gas processing and co-generation plants as its base. Two mills at Fort St. and Taylor also keep the logging industry strong. There are still individuals in the area that run trap lines but now it is more of an extra activity rather than a way of life. Our roots are still here. Follow the progression of our industries and see how we have grown.

Back to the Table of Contents