McBride - village in British Columbia, Canada

McBride is a village of about 600 people (2016) in the Robson Valley of British Columbia, Canada.

Understand

McBride is rich in farmland in the valley bottom, with a mix of forest and alpine surrounding the valley. This unique mixture allows McBride to be a prime location for many industries. Current industries for McBride are railway, forestry, tourism, small businesses and agriculture. Barley, oats, forage crops and pasture are the main agricultural activities supported by dark gray Doré clay loam to clay and gray Rausch clay.

• McBride Visitor Centre, 1000 1 Ave at Main St (in the old train station), +1 866-569-3366, come2mcbride@telus.net. 9AM-5PM. 2018-06-06

History

McBride was founded in 1913 as Mile 90 of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. The village was named after the serving premier, Sir Richard McBride. McBride's early industries were rail, shipping, forest harvesting and the agricultural development of the valley. In 1970 access to McBride changed with the opening of Highway 16 (Yellowhead), which enabled vehicles to travel through the valley.

Climate

McBride is relatively wet, especially in the summer. Precipitation occurs 21 days on average during the month of July. Only nearby Crescent Spur gets more rain days in July in all of Canada.

Get in

By car

Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) passes through McBride. It is 210 km (130 mi) southeast of Prince George, British Columbia, and 166 km (103 mi) west of Jasper, Alberta.

By bus

• BC Bus North, +1-844-564-7494. Twice per week bus service between Prince George and Valemount with stops in McBride and Tete Jaune Cache. 2022-03-25

By train

• VIA Rail Canada, Main St & 1st Ave (Stops at McBride station), 53.3°, -120.166667°. Operates a route between Jasper and Prince Rupert with stops in McBride, Prince George, Vanderhoof, Burns Lake, Houston, Smithers, New Hazelton, Kitwanga, and Terrace. The train travels during the daytime, taking two days in each direction. There is an overnight stop in Prince George, where passengers will need to book sleeping accommodations. Jasper is also a stop for The Canadian, which travels between Vancouver and Toronto. McBride station is a "sign post" station, where the train only stops on request. 2022-04-02

By plane

• McBride/Charlie Leake Field Aerodrome, 53.315°, -120.170556°, +1 250-569-2229. General aviation only (830m air strip); no scheduled service.

Get around

See

• Valley Museum and Archives, 521 Main St, +1 250-569-3000. Tu-Th 10AM-5PM, Tu also 7PM-9PM, F 2-9PM, Sa 2-5PM, closed on holidays. The museum presents a variety of touring exhibitions each year showcasing the unique history and culture of the Robson Valley. It shares a building on Main Street with the McBride and District Public Library. 2018-06-06
• "Train station: The focal point of Main Street is the train station at First St. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway built the train station in 1913. A fire burnt the building down in 1918. The station was quickly rebuilt and reopened in 1919 on the original site. The trains still ride through the station and pick up passengers on a daily basis. The station houses the Whistle Stop, a gallery of quality work done by local artists and crafters, as well as McBride's Visitor Information Centre and a locally owned coffee shop The Beanery.

Do

During the winter months, McBride has a variety of cross-country skiing trails and is world-famous snowmobiling trails and designated snowmobiling areas, as well as offering numerous locations for the ever-popular ice fishing.

The warmer months in McBride allow for hiking, camping, fishing and bird watching. The Robson Valley Mountain Bike Association (dead link: January 2023) maintains 6 trails in the area, and provides maps on its website.

Recreation sites in the area include Beaver Falls Recreation Trail, Beaver River Recreation Site, LaSalle Lake Recreation Site and McBride Peak Halfway Hut. Another popular site is Horseshoe Lake, a naturally formed ox-bow lake that allows birdwatchers to observe waterfowl and other birds from an observation platform.

• Pioneer Days. The parade heads down Main Street at 10 am the first Saturday in June, followed by heavy horse demonstrations, logger sports, ball games and horseshoe tournaments–even sword fighting–and lots of things for kids to do all weekend. There is a century of vehicles and farm machinery at the show and shine, a quilt walk and lots of live music and food. 2018-06-06

The village has a ball field and Community Recreation Centre that is equipped with gym, a regulation sized ice hockey arena, two curling sheets and a convertible court.

Buy

Eat and drink

• The Beanery 2 Bistro, 1000 1st Avenue (beside the train station), +1 250-569-0133. M-F 6AM-5PM, Sa-Su 9AM-5PM. Home-cooked breakfasts, great coffee and pies. 2018-05-05
• Welcome Home Gifts, 289 Main Stree, +1 250-569-0215. Tu-Sa 8:30AM-5PM. Soup, salad, sandwiches, wraps, latte/latte frio, Italian soda and treats to eat in or take out, giftware for every occasion, eclectic home décor, fresh fudge, locally hand crafted bath & body luxuries. 2018-06-06
• Heartland Restaurant, 1051 SE Frontage, +1 250-569-0032. Daily 6AM-10PM. 2018-06-06
• Kilin Restaurant, 1117 SE Frontage Rd, +1 250-569-8820. M-F 11:30AM–10PM, Sa 4–10PM, Su 4–9PM. Chinese. 2018-06-06

Sleep

• North Country Lodge, 868 NW Frontage Road (on Highway 16), +1 250-569-0001. Queen beds, air conditioning,refrigerator, radio alarm clock, hairdryer, TV and free wireless internet. Kitchenettes, suites, pet rooms and smoking rooms are available. From $95 2018-06-06
• Bell Mountain Motel, 815 Bridge Rd, +1 250-569-0312. Free WiFi, satellite flat screen TVs, in-room coffee & tea. All rooms are at ground floor. From $85 2018-06-06
• Beaver Creek Lodge & Cabins, 915 Bridge Road. Cabins, loft chalet with kitchen & 2-bedroom cottages. Flat screen Television, in cabin coffee, tea & hot chocolate, fresh "Roasted Bean" coffee, micro-roasted on the premises, small refrigerator, microwave & toaster, barbecue available, smoke free, 1 pet cabin, WiFi internet access, fire pit $129 2018-06-06

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