McBride

Nestled in the heart of the Robson Valley is the tranquil community of McBride (population: 660), located between the Rocky Mountains on the east and the Cariboos on the west.

Here you can soak up the area’s peaceful rhythms. Winding through the valley bottom, an area dotted with farms and ranches, is the upper Fraser River fed by countless rivers and streams.

McBride is a centre for both summer and winter outdoor recreation with a handful of good restaurants and comfortable places to stay.

In the village, enjoy the bird walk, or the art walk (McBride has a thriving artisan community) or visit the museum-library, heritage farm display and restored train station. In winter, the recreation centre has curling and hockey games, public skating and fitness facilities.

Outside the village are opportunities for hiking, birdwatching, canoeing, mountain biking, golfing, fishing, snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing, heli-skiing, dog-sledding and snow-sledding.

On summer weekends, relax in the historic park by the station and enjoy the farmers’ markets – Fridays in McBride and Saturdays in Dunster, just 28km (20 mi) on a scenic drive east.

McBride's history is tied to railroads and forestry. As a newly constructed railway town, the village was first known as Mile 90, being 90 miles from Summit at the boundary with Alberta. In 1913 it was named McBride after Richard McBride, then Premier of British Columbia.

That hands-on pioneer history is reflected in Koeneman Park where you see the handcrafted log home built by a local settler.