Toad River, British Columbia

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Toad River is a highway service community in northern British Columbia, Canada, located at historic Mile 422 on Highway 97, the Alaska Highway. The community is mainly a travel- and tourism-related stop with highway maintenance, lodging, restaurant, gas station, telephone, private 3000 foot airstrip and such services, though it does have a provincial elementary school. Toad River Lodge includes a collection of over 6,000 hats (2007), many of them donated by those who have passed by while traveling on the Alaska Highway. Two miles north The Poplars offers camping, motel, gas and food (2007).

The community name derives from the nearby river of the same name that lies close to the Alaska Highway a few miles past the airstrip. The name derives historically from Hudson's Bay Company employees using the Liard River to reach the interior of northern British Columbia. It is likely a name given by Robert Campbell on his trips up river to Fort Halkett and Dease Lake during the 1830s.

The name was well established by the time R.G. McConnell of the Canadian Geological Survey passed the mouth of Toad River entering the Liard River in 1887. He wrote "and Toad River, which comes in from the south through a deep gloomy valley four miles farther down (from the Crow River mentioned previously in the text). Two miles below Toad River, on the opposite side, is situated Toad River post, which was abandoned when the post on the Nelson was established." (ref.Geological and Natural History Survey of Canada, Annual Report 1888-89,report by R.G. McConnell, 1891, pages 40D-41D)

The river has its origin in a series of lakes which lie to the south of the Alaska Highway near historic Mile 446. The Toad River canyon between the community and the Liard River is a nasty piece of water even for jet boats with experienced pilots (private communication with D.Coulson, 2007). Much closer to the community lies the Toad River Hot Springs Provincial Park. See http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/toad_rv/