Historical migration patterns in the Upper Fraser region, British Columbia.

Between 1920 and 1990, the Upper Fraser region of British Columbia experienced a period of rapid socio-economic change in which numerous small communities developed, boomed, busted, and faded away. The fortunes of these towns largely revolved around the existence of sawmills, which began to close in the 1960s as the lumber industry consolidated. Many different types of migration to and from the region occurred during this period, affected by various social, economic, and geographic factors. This thesis examines the factors that affected migration in the region. In 2000 and 2005, two sets of oral history interviews were conducted with current and former residents who lived in the Upper Fraser region during the 1945 and 1975 period (the peak years of sawmill operations in the region). Many of the questions posed revolved around issues of migration, including why residents migrated to the area, where they came from, and reasons for their departure. This research compares the results of the two sets of interviews and displays the results using data-intensive descriptive mapping techniques. Results indicate that most residents arrived from the Prairie provinces and Nordic Europe in search of employment, and were prompted to leave because of forest industry consolidation, lack of employment opportunity outside the lumber industry, and lack of educational facilities in the region. Rather than declining directly with sawmill closures, populations often sank in advance of mill closures when people perceived that there was no economic or social viability left in the community, and could not see a future for these places. The improvement of transportation in the 1960s also expedited this process. While this thesis does not provide exact statistics on demographics and migration volume, it contributes to a better understanding of the migration dynamics as well as the social conditions in the region, and demonstrates both the similarities and differences between the Upper Fraser region and other resource hinterlands.