White Rock is a municipality that belongs to the Metro Vancouver Regional District and is located in British Columbia, Canada. Surrey borders it on three sides and Semiahmoo Bay to the south. The Semiahmoo First Nation, located within Surrey’s boundaries, is visible to the southeast across a footbridge. In the Strait of Georgia lie the Southern Gulf Islands and Semiahmoo Bay to the south. However, the following are several remarkable facts about Whiterock, Canada.
1) 14 Amazing Facts About Whiterock –
1.1) Incorporation
Peace Arch Hospital was established in the 1950s and is still a significant business in the city and a regional healthcare provider. The town of White Rock was established on April 15, 1957. A particular order from the British Columbian government found the City of White Rock under its current borders on April 15, 1957.
1.2) Origination Of Its Name:
It’s close to the Pier. A sizable white boulder on the beach close to the pier, a glacial erratic that moved south during the last glaciation, gave White Rock its name. The shellfish-eating seagulls that maintained the 486-ton granite boulder white covered it so thoroughly in guano that 19th-century sailors took it as a signal. The city parks staff now paints it white regularly to keep it from becoming a target for graffiti.
1.3) Early History
To Birch Bay in the south of the Straits, Salish people predominated from Boundary Bay in the north. Between 1791, the year of the first European contact, and the 1850s, the start of European settlement, Semiahmoo First Nation stable encampments were documented. These were situated along the waterfront at the western and eastern boundaries of the current City of White Rock. The Semiahmoo people also built forts to serve as lookouts for northern first nations raiders; one of these forts is near Ocean Park.
The Semiahmoo Trail remains in South Surrey and White Rock, connecting Mud Bay, north of Crescent Beach, with the Boundary Commission Camping ground at the Campbell River’s estuary overland. The Telegraph Trail is the route’s name on an 1865 survey map. The Semiahmoo Trail has been preserved thanks to a specifically built pedestrian overpass on 148 Street. The City of Surrey conserved a large portion of the street during the 1980s and 1990s real estate boom, expanding it to the Nicomekl River.
1.4) Modern History
The railway that runs along Semiahmoo Bay’s shore to the border and connects British Columbia and Washington state is directly responsible for White Rock’s modern history.
Medium-rise condos have been more prevalent recently, with considerable new construction in Uptown. Before a new fire hall was constructed across from City Hall in the early 1990s, the City of White Rock’s firefighters housed a half-block north of the city’s boundaries. The White Rock Little League squad reached the Little League World Series in 2007.
A 30-meter part of the Pier was destroyed on December 20, 2018, after a strong gale, when sailboats that had broken loose from the nearby marina smashed against it. At least 15 boats sank, and a few were caught between the pier pilings. The pier reopened to the people on August 28, 2019, despite several components, including the lights, still needing to be finished. Plans for replacement envisage a new pier to be constructed by the end of August 2019 at an estimated cost of more than $5 million. As of May 2, 2019, it is estimated to cost $16.2 million to reconstruct to the seismic norms of today. Since 2018, Darryl Walker has served as mayor.
1.5) White Rock Is A Municipality
It is a municipality that is a part of Metro Vancouver and is located in British Columbia, Canada. South Surrey encircles it on three sides, and its boundaries are Semiahmoo Bay to the south.
1.6) Geographical Details
Geographically, White Rock is located at 49°1′30′′North and 122°48′10′′West.
Bergstrom Road (136 Street), North Bluff Road, State Road, and 8th Avenue form the western, northern, eastern, and southern limits of White Rock and Surrey, respectively. Immediately to the northwest are the Surrey neighbourhoods of Crescent Beach and Ocean Park. The Semiahmoo Indian Reserve is located inside the boundaries of the City of Surrey, even though it is controlled independently, from Stayte Road in the west to where 8 Avenue crosses the water.
1.7) Spirit Of The Sea Festival
Every year on the first weekend in August, the Spirit of the Sea Festival takes place on White Rock Beach. It often consists of a parade, fireworks, music performances, a sandcastle-building contest, and numerous beach-related events. In 1949, the festival got started.
1.8) Average Annual Rainfall Details
The average annual rainfall is 1,108 mm.
It developed a reputation as a retirement community because it receives the least amount of rain in the Metro Vancouver area and benefits from the ocean’s cooling effect during the summer and the winter.
1.9) Demographics
White Rock’s population increased by 10% between the 2016 and 2021 Canadian censuses, from 19,952 to 21,939 people living in 10,735 out of 11,541 private residences. In 2021, it had a population density of 4,243.5 km2 and a land area of 5.17 km2.
1.10) Transportation
In White Rock, cars play a significant role in transportation. White Rock is connected to Vancouver north by the motorway Highway 99 and to the Trans-Canada Highway and Guildford by U.S. Johnston Road. The White Rock Centre transit interchange is the hub for most of White Rock’s bus lines.
From White Rock Center to Willow brook Mall in Langley, take the 531 buses. The 360, 361, 362, and 363 Community Shuttle routes provide local communities in White Rock and South Surrey with transportation services. A single-track mainline owned by BNSF Railway passes through White Rock and is as long as the White Rock beach promenade. Although there is no railway service in the city itself, this rail line provides a crucial route for transporting commodities between the United States’ interior and the ports of Vancouver.
1.11) The Average Climate
The average daily maximum temperature is 23 degrees Celsius in the summertime and 6 degrees Celsius in the winter.
The weather in White Rock is often pleasant. The city experiences less fog, fewer wet days, and shorter snowfalls because of its distance from the Coast Mountains. According to meteorological data, it receives 20% more sunshine than Vancouver. Summer averages are 21 °C, and winter averages are six °C. 1,108 mm of rainfall per year is typical.
1.12) Sea Level
At 80 meters above sea level is White Rock.
The White Rock old parts are located at 6,365 feet, 900 feet higher than the river’s canyon-floor elevation. The townsite is directly south of and located at the same height as the CDP, which also includes the community of Pajarito Acres.
1.13) Tour De White Rock
The city organizes the Tour de White Rock, a road cycling competition that draws more than 150 local and foreign riders every July. The competition was a part of the national road race series run by the Canadian Cycling Association in 2005.
1.14) White Rock In Movies And Television
Filming for the boxing movie Knockout took place at White Rock. White Rock was the backdrop for some of the 1965 Buster Keaton movie The Railroader. Big Meat Eater, a 1982 film, spent a good deal of time on or around the shoreline. Psych, a detective comedy on the USA Network located in Santa Barbara, California, was shot in White Rock.
A small scene from Leaving Normal was also shot on the White Rock shoreline. Additionally, scenes from the Steven Seagal picture Driven to Kill and episodes of the X-Files were shot at this location.
Many city scenes and sequences on the open pier were filmed here for the Hallmark film Like Cats & Dogs. In their 2018 music video Likey, K-pop girl group Twice highlights White Rock, British Columbia’s Ocean Rock Cafe, and the city’s historic pier and railway.
2) Where In BC Is White Rock?
White Rock, British Columbia, has a population of 19,399 and is situated in the southern end of the Lower Mainland, 45 km from Vancouver and just 5 min from the US/Canada border. Our vibrant seaside village is centred on a sandy beach stretching eight kilometres and the warm coastal waters of Semiahmoo Bay.
3) What’s Life Like In White Rock?
Our vibrant seaside village is centred on a sandy beach stretching eight kilometres and the warm coastal waters of Semiahmoo Bay. The mild climate makes White Rock a popular retirement location.
4) What Is the Speciality of White Rock?
Northwest of Blaine, Washington, is a port of entry into the Pacific and a component of the Vancouver metropolitan region. The neighbourhood, which was first developed in 1905, quickly gained popularity as a vacation destination. International Park and Peace Arch marks the westernmost point of the border between Canada and the United States. The city boasts a sizable community of retired workers.
We hope that this article improved your knowledge about White Rock. Some facts about white rock include events like Tour de white rock, Spirit of the Sea Festival, average rainfall, climate, demography and geography details, and sea level. Moreover, it has been featured in several films and on television. The incorporation, modern history, how it got its name, and the transportation facilities are further additional facts and information you should know about.
