Coquihalla River

The Coquihalla River, just outside Hope, British Columbia

The Coquihalla River (Template:PronEng) is located in the Cascade Mountains near the town of Hope, British Columbia. It empties into the Fraser River at Hope.

Kw'ikw'iya:la in the Halq'emeylem language of the Stó:lō, is a place name meaning "stingy container". It refers specifically to a fishing rock near the mouth of what is now known as the Coquihalla River. This rock is a good platform for spearing salmon. According to Stó:lō oral history, the skw'exweq (water babies, underwater people) who inhabit a pool close by the rock, would swim out and pull the salmon off the spears, allowing only certain fisherman to catch the salmon.

The Coquihalla Highway, which runs from Hope to Kamloops, derives its name from running alongside this river between Hope and the toll booth about 50 km away.

Portions of the motion picture, First Blood were filmed here.

See also

• List of British Columbia rivers
• Zoa Peak

References

• "Coquihalla River". BC Geographical Names.