McBride

McBride is a village of about 600 people (2016) in the Robson Valley of British Columbia, Canada.

Understand
McBride is rich in farmland in the valley bottom, with a mix of forest and alpine surrounding the valley. This unique mixture allows McBride to be a prime location for many industries. Current industries for McBride are railway, forestry, tourism, small businesses and agriculture. Barley, oats, forage crops and pasture are the main agricultural activities supported by dark gray Doré clay loam to clay and gray Rausch clay.

History
McBride was founded in 1913 as Mile 90 of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. The village was named after the serving premier, Sir Richard McBride. McBride's early industries were rail, shipping, forest harvesting and the agricultural development of the valley. In 1970 access to McBride changed with the opening of Highway 16 (Yellowhead), which enabled vehicles to travel through the valley.

Climate
McBride is relatively wet, especially in the summer. Precipitation occurs 21 days on average during the month of July. Only nearby Crescent Spur gets more rain days in July in all of Canada.

By car
Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) passes through McBride. It is 210 km (130 mi) southeast of Prince George, British Columbia, and 166 km (103 mi) west of Jasper, Alberta.

Do
During the winter months, McBride has a variety of cross-country skiing trails and is world-famous snowmobiling trails and designated snowmobiling areas, as well as offering numerous locations for the ever-popular ice fishing.

The warmer months in McBride allow for hiking, camping, fishing and bird watching. The Robson Valley Mountain Bike Association maintains 6 trails in the area, and provides maps on its website.