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Peace (river), river in northern British Columbia and northern Alberta, Canada. The Peace emerges from the eastern end of Williston Lake, near Hudson Hope, British Columbia, and flows 1,923 km (1,195 mi) through the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, across the Alberta prairie, and into the Slave River. The Peace is one of the primary tributaries of the Mackenzie River system, the longest river system in Canada.
The Peace was formed by the junction of two rivers in the Rocky Mountain Trench, the north-flowing Parsnip and the south-flowing Finlay. The completion in 1967 of the W. A. C. Bennett Dam raised water levels in the Parsnip, the Finlay, and the Rocky Mountains section of the Peace, forming Williston Lake, which is now considered to be the Peace's source. With an area of 1761 sq km (671 sq mi), Williston is the largest artificially created lake in British Columbia. The dam and lake provide hydroelectric power and flood control for the region. East of Hudson Hope, the river passes south of the town of Fort Saint John. Augmented by several tributaries, including the Halfway, Beatton, and Pine rivers, the Peace continues into Alberta. At the town of Peace River, it is joined by the Smoky River and turns northward to Fort Vermilion. There it turns east again and is joined by the Wabasca and Mikkwa rivers. The Peace then flows through Wood Buffalo National Park and joins the Slave River shortly below Lake Athabasca, the Slave's source. The Peace drains a vast area of about 302,500 sq km (about 116,800 sq mi). Much of this is referred to as the Peace River Lowland. On the western edge of this area, the foothills of the Rocky Mountains reach elevations of approximately 1000 m (approximately 3300 ft). Here the river cuts a gorge as much as 200 m (660 ft) deep. Near Fort Vermilion, where the elevation is approximately 300 m (approximately 980 ft), the river lies 60 to 70 m (200 to 230 ft) below the surface of the broad, gently sloping plain.
The mixed economy of the region is based on agriculture, forestry, mining, hunting, fishing, and tourism. An aspen-poplar forest, which covers much of the eastern part of the Peace River country, is exploited for lumber and pulpwood. In the west, boreal spruce grows at higher elevations, and an extensive tall grass prairie and a frost-free season of about 110 days support agriculture. Today the valleys of the Peace and its tributaries form the most northerly area of commercially significant agriculture in North America. In the British Columbia section of the valley more than 824,000 hectares (more than 2 million acres) are cultivated, including more than 40,550 hectares (more than 100,000 acres) devoted to wheat. The Gordon M. Shrum hydroelectric station was built between 1968 and 1980 at the end of Williston Lake. The facility, which generates 2400 megawatts of power, is one of the largest in Canada. The generating facility at the Peace Canyon Dam nearby generates about 700 megawatts. Tourism is also important in the region; the Alaska Highway begins in Dawson Creek, about 80 km (50 mi) south of Fort Saint John.
The first inhabitants of what is now the Peace River country were members of the Athapaskan linguistic group: Beaver people lived east of the mountains; Sekani to the west. In 1793 explorer and fur-trader Sir Alexander Mackenzie, based in Montréal, was believed to be the first European to explore the river, while making his overland journey to the Pacific. However, some accounts indicate that other fur traders may have preceded him in the region. In 1805 the North West Company, an important Canadian fur-trading company, placed Simon Fraser in charge of operations beyond the Rockies. Fraser, a Canadian fur trader and explorer, identified Hudson Hope as a strategic site. The first of several forts at Fort Saint John was built shortly thereafter, and the Peace became a key trade route in the early 19th century. Agricultural settlers migrated to lowland areas at the beginning of the 20th century, and settlement increased with the coming of the E.D. & B.C. Railroad, which reached the Peace River in 1915 and Grande Prairie in the Smoky River valley in 1916.
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