Dease Lake, BC, Mile 0 of Telegraph Creek Road
Dease Lake, BC, on Highway 37 about halfway between Smithers or Terrace, BC, and Whitehorse, Yukon, is also Mile 0 of the Telegraph Creek Road, now officially BC Highway 51.
Dease Lake, located near the southern end of the lake that gives the community its name, is the only community on Highway 37 between Hazelton, BC and the Yukon with an RCMP detachment (there is also one right in Telegraph Creek, but, mysteriously, none in Iskut, a community two hours south of Dease Lake but with perhaps an even greater population).
The highway to Telegraph Creek, a narrow, gravel-surfaced highway for most of its length, intersects Boulder Avenue, the main street through Dease Lake. Boulder Avenue is a left turn, right off Highway 37. The store and gas station is right on the corner and the very reasonably-priced Northway Motor Inn is just up and across Boulder Avenue toward Highway 51.
If you’re planning to spend some time exploring the area, the Northway Motor Inn is an excellent choice. The staff of this 3 star motel are very friendly and helpful and truly work hard to make your stay as pleasant and comfortable as possible. It’s a very good idea to book well in advance, as they are a popular stop for travelers to and from the north and of course, the many people who visit the incredible Stikine Valley, itself.
The Northway also offers a full service restaurant onsite, making a great place to stay even better. There was once a pub, called the Tanzilla Pub, but it closed down a few years ago. There are rumors of plans to reopen it, but that has not yet happened.
Dease Lake Super A foods, located at the Petro-Canada station on the corner of Boulder Avenue and Highway 37, offers a wide selection of groceries at quite reasonable prices. Gas, Diesel, and Def fluid are available at the gas station.
Dease Lake also offers propane services including filling. There is a hardware store, clinic, pharmacy, tire shop, auto repair shop, and youth center. The RCMP station is just off the highway in Dease Lake, and the community hall is just a bit further up from the Northway Motor Inn down the next street to the right off Boulder.
Just south of Dease Lake off Highway 37 is the Arctic Divide Lodge, a rustic, yet very comfortable and luxurious lodge experience for travelers looking for unique accommodation.
The lake that gives the town its name was once one of the most important transportation routes north during the 19th century for trappers, prospectors, and traders. The town began in 1838 as a Hudson’s Bay trading post, taking advantage of the major route that extends north via Dease Lake, the Dease River, the Liard River, and the MacKenzie River, all the way through the Yukon and Northwest Territories to the Arctic Ocean.
This remote northern BC town also has both an elementary and a high school, as well as a large, modern ice arena and community room. There is a modern airport just south of town on Highway 51 (Telegraph Creek Road). It is presently being upgraded to take even more traffic and larger planes, as the demand for air service to and from the region rapidly increases.
There are endless opportunities for wilderness recreation in and around Dease Lake, with a community park, many recreation areas, trails, and parks, including two of the largest and most remote provincial parks in BC, Spatzizi Plateau Provincial Park, and Mount Edziza Provincial Park. There are endless places to hunt and fish, but anyone visiting the area should check with the Tahltan Band or the Iskut Band before setting out on any hunting or fishing expeditions. In spite of some of the claims made by certain somewhat militant visitors, the entire region is unceded land. Remember when you visit that you are a guest! Guests are welcome in Dease Lake.
Dease Lake is a small, remote community in northwestern BC, far from any major town. But despite its small population, Dease Lake has a lot to offer!
