Colonial Despatches

Cook's Ferry is located in the Thompson-Okanagan region in British Columbia. This area, that surrounds the confluences of the Thompson and Nicola rivers, has a long Indigenous history that spans thousands of years. The Cook's Ferry First Nations are a Nlaka'pamux First Nation government located in this region.1

Cook's Ferry is the area of Spence's Bridge named after Mortimer Cook who had established a ferry service in the area in 1862. The ferry ran until 1865 and would travel between the “old” community -- near Nicola -- and the “new” community located on the west side of the Cariboo Wagon Road. When Thomas Spence was commissioned to build a bridge in the same area of Cook's Ferry, the finished bridge put Cook's Ferry out of commission and necessity.2

Nlaka'pamux culture thrives in this area, although the first European settlement disrupted traditional life in the 1850s, largely due to the Cariboo gold rush. The name Cook's Ferry survives today as it is associated with the Indigenous group who were given its name during the creation of Band Councils under the Indian Act. This area is known today for its steelhead fishing, river rafting, and hiking.3

• 1. Cook's Ferry, First Nations in BC ; Spence's Bridge, Rural Coordination Centre of BC.
• 2. Barbara Roden, What's in a name? Part 3: Spence's bridge and Cook's ferry, The Ashcroft-Cache Creek Journal, 15 July 2014.
• 3. Ibid. ; Spence's Bridge, Rural Coordination Centre of BC.