Yale, BC

Lady Franklin Rock, Yale BC

It used to be called Bad Rock. I was surprised that now it's called Lady Franklin Rock. It's in the middle of the Fraser River upstream from Yale in British Columbia and at that point the river narrows to only 50 metres. It's the reason steamboats couldn't travel any further upstream.

I had no idea Lady Jane had been to Canada. In 1839 Jane Franklin, wife of the Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) John Franklin, with her companion, amazed everyone by travelling to Sydney overland from Port Phillip. Apparently she was the first European woman to do so. A hill near Barnawartha in Northern Victoria, which she climbed, has been named Mount Lady Jane Franklin. John and Jane returned to England because John had been placed in charge of the expedition to chart a section of the Northwest Passage. For the rest of her life Lady Jane Franklin funded expeditions to find out what had happened to her husband. She also travelled extensively and in 1861 she visited the goldfield town of Yale, at that time the biggest town north of San Francisco, and ended up staying for three months. After she left the locals voted to name the rocky island in the Fraser River in her honour. Lady Jane was an amazing lady and you can read more about her here.

The Fraser River was looking relatively calm on this autumn day but it is a tremendously dangerous river and should be treated with a great deal of respect. It must be an amazing sight in spring when the water runs high and strong.

Lady Franklin Rock, Yale BC

Fraser River, Yale BC

A major road and a railway are also at Yale because they follow the Fraser Valley. They both utilise tunnels because the valley is so narrow at this point.

Train about to enter a tunnel.