The first settlers in this area were from Finland and Sicamous has a history that consists of many interesting subjects; native heritage, Columbia gold discovery, paddlewheelers and construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. ‘Sicamous’ means ‘narrow or squeezed in the middle’ which pretty much describes the town looking at the aerial photo above. However, an alternate story has the name coming from “Schickamoos” – the settlers’ version of Secwepemc – the Indian nation of these parts that also gave us the name ‘Shuswap’.
Today, Sicamous – Houseboat Capital of Canada – is a small town of a few thousand that doubles in the summer months as visitors come to enjoy the two lakes, Mara and Shuswap, as well as the many attractions on land. A complete list of those year-round activities and attractions can be found here, while below are our favourites:
Dutchman’s Dairy: World famous ice-cream and other dairy products.- Crazy Creek. Hot springs, winter sports and a 240 ft high suspension bridge.
- Hyde Mountain Golf Course has earned the reputation as one of the most challenging golf courses in the Shuswap.
- Revelstoke Mountains, little more than one hour from Owlhead Creek, offer some of the best snowboarding and skiing in the area, as well as terrific hikes in the national park.
