Nestled in northeastern British Columbia, Canada, the District of Taylor is a charming municipality that offers a unique blend of history, culture, and modern amenities. Located at mile 36 of the Alaska Highway, Taylor is a member municipality of the Peace River Regional District. Covering an area of about 17 km², it is home to 1,317 residents as of 2021. The town sits on a terrace 60 m above the north bank of the Peace River, offering stunning views and a serene environment.
The town of Taylor and the Taylor Flats upon which the town is located are named after Donald Herbert Taylor, a fur-trader with the Hudson's Bay Company. Herbert Taylor was the first settler on the flat in 1911, and the town was incorporated in 1958. Since then, Taylor has developed a large industrial base while maintaining its small-town charm.
The early settlers were trappers, and the first farm was established by Henry Philip from Glasgow. In 1919, the provincial government opened the Taylor Flats School with the help of Taylor's nine children and a few American families who settled there. The town has a rich history of industrial development, starting in 1957 when Westcoast Energy built the province's first gas processing plant. Today, Taylor is home to the annual World's Invitational Class 'A' Gold Panning Championships and was featured on the CBC Television program Village on a Diet.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Taylor had a population of 1,317 living in 542 of its 610 total private dwellings. The town has a land area of 16.92 km2, resulting in a population density of 77.8/km2 in 2021. The 2011 Canadian Census revealed that 68.5% of Taylor residents are married, while 31.5% are single. The town has few visible minorities, with 96.4% of residents having an English-only mother tongue.
Taylor is situated on the Taylor Flats, formed by a pre-glacial bend in the Peace River. The terrace is approximately 60 m above the north bank of the Peace River. The town has a northern, semiarid continental climate with cool, short summers and long, cold winters. However, the Taylor Flats’ microclimate, created by the south-facing terrace and the Peace River, produces more frost-free days than most of the Peace River Country.
Taylor's transportation network is dominated by the two-lane Alaska Highway, which runs north-south through the middle of the community. The town maintains 23 km of paved and 14 km of unpaved roads. Taylor has limited rail, bus, boating, and air service for regional and provincial transportation needs. The town uses the Peace River as a source of drinking water and as an outlet for industrial waste.
Despite its small population base, Taylor boasts an ice arena, a curling rink, indoor swimming pool, irrigated baseball diamonds, a motocross track, and an 18-hole championship golf course. The District Ice Centre opened in 1993 and consists of an ice hockey rink and leisure skating rink. The District's newest facility, built in 2001, is a CND $1.2 million multi-purpose community hall and gymnasium. The 320-acre, 18-hole Lone Wolf Golf Course opened in 1995 at a cost of $3.5 million and is managed by the District.
The District operates Peace Island Park with its boat launch, campsites, and facilities for recreational outdoor events. Peace Island Park is the home of the Invitational Class 'A' Gold Panning Championships in the summer. The gold panning competition is a three-day event that has been held in Taylor annually since 1972 and includes advanced and amateur competitions. In 2010/11, the town was featured on the CBC documentary series Village on a Diet.
