During a recent trip to the Harrison Hot Springs, Harrison Lake area, I had the opportunity to stop by the current Harrison Visitor Information Centre and Sasquatch Museum, located on Lillooet Road in Harrison Hot Springs. (A new, bigger facility is under construction.) While there, I gathered information on local attractions and events, and I was also introduced to the legendary sasquatch – a famous and well-documented sight in the Harrison area! Even the Lights By The Lake Christmas decoration event in Harrison Hot Springs featured the sasquatch – sasquatch fishing, sasquatch dressed as Santa, you name it!
The following is the information the visitor centre and museum provided, detailing the history of sasquatch in the area:
British Columbia is a well-known hot bed of sasquatch activity with more than 3,000 documented sightings since the early 1920s, with a great number of them centered around the small village of Harrison Hot Springs.
The word “sasquatch” is believed to be a mispronunciation by J. W. Burns of the Coast Salish word sasqet, meaning “hairy man.” For centuries, the sasquatch has occupied a unique niche in the oral in traditions of the First Nations communities of Harrison Lake and Harrison River.
The home of the Harrison sasquatch is believed to be in the caves of Mystery Valley, on the west side of Harrison Lake. The sasquatch are said to hold a reunion every four years, beginning on the night of the full moon in July. For four nights in succession, as the sasquatch meet, signal flares are kept burning – 1940 was the last year fires were seen burning. However, reported sightings in the area have been as recent as 2009.
The creature is described as a bi-pedal mammal of exponential size (sometimes reaching heights of 14 feet tall), with great strength and reddish-brown hair covering its entire body.
Some interesting stories surround our local sasquatch, but probably the most memorable is that of little Jacko. In the nearby town of Yale, back in 1884, the Victoria Columnist newspaper documented the capture of what may have been a small sasquatch from alongside a railway line. The creature was named Jacko while in captivity, but mysteriously disappeared while en route to London – never to be seen again.
Harrison Hot Springs is not only home to the sasquatch, but also several reputable sasquatch investigators, including legendary Mr. Sasquatch, the late John Green. Green was one of the first to investigate the 1967 sight of the Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot film shoot at Bluff Creek. Green travelled all over the west coast collecting scientific evidence that supports the existence of the sasquatch and became known as the proud owner of the largest known database of sasquatch research. He has also authored some of the most in-depth and informative books on the subject and is believed to have been the inspiration for the character of Dr. Wallace Wrightwood, played by Don Ameche in the 1987 movie Harry And The Hendersons.
Many people still debate whether the legend of the sasquatch is myth or reality. Some say they will only let you see them if they want to be seen. So keep your eyes open and you just might stumble upon one of these mysterious creatures.
Be sure to stop by the Harrison Visitor Information Centre and Sasquatch Museum during your stay in the area and dare to believe.
