A scenic little village lies nestled in the mountains just 19 kilometres east of Hope along Highway 3. Sunshine Valley is steeped in history from its roots as a traditional First Nations hunting and berry picking region, a vital rest stop for fur traders and gold seekers travelling the Dewdney Trail, to getting its start as a community with the building of the Trites Ranch. The community during the Second World War took on the name of Tashme when hundreds of Japanese families were interned here by the Canadian government. Just up the highway, visitors can view the devastation caused by one of the largest landslides ever recorded in Canada. The Hope Slide occurred on Jan. 9, 1965 and almost five decades later visitors can still experience its power from a viewpoint along the highway.
Today, Sunshine Valley is home to many full-time and seasonal outdoor enthusiasts. Holiday Trails RV Resorts has opened a 20-acre RV resort in the community with 10 deluxe self-contained cabins. The facility offers an on-site convenience store, liquor store, laundromat,17,000-square-foot clubhouse and fitness centre. There’s also several hot tubs, and indoor and outdoor pools.
Sunshine Valley offers more than 100 kilometres of snowshoeing, snowmobiling, hiking, biking and ATV trails that wind their way through the forests of the Sumallo River and Nicolum River valleys. Kayakers and canoeists are also a regular sight on the community’s small lake. In the winter, the lake becomes a favourite spot for skaters.
Sunshine Valley is a short distance away from the popular Manning and Skagit Valley provincial parks, which offer a wide variety of recreational opportunities from skiing and snowshoeing to hiking and canoeing.