Adopted 6 April 1950 on 92/NW as labelled on BC map 1A, 1912 et seq; a long-established name.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

After Alfred Waddington, an early pioneer of BC, and at one time one of the wealthiest and most enterprising residents of Victoria. In 1849 Waddington came from England to California, and in 1858 arrived in Victoria. In 1862 he conceived the idea of constructing a wagon road from the head of Bute Inlet to Fort Alexandria, and thence eastward, and in the prosecution of this idea he spent nearly his entire fortune. He struggled against great difficulties until, on 30 April 1864, the Chilcotin Indians massacred nearly the whole of his camp of road makers, fourteen out of seventeen being killed, and destroyed his stock of tools and provisions. This disaster caused him to cease operations. (see Waddington's letter on cause of massacre, Victoria Colonist, 13 June 1864). Several of the murderers were eventually captured and five hanged 26 October 1864. For two terms Mr. Waddington was a member of the Vancouver Island Assembly, and superintendent of schools, 1865-66. In 1868 he was greatly interested in the scheme of making a railway from eastern Canada to the Pacific, and proceeded to London to further the welfare of BC. He continued to urge claims of this province until 1869, when he returned to Canada. He sold the plans of his overland route through BC to the Canadian government in 1871, and was just on the eve of seeing the full fruition of his wishes in the construction of the CPR when he died from smallpox at Ottawa, 27 February 1872, aged 76 years of age. (see obituary Victoria Colonist 29 February 1872)

Source: Walbran, John T; British Columbia Coast Names, 1592-1906: their origin and history; Ottawa, 1909 (republished for the Vancouver Public Library by J.J. Douglas Ltd, Vancouver, 1971)