Cedarvale (Post Office & railway station) adopted 4 November 1948 on 103 NE, as labelled on BC map 1H, 1917, and as identified in the 1930 BC Gazetteer, situated at 55 01 05 - 128 19 30 on the west side of the Skeena River opposite the Indian settlement of Miniskinisht. Form of name changed to Cedarvale (Post Office) in the 1953 BC Gazetteer. Form of name further changed to Cedarvale (Community) 15 December 1982 on 103 P/1. Application altered 1 February 1988 on 103 P/1; Cedarvale (Community) is now located on the east side of the Skeena River at 55 01 10 - 128 18 45, linked by ferry to the CN rail line on the west side of the river.

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

Cedarvale Post Office opened 1 July 1910, 300 yards west of GTP's Cedarvale railway station. Sketch of location, 1937, filed with Post Office card.

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

This settlement began as Minskinish, a Victorian missionary village like William Duncan's Metlakatla. The benevolent despot here was the Reverend R. Tomlinson, who founded the village in 1888. The Sabbath was strictly observed in Minskinish; no work of any sort was done on Sunday, no visitor arrived or departed, and if a river boat arrived that day it merely left the mail on the bank of the Skeena, where it was not touched until Monday. It is not suprising that the village was nicknamed "Holy City". Minskinish means "under the pitch pines". Its present name of Cedarvale comes from the cedars which grow around the landing.

Source: Akrigg, Helen B. and Akrigg, G.P.V; British Columbia Place Names; Sono Nis Press, Victoria 1986 /or University of British Columbia Press 1997