Dorreen (Post Office and Station) adopted 4 November 1948 on 103NE, as identified in the 1930 BC Gazetteer. Confirmed 4 October 1951 on 103I. Form of name changed to Dorreen (Station) 23 May 1968 on 103I. Form of name changed to Dorreen (locality) 15 December 1989 on 103I/16.

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

Dorreen Station identified in 1912 GTPR directory. Dorreen (settlement) labelled on BC Lands' map 3D, 1915. Dorreen Siding identified in 1916 BC Mines Report p.K90, and 1917 BC Mines Report p.F101. Dorreen identified in the 1918 BC Directory. Dorreen Post Office was opened 1 January 1925. Population 37 in 1956 Census. Post Office closed 31 March 1967. Dorreen 51-car siding identified in CNR October 1967 timetable; no passenger stop/no freight handled according to CNR January 1969 timetable; not identified in subsequent timetables. Population 7 in 1971 Census; 6 people enumerated here for 1988 federal election.

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

"Named after a resident engineer on construction of the GTPR, 1908-14; W.H. Toby says he came from New Zealand and returned there." (A.G.Harvey papers; Grand Trunk Pacific place names; accession #MS1925, Box 32, File 10)

Source: Provincial Archives' Place Names File (the "Harvey File") compiled 1945-1950 by A.G. Harvey from various sources, with subsequent additions

"[Dorreen] was a small community that had its hay days from about 1915 to 1955 and had a population that rarely exceeded 50. There has been some mystery about how the community received its name. Most commonly the thought has been that it was named after the wife of a Grand Trunk Pacific Railway engineer or surveyor. Though plausible, there was not much direct evidence to support that thinking. Recently, another theory has been presented that [has] more supporting evidence: "The small railway settlement of Dorreen in Canada, established in 1912, is named after Ernest James Dorreen (1876-1934), CE, who spent much of his life in South Africa, the USA and Canada constructing railways; the settlement is 4 miles from a mine site originally staked by 'E. Dorreen'...." (extracted from The Dorreen's, p.137; written by Noeleen P. Irvine for the Dorreen family reunion in Palmerston North, New Zealand, January 1994)." (the foregoing contributed January 2012 by Ken Newman, Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, from his research paper "The Naming of the Settlement of Dorreen" compiled in preparation for recognition of the former GTPR station and the Dorreen General Store building within the Regional District's Community Heritage Registry.) See Newman's paper for census listings, newspaper clippings & 1902 photo of E.J.Dorreen, and a snapshot of the Dorreen station.

Source: included with note