Kinbasket Creek adopted 12 December 1939 on 82N/13 ( C.1.51; L.I. 2511527). Previously labeled as "Middle River" as listed in 1930 Gazetteer and appears on Reference Map 1ER "Kootenay, Osoyoos + Similkameen" (1915). Feature type change 6 Novemeber 1952 to Kinbasket River as appears on Reference Map 5D "Revelstoke-Golden" (1915, 1953). Kinbasket River application altered headwaters from 51 58 - 118 02 (flows SW into Kinbasket Lake) to 51 58 - 117 59 (flows SW into Kinbasket Arm, McNaughton Lake) 11 March 1974 on 82N/13. Altered application resulted from the flooding of the Columbia River which created the reservoir McNaughton Lake behind Mica Dam. Likely named in association with original Kinbasket Lake, prior to the construction of the Mica Dam and creation of the resevoir.

Source: BC place name cards & correspondence, and/or research by BC Chief Geographer & Geographical Names Office staff.

"The first lake was christened in 1866 by surveyor Walter Moberly after the Secwepemc (shushwap) First Nations chief, Paul Ignatius Kinbaskit (also known simply as Kenpesq’t), whom Moberly hired for the price of two canoes to take him down the Columbia. The name Kenpesq’t means “touch the sky.” The spelling had changed to Kinbasket by 1884." (p. 145)

Source: Thorburn, Mark; "British Columbia Place Names"; Dragon Hill Publishing Ltd., Canada, 2009.

Headwaters at 52 02 - 117 53

Source: Canadian Geographical Names Database, Ottawa