Chinaman Lake adopted 6 March 1928 on 94B, as labelled on 1919 Geological Survey map of Peace River District, to accompany J.C. Gwillim's report, and as labelled on subsequent BC maps. Name rescinded 17 October 1996 at the request of the Vancouver Association of Chinese Canadians; the name is viewed as offensive by the Chinese community (files 10280-01-004 and C.1.44). Chunamun Lake adopted 4 October 2001 on 94B/1, per District of Hudson's Hope council resolution # 392/00, 28 November 2000, certified by their administrator 28 August 2001.

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

Research by Hudson's Hope archivists strongly suggests that "Chinaman" is actually a corruption or misinterpretation of Chunamun, referring to a Chief of the Beaver Indians, John Chunamun, who lived at the lake at the turn of the century. Identified as John Chinaman [sic] in the 1901 federal census, Fort St. John: "born 1859; age 42; head of household; wife age 33; three sons age 16, 13 and 7".

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

"Chinaman's Lake...is a very picturesque spot, and the lake teems with trout and would have been a boon to settlers in the district..." (Extract from the Report of G.B. Milligan, BCLS, 17 December 1912, appearing in "Abstracts from Reports of the Peace River and Cassiar Districts made by BC Land Surveyors to the Department of Lands, 1891-1928", p.11).

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

"Oldtimer Dan MacDonald recounted an occurrence: In 1911, the party of J.H. Grey and Milligan was surveying coal claims near Hudson's Hope. Where they camped, about 4 miles above the portage, there were many abandoned tepee frames. As these were dry, they undertook to use them for firewood. Soon two Indians appeared and were very angry at 'white nam for chopping down Indian home'. They even fired their rifles upriver to show the party that they meant business. The surveyors fed them and promised not to shop down any more of their homes and the Indians departed. One of the Indians was the big Chief of the Beavers, John Chunamun, and the other was Dokie [who later] became the Chief of the Beavers at Moberly Lake." (exerpt from The Peacemakers of North Peace, by Ventress, Davies and Kyllo, 1973.)

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