| Feature Type: | Locality - A named place or area, generally with a scattered population of 50 or less. |
| Status: | Official |
| Name Authority: | BC Geographical Names Office |
| Relative Location: | On BC-Washington boundary, W side Similkameen River S of Keremeos, Similkameen Division Yale Land District |
| Latitude-Longitude: | 48°59'59"N, 119°43'04"W at the approximate population centre of this feature. |
| Datum: | WGS84 |
| NTS Map: | 82E/4 |
|
|
Origin Notes and History:
|
Chopaka (Station) adopted 6 October 1936 on Geological Survey sheet 420A, Kettle River, located on the west side of Similkameen River as labelled on BC map 1EM, 1915. Form of name changed to Chopaka (locality) 15 November 1963 on 82E/4 (file I.1.54). Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |
|
Chopaka Post Office was opened 1 March 1908, Walter N. Frith postmaster; closed 31 October 1908. The GNR station called "Chopaka" is located just inside Washington State at 49 00 - 119 43. Chopaka [Canadian] Customs Office (summer only) is located on the east side of Similkameen River at 49 00 - 119 40. Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |
|
Named after nearby mountain of the same name, in turn "The name of a legendary Okanagan [Indigenous] hunter who was turned into stone by Coyote, or a transformed [Indigenous] Maiden." (12th Report of the Okanagan Historical Society, 1948, citing A. Walsh and Parham, respectively). Source: included with note |