“James Creek” adopted in the 18th Report of the Geographic Board of Canada, 1924, not “Bad River“, as it was known since Alexander Mackenzie [1764–1820] crossed the divide here in 1793. Name changed to “Bad River (James Creek)” in 1976 to accommodate local usage.

The “James” was James Herrick McGregor [1869–1915], who is also the namesake of Herrick Creek, and McGregor River.

This lake at the headwaters of the Fraser River was discovered by E. Rex Gibson [1892–1957] and Ernest Niederer in the 1920s.

While on the summit of Mt. Postern I made an interesting discovery, namely, that Gateway Glacier as shown on the Interprovincial Boundary Sheet No. 28, is not glacier at all, but a lake! This lake, which is of a beautiful jade colour appeared to be quite a bit larger than Icefall Lake and will, I hope, eventually take its place on the map as “Jade Lake.” It should be mentioned that Jade Lake lies a in a deep cirque between Mts. Portcullis and “Warden” and is invisible from any of the survey stations.

— Wates and Gibson

The pass was named after the Jackpine River by the 1915 expedition to Mount Kitchi (Mount Sir Alexander) by Mary Lenore Jobe Akeley [1878–1966] and Donald “Curly” Phillips [1884–1938].

“It is the crossing of the watershed that gives access to the head of the Jackpine River valley; hence the name,” wrote Arthur Oliver Wheeler [1860–1945] in his report on the Alberta-British Columbia Boundary Commission survey.

“Bess Pass, 5,330 feet in altitude and Jackpine Pass, 6,694 feet, are on the route north [of Mount Robson] to Mt. Sir Alexander. The former is situated in very spectacular surroundings between Mt. Bess and Mt. Whiteshield: the latter is much frequented by grizzlies…,” Wheeler wrote in his articles on passes on the continental divide.

Named in association with Jackpine Pass.

Charles Doolittle Walcott [1850–1927] visited the region in 1912 and gave it the Indigenous name of Iyatunga (Black Rock):

The snow clings to the steep sides of the upper peak in long ribbons quite to the crest, gathering below, it forms a névé, which pushes outward divided into two streams of ice that fall and slip down the steep incline for nearly a mile. The stream on the left forms Blue Glacier (Coleman account of expedition of 1908) and on the right Chupo (Mist) Glacier. Chupo, the glacier of fog and mist, is usually half concealed by clouds and banks of mist that form on the edge of the mountain and drift over it. Directly above Blue Glacier a point of rock was named by Dr. Coleman “The Helmet,” and the great black mountain in the center, which he called the “Rearguard,” is now given the Indian name of Iyatunga (Black Rock) (note: name approved by the Geographical Board of Canada, December, 1912).

Origin of the name unknown.

This mountain on the border between Alberta and British Columbia is also on the 120th meridian of west longitude. South of Intersection Mountain, the interprovincial border is along the continental divide. North of Intersection Mountain, the border is on the 120th meridian.

British Columbia’s boundary was specified by the British Parliament in 1866, in the act that united the colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia. Article 7 states that B.C.’s boundary on the east is “the Rocky Mountains and the 120th meridian of west longitude.”