Golden, British Columbia
Golden | |
|---|---|
| Town of Golden[1] | |
 View of Golden in 2005 | |
 Seal | |
  Golden Location of Golden in British Columbia | |
| Coordinates: 51°18′7″N 116°58′0″W / 51.30194°N 116.96667°WCoordinates: 51°18′7″N 116°58′0″W / 51.30194°N 116.96667°W | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  British Columbia |
| Region | Columbia Valley |
| Regional District | Columbia-Shuswap |
| Incorporated | 1957 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ron Oszust |
| • Governing Body | Golden Town Council |
| • MP | Rob Morrison (politician)[2] (Conservative-Kootenay/Columbia) |
| • MLA | Doug Clovechok (BC Liberal Columbia/Revelstoke) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 11.41 km2 (4.41 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 800 m (2,600 ft) |
| Population (2016)[3] | |
| • Total | 3,708 |
| • Density | 325.0/km2 (842/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain Time Zone) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (Mountain Daylight Time) |
| Postal code span | V0A |
| Area code(s) | 250 / 778 / 236 |
| Highways |  Hwy 1 (TCH)Trans-Canada Highway Hwy 95 |
| Website | Town of Golden Home Page |
Golden is a town in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located 262 kilometres (163 mi) west of Calgary, Alberta and 713 kilometres (443 mi) east of Vancouver.
History[]
In 1807, David Thompson – renowned fur trader, surveyor, map-maker and colonizer – was tasked by the North West Company to open up a trading route to the lucrative trading territories of the Pacific Northwest. He first crossed over the Rocky Mountains and travelled along the Blaeberry River to the future site of Golden.[4]
In 1881 the CPR hired surveyor A. B. Rogers to find a rail route through the Selkirk and Rocky Mountains, and in 1882 he found the pass, now named for him. Rogers established a base camp for his survey crew led by a man named McMillan. Initially known as McMillan's Camp, the settlement was the beginning of the town of Golden. By 1884, in response to a nearby lumber camp naming itself Silver City, the residents of McMillan's Camp, headed by Baptiste Morigeau,[5] decided not to be outdone and renamed the settlement Golden City.[6] The 'city' designation was later dropped.
Much of the town's history is tied into the Canadian Pacific Railway and the logging industry. Today, the town's economy still relies heavily on those two influences, but the development of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, along with other outdoor adventure companies, has allowed the town to diversify into tourism. Mount 7, which is just southeast of town, is popular with paragliding, hang gliding, and mountain biking enthusiasts. The town forms part of the Golden Triangle cycle route.
Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge is the longest freestanding timber frame bridge in Canada.[7] Planned as a community project by the Timber Framers Guild,[8] volunteers from Golden were joined by carpenters and timber framers from the United States and from Europe. The bridge structure is 46 metres (150 ft) long, with a 95-tonne (210,000 lb) Burr arch structure. The bridge was completed in September 2001.
On March 26, 2009, then-Mayor Aman Virk died suddenly of complications after suffering a heart attack while vacationing in India.[9]
Geography[]
Golden is nestled in the Rocky Mountain Trench, built around the confluence of the Columbia and Kicking Horse rivers, surrounded by three different mountain ranges (most notably the Purcell Mountains and Rocky Mountains) and five National Parks: Yoho National Park, Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, Glacier National Park, and Kootenay National Park.
Golden is located on Highway 1 (the Trans-Canada Highway) and it is the northern terminus of Highway 95, connecting it to the United States via the rest of the East Kootenay region and the city of Cranbrook, British Columbia (B.C. Highway 95 is a continuation of U.S. Route 95, which runs north-to-south through the U.S. and into Mexico). The Trans-Canada Highway east of Golden has numerous upgrade projects ongoing to greatly improve the roadway west of the Yoho National Park boundary. The Ten Mile Hill section of the project was recently completed and represents a major upgrade to the old highway.
Climate[]
Golden has a climate with influences of the humid continental (Dfb) and semi-arid (BSk) varieties. Summers are warm but rarely hot, with winters being somewhat moderated in comparison to areas east of the Rockies. Annual snowfall is heavy, averaging 184 cm (72.4 in).
| hideClimate data for Golden Airport | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high humidex | 6.7 | 8.4 | 19.6 | 25.5 | 34.2 | 35.9 | 38.5 | 38.4 | 32.0 | 22.4 | 11.2 | 5.4 | 38.5 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 8.3 (46.9) |
12.2 (54.0) |
20.2 (68.4) |
28.9 (84.0) |
35.6 (96.1) |
37.2 (99.0) |
40.0 (104.0) |
37.8 (100.0) |
33.9 (93.0) |
25.6 (78.1) |
17.2 (63.0) |
10.0 (50.0) |
40.0 (104.0) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −4.3 (24.3) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
6.6 (43.9) |
13.3 (55.9) |
18.4 (65.1) |
21.7 (71.1) |
24.5 (76.1) |
24.2 (75.6) |
18.4 (65.1) |
10.1 (50.2) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
10.7 (51.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −7.9 (17.8) |
−5 (23) |
0.8 (33.4) |
6.5 (43.7) |
11.3 (52.3) |
14.9 (58.8) |
17.3 (63.1) |
16.7 (62.1) |
11.5 (52.7) |
5.0 (41.0) |
−2 (28) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
5.1 (41.2) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −11.5 (11.3) |
−9.8 (14.4) |
−5 (23) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
4.1 (39.4) |
8.0 (46.4) |
10.0 (50.0) |
9.1 (48.4) |
4.6 (40.3) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
−5 (23) |
−10.9 (12.4) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −46.1 (−51.0) |
−39.4 (−38.9) |
−31.7 (−25.1) |
−19.4 (−2.9) |
−9.4 (15.1) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
−9.4 (15.1) |
−18.3 (−0.9) |
−32.8 (−27.0) |
−43.9 (−47.0) |
−46.1 (−51.0) |
| Record low wind chill | −42.3 | −31.2 | −28.1 | −14.3 | −5.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | −4.5 | −15 | −29.9 | −38 | −42.3 |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 45.9 (1.81) |
24.1 (0.95) |
24.4 (0.96) |
24.4 (0.96) |
34.5 (1.36) |
49.7 (1.96) |
50.6 (1.99) |
45.3 (1.78) |
38.0 (1.50) |
34.9 (1.37) |
51.1 (2.01) |
43.9 (1.73) |
466.8 (18.38) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 6.4 (0.25) |
5.5 (0.22) |
14.1 (0.56) |
21.9 (0.86) |
33.3 (1.31) |
49.7 (1.96) |
50.6 (1.99) |
45.3 (1.78) |
38.0 (1.50) |
32.3 (1.27) |
21.6 (0.85) |
6.4 (0.25) |
325.2 (12.80) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 45.3 (17.8) |
20.7 (8.1) |
12.1 (4.8) |
2.5 (1.0) |
1.1 (0.4) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
2.8 (1.1) |
31.8 (12.5) |
42.5 (16.7) |
158.7 (62.5) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 14.6 | 9.1 | 9.8 | 10.6 | 12.5 | 15.4 | 13.7 | 13.2 | 10.6 | 12.1 | 13.9 | 13.5 | 148.8 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 2.4 | 2.7 | 6.3 | 9.9 | 12.4 | 15.4 | 13.7 | 13.2 | 10.6 | 11.3 | 6.8 | 1.9 | 106.5 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 13.5 | 7.1 | 4.8 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 8.2 | 12.8 | 49.5 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 81.2 | 70.7 | 53.6 | 38.8 | 38.6 | 42.4 | 42.0 | 44.2 | 50.0 | 60.0 | 80.4 | 82.2 | 57.0 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 25.2 | 55.3 | 111.3 | 155.2 | 209.6 | 194.1 | 227.0 | 228.9 | 162.5 | 85.0 | 26.1 | 12.9 | 1,492.9 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 9.7 | 19.6 | 30.3 | 37.4 | 43.5 | 39.2 | 45.5 | 50.7 | 42.7 | 25.6 | 9.7 | 5.2 | 29.9 |
| Source: [10] | |||||||||||||
Economy[]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 3,968 | — |
| 2001 | 4,020 | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 3,811 | −5.2% |
| 2011 | 3,701 | −2.9% |
Golden has a service-based economy, relying heavily on tourism and services for tourists. Unlike many other Canadian towns with similar population size, Golden boasts nine automobile repair shops that all offer a wide range of services and are open extended hours. Golden also features a large number of hotels with mountain views that provide accommodation to both tourists and stranded drivers.
Education[]
Public education is provided by School District 6 Rocky Mountain which operates 3 primary schools and one secondary school. Community College education is offered by the Golden Campus of the College of the Rockies.
Sports[]
| Club | League | Sport | Venue | Established | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Rockets | KIJHL | Ice Hockey | Golden Arena | 1991 | 0 |
Notable residents[]
- Doug Barrault, retired hockey player
- Dillon Dubé, NHL player with the Calgary Flames
- David Duncan, freestyle skier
- Curtis McKenzie, NHL player with the Dallas Stars
- Patricia Owens, actress
- Sara Renner, Olympic medal-winning cross country skier
Images[]
Civic Centre
Downtown Golden
General hospital
Library
Post office
Town hall
Law Courts
References[]
- ^ "British Columbia Regional Districts, Municipalities, Corporate Name, Date of Incorporation and Postal Address" (XLS). British Columbia Ministry of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development. Archived from the original on July 13, 2014. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
- ^ Richard Zussman. "Canada election results: Kootenay-Columbia". Global News. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
- ^ 2016 Community Profiles
- ^ "Golden BC in the Canadian Rocky Mountains; History and Mountain Culture". www.tourismgolden.com. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
- ^ https://www.thegoldenstar.net/news/metis-week-recognizes-goldens-roots/
- ^ "Golden BC in the Canadian Rocky Mountains; History and Mountain Culture". www.tourismgolden.com. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
- ^ "Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge". Tourism Golden. Archived from the original on 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
- ^ Timber Framers Guild website
- ^ "Golden Mayor dies at 39". Black Press. Archived from the original on March 30, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
- ^ "Calculation Information for 1981 to 2010 Canadian Normals Data". Environment Canada. Archived from the original on February 14, 2014. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Golden, British Columbia. |
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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Golden, British Columbia. |
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- Towns in British Columbia
- Columbia Valley
- Populated places in the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District
- British Columbia populated places on the Columbia River