# Athalmer, British Columbia

Athalmer is an unincorporated community in the East Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. This place is primarily on the western shore of the Columbia River south of the mouth of Toby Creek. The locality, off the merged section of highways 93 and 95, is by road about 134 kilometres (83 mi) north of Cranbrook and 120 kilometres (75 mi) southeast of Golden.

## Name origin

The place was originally called Salmon Beds, being where First Nations had caught and smoked salmon for centuries. In 1887, James L. McKay established a ranch to the north in the Dry Gulch area. By 1891, his holdings included 12 hectares (30 acres) of marshy ground at Salmon Beds. In September 1898, James sold land to the Hon. Frederick Whitworth Aylmer to layout a townsite. However, the earliest newspaper report was the first of many occasions when the new name was misspelled as Athelmar. Aylmer, a son of Frederick Whitworth Aylmer, 6th Baron Aylmer, was federal district engineer prior to his 1912 retirement. Athalmer was an adaptation of his old family name of Athol (most noble) and mere (lake).

## Earlier communities

The North West Company trading post of Kootanae House, which existed 1807–1812, was to the north on the far shore of Toby Creek.
From the 1890s, mined ore was hauled down from the mountains to Athalmer for shipping by barge to Golden. By April 1899, 75 to 100 townsite lots had been purchased. Joseph J. Lake opened a large general store, and Athalmer House provided accommodation. However, most residents were living in tents, but two hotels were completed the next month. Lake was the inaugural postmaster 1899–1910. McKay installed a 4,600-metre (15,000 ft) daily capacity sawmill which produced the building lumber. About 1900, the jail was built, part of the law enforcement presence based in the community. A school existed at that time.
In 1908, a new hotel opened. The school, which closed in 1909, did not reopen until 1911. In 1910, the Windsor Hotel lost its liquor licence for illegally serving a patron on a Sunday. Soon after, James L. McKay moved his family from the ranch to temporary accommodation at the closed hotel, until their mansion by the river was ready. At the time, he either acquired or already owned the undeveloped Athalmer lots, which he promoted the next year. The Windsor reopened and the Coronation Hotel was under new management.
Athalmer was the steamboat landing from Golden. In terms of business and population, its importance exceeded Invermere, Wilmer, and Windermere.
In 1912, McKay installed an electricity generating plant, which supplied street lighting and properties. Powered by cordwood-burning steam boilers, the plant was the first in the valley. That year, the Bank of Montreal established a branch, four stores existed, a garage/public hall was under construction, and the Columbia Valley Times newspaper was founded, being published at least until 1914. During these few years, the services also included two Chinese restaurants, a Chinese laundry, two brothels, a telephone operator, and two provincial police officers.
Building on the swampy ground had been a challenge. In 1915, the population was a few hundred, and the Imperial Bank established a branch. The boom ended as World War I continued. In 1917, the Bank of Montreal closed and the Imperial opened three mornings a week. Invermere, established in 1911, gained pre-eminence.
When the United Church formed in 1925, the Presbyterian church building (1912) at Athalmer became redundant. That year, the consolidated Athalmer-Invermere elementary school was established at Invermere. In 1932, the high school at Athalmer was relocated onto the Invermere campus.
In 1969, the 16-room Coronation Hotel (1907) burned to the ground.

## Ferries and bridges across the Columbia

By 1898, two ferries operated across the river. Assumedly, ferries continued until the bridge opened in 1900.
In 1913, a new swing bridge was completed. The next year, the old swing bridge was demolished.
In 1930, an 11-bay trestle bridge, replaced the swing span. This bridge was reconstructed in 1959 and replaced in 1986.

## Railway

The Kootenay Central Railway (KCR) was a Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) subsidiary. In November 1914, the last spike was driven near the north end of Columbia Lake.
Train Timetables (Regular stop or Flag stop) :
| | Mile | 1916 | 1919 | 1929 | 1932 | 1935 | 1939 | 1943 | 1948 | 1953 | 1955 | 1960 | 1963 |
| Edgewater | 107.1 | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular | Mixed | Nil |
| Firlands | 101.4 | Flag | Flag | | | | | | | | | | |
| Park Gate | 101.4 | | | Regular | Regular | | | | | | | | |
| Radium | 101.4 | | | | | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular | Mixed | Nil |
| Athalmer | 92.8 | Regular | Regular | | | | | | | | | | |
| Lake Windermere | 92.8 | | | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular | Mixed | Nil |
| Lake Windermere | 88.7 | Regular | Regular | | | | | | | | | | |
| Goldie Creek | 88.3 | | | Flag | Flag | Flag | Flag | Flag | Flag | Flag | Flag | Mixed | Nil |
| Bentinck | 86.1 | | Flag | | | | | | | | | | |
| Lake Bank | 86.1 | | | Flag | | | | | | | | | |
| Strata | 83.3 | Flag | Flag | | | | | | | | | | |
| Rushmere | 83.3 | | | Flag | Flag | Flag | Flag | Flag | Flag | Flag | Flag | | |
In January 1915, the first passenger train at the station was carrying soldiers off to war. In 1923, a log building was erected to replace the portable depot used for years. Assumedly at this time, the station name changed from Athalmer to Lake Windermere, the former station of that name having closed. Apparently, Invermere had been unhappy with the prior name of Athalmer. Consequently, CP selected Lake Windermere as a more neutral alternative. The twice weekly Cranbrook–Golden run stayed overnight at the station. In 1975, the locomotive and two cars of a northbound coal train derailed on the railway crossing and smashed into the log station building. The Windermere District Historical Society acquired the remnants, which were moved up the hill and rehabilitated to become the log building that houses the Windermere Valley Museum.
In 1980, a $560,000 highway overpass replaced the railway crossing. The 61-metre (200 ft) long structure comprises three spans. The approaches and paving cost an additional $270,000.
In 2013, an approaching train fatally clipped a pedestrian at the Borden St. crossing.

## Later community

The area bounded by the railway track, the western approach roading for the Columbia bridge, and the foreshore, comprises James Chabot Provincial Park and the Lake Windermere Resort lands. In 2019, the District of Invermere purchased the latter for $5 million. Open houses have been held to determine future use.
The nearest BC Transit stops are the Petro-Canada for northward travel and Sobeys (Invermere) for southward.
Athalmer primarily comprises residential and light industrial components. Housing and employment opportunities are comparable to Invermere, where area services are mainly located up on the bench.

## Images

Images from earlier decades.

## Footnotes

* ↑ "Athalmer (community)". BC Geographical Names.
* ↑ "Toby Creek (creek)". BC Geographical Names.
* 1 2 Graham 1963, p. 80 (66).
* ↑ McKay 1983, p. 102.
* ↑ "Department of Agriculture annual report, 1891". library.ubc.ca. p. 41 (768).
* ↑ "Golden Era". library.ubc.ca. September 30, 1898. p. 1.
* ↑ "Cranbrook Herald". library.ubc.ca. October 28, 1920. p. 3.
* ↑ "Kootenae House National Historic Site". www.historicplaces.ca.
* ↑ Graham 1963, p. 78 (64).
* ↑ "Prospector". library.ubc.ca. April 29, 1899. p. 5.
* ↑ "Golden Era". library.ubc.ca. April 28, 1899. p. 1.
* ↑ "Golden Era". library.ubc.ca. May 5, 1899. p. 1.
* ↑ "Postmasters". www.bac-lac.gc.ca.
* ↑ McKay 1983, p. 24.
* ↑ "Golden Era". library.ubc.ca. July 21, 1899. p. 4.
* ↑ "Commissioner of Lands and Works annual report, 1900". library.ubc.ca. p. 120 (488).
* ↑ "Nelson Tribune". library.ubc.ca. May 21, 1901. p. 4.
* ↑ "Public Schools annual report, 1900–1901". www.library.ubc.ca. p. 74 (xvii).
* ↑ "Prospector". library.ubc.ca. January 23, 1909. p. 6.
* ↑ "Public Schools annual report, 1910–11". library.ubc.ca. p. 34 (A31).
* ↑ "Public Schools annual report, 1911–12". library.ubc.ca. p. 111 (xlvii).
* 1 2 3 McKay 1983, p. 123.
* ↑ "Prospector". library.ubc.ca. December 16, 1911. p. 2.
* ↑ "Prospector". library.ubc.ca. November 11, 1911. p. 9.
* ↑ "Prospector". library.ubc.ca. October 21, 1911. p. 4.
* ↑ McKay 1983, p. 106.
* ↑ "Prospector". library.ubc.ca. January 27, 1912. p. 8.
* ↑ "Daily News". library.ubc.ca. January 29, 1912. p. 4.
* ↑ "Cranbrook Herald". library.ubc.ca. July 25, 1912. p. 1.
* ↑ "Cranbrook Herald". library.ubc.ca. September 26, 1912. p. 5.
* ↑ "Cranbrook Herald". library.ubc.ca. December 18, 1913. p. 5.
* ↑ McKay 1983, p. 125.
* ↑ McKay 1983, p. 126.
* ↑ "Minister of Mines annual report, 1915". library.ubc.ca. p. 89 (K84).
* ↑ "Cranbrook Herald". library.ubc.ca. March 4, 1915. p. 3.
* ↑ "Cranbrook Herald". library.ubc.ca. August 23, 1917. p. 4.
* ↑ "Cranbrook Herald". library.ubc.ca. March 30, 1911. p. 3.
* ↑ "Trinity United Church". lwvsm.ca.
* ↑ "Public Schools annual report, 1925–1926". www.library.ubc.ca. p. R39.
* ↑ "Daily News". library.ubc.ca. July 16, 1932. p. 3.
* ↑ "Valley History and the Windermere Valley Museum: Fire Levels "Tin House" Hotel" (PDF). wordpress.com. May 2003. p. 4.
* ↑ "Prospector". library.ubc.ca. October 15, 1898. p. 1.
* ↑ "Golden Era". library.ubc.ca. May 4, 1900. p. 1.
* ↑ "Cranbrook Herald". library.ubc.ca. February 27, 1913. p. 3.
* ↑ "Minister of Public Works annual report, 1913–14". library.ubc.ca. p. Q45.
* ↑ "Minister of Public Works annual report, 1914–15". library.ubc.ca. pp. D77, D138.
* ↑ "Minister of Public Works annual report, 1929–30". library.ubc.ca. p. 41.
* ↑ "Minister of Highways annual report, 1958–59". library.ubc.ca. p. G67.
* ↑ "Coquitlam Ridge Constructors". www.coquitlamridge.com.
* ↑ "Daily News". library.ubc.ca. December 1, 1914. p. 2.
* 1 2 "Timetable". library.ubc.ca. April 28, 1935. p. 5 (TT 70).
* ↑ "Timetable". library.ubc.ca. September 5, 1916. p. 159 (TT118).
* ↑ "Timetable". library.ubc.ca. November 30, 1919. p. 183 (TT109).
* ↑ "Timetable". library.ubc.ca. 1929. p. 31 (TT111).
* ↑ "Timetable". library.ubc.ca. September 25, 1932. p. 470 (TT152).
* ↑ "Timetable". library.ubc.ca. February 5, 1939. p. 127 (TT152, 152A).
* ↑ "Timetable" (PDF). www.streamlinermemories.info. June 27, 1943. p. 47 (TT152, 152A).
* ↑ "Timetable". library.ubc.ca. December 5, 1948. p. 46 (TT152, 152A).
* ↑ "Timetable". library.ubc.ca. September 27, 1953. p. 46 (TT128, 129).
* ↑ "Timetable". library.ubc.ca. April 24, 1955. p. 46 (TT128, 129).
* ↑ "Timetable". library.ubc.ca. October 30, 1960. p. 35 (TT83).
* ↑ "Timetable". library.ubc.ca. October 27, 1963. p. 3 (TT99).
* ↑ Weir, Winnifred A. (1993). "BC Historical News: Kootenay Central Railway". library.ubc.ca. 27 (1): 12–13 (10–11).
* ↑ "Daily News". library.ubc.ca. May 11, 1923. p. 5.
* ↑ "BC Road Runner" (PDF). www2.gov.bc.ca. Vol. 17, no. 3. 1980. p. 22.
* ↑ "Cranbrook Daily Townsman". www.cranbrooktownsman.com. February 22, 2013.
* ↑ "Columbia Valley Pioneer". www.columbiavalleypioneer.com. November 14, 2020.
* ↑ "Route 32 North Connector". www.bctransit.com.
* ↑ "Route 31 South Connector". www.bctransit.com.
* ↑ "Athalmer". www.prairie-towns.com.