Kimberley, British Columbia

Kimberley, British Columbia
Kimberley is a city in southeast British Columbia, Canada along Highway 95A between the Purcell and Rocky Mountains. Kimberley was named in 1896 after the Kimberley mine in South Africa. From 1917 to 2001, it was the home to the world's largest lead-zinc mine, the Sullivan Mine. Now it is mainly a tourist destination and home to the Kimberley Alpine Resort, a ski area and Kimberley's Underground Mining Railway that features a underground mining interpretive centre complete with operational narrow-gauge railway equipment. Recreational pursuits include world-class skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, fishing, whitewater rafting, kayaking, biking, hiking and golfing on championship golf courses. The city has the largest urban park in Canada. At , the Kimberley Nature Park is the largest incorporated park in Canada.
SunMine, was the largest solar PV plant in Western Canada when built in 2015 on the site of the former Sullivan Mine concentrator.
History
Kimberley incorporated as a city on March 29, 1944. It amalgamated with the former Village of Marysville on November 1, 1968. Following the routing of Highway 95 away from the city, in 1972 Kimberley transformed into the Bavarian City of the Rockies to entice motorists passing through the region to visit. Kimberley's Mine was the Sullivan Mine, and it was the largest lead-zinc mine in the world. The mine ceased operation in 2001.
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Kimberley had a population of 8,115 living in 3,595 of its 4,263 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 7,425. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.
Although its historical population was closely tied to activities at the Sullivan Mine, the city's high-speed internet and scenic location enabled growth in tech and tourism beginning in the 2000s.
Ethnicity
Religion
According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Kimberley included:
Irreligion (5,210 persons or 65.6%)
Christianity (2,555 persons or 32.2%)
Buddhism (45 persons or 0.6%)
Hinduism (20 persons or 0.3%)
Other (105 persons or 1.3%)
Tourism and transportation
The city has the "largest freestanding cuckoo clock in Canada". It began to develop a Bavarian-themed village in the 1970s after taking inspiration from Leavenworth, Washington. Kimberley no longer has a bavarian theme.
Kimberley is served by the Canadian Rockies International Airport.
Schools
Schools in Kimberley are part of School District 6 Rocky Mountain which also serves Invermere and Golden.
Blarchmont Elementary School (closed as of September, 2006) and now home of the College of the Rockies Kimberley Campus
Selkirk Secondary School
McKim Elementary School (changed from a Middle School to a 4 to 7 school as of September, 2006)
Marysville Elementary School
Lindsay Park Elementary School
Continuing Education School
Kimberley Alternate School
Other schools accredited by the government:
Kimberley Independent School (pre-K to grade 9)
Climate
Kimberley has a continental climate with semi-arid influences and heavy moderation from the nearby mountains which tend to block arctic air masses, and produce a rain shadow. Its fairly high elevation counters this effect slightly, as temperatures are somewhat cooler and the town slightly more rainy than it would otherwise be.
Sports
The Kimberley Dynamiters Junior B Ice Hockey team play in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL). The Dynamiters have produced many professional hockey players, including Jason Wiemer, who last played with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL).
There are three major golf courses to play in Kimberley; Purcell Golf, Bootleg Gap and Trickle Creek Golf Resort. Just 15 – 20 minutes away are St. Eugene Golf Resort, Wildstone Golf and Shadow Mountain Golf Course. There are many other golf courses in the East Kootenay region.
Kimberley is home to the Worlds Longest Running Skateboard Race called the Sullivan Challenge.
Mountain biking is a summer sport of Kimberley, with over 100km of trails for every skill level.
Kimberley Alpine Resort owned by the Resort of the Canadian Rockies, regularly hosts ski races on the Para Alpine Skiing. It offers a wide range of runs, for all levels. Kimberley Alpine Resort is also home to the Winter Sports School which hosts lessons for all ages and abilities.
There is an annual ultra marathon at Kimberley Alpine Resort, the Black Spur Ultra. Runners choose between 54 km and 108 km distances.
Notable people
Stanley Hayer, former Olympian and current head coach of the Canadian ski cross team
Rosalind C. Morris, Columbia University anthropologist, Guggenheim Fellow
Gerry Sorensen, former alpine skier
Daniel Sullivan, ice hockey goaltender
Jason Wiemer, retired NHL player
Notes
References
External links
Cities in British Columbia
Populated places in the Regional District of East Kootenay