Kimberley, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Kimberley is a small 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 the Kimberley Underground Mining Railway that features a 750 feet (228.6 m) underground mining interpretive centre. 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 British Columbia. At 1977 acres (800 ha), the Kimberley Nature Park is the largest incorporated park in Canada and the paved, non-motorized Rail-Trail linking the cities of Kimberley and Cranbrook make Kimberley a unique four-season resort. Kimberley is also home to a thriving Arts and Cultural scene.
-zinc
mine in the world. The mine ceased operation in 2001.
in Canada".
Kimberley is also home to a non-equity summer theatre which typically produces a mainstage musical at the local theatre and a free outdoor vaudeville show in the town square. Past productions include:You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
; Where's Charley?
; By Jeeves
and several original scripts featuring local material.
Kimberley Summer Theatre's mandate is to produce affordable but professional theatre for all ages. Productions are housed at the 125-seat "Centre 64".
Kimberley is served by the Canadian Rockies International Airport that has been expanded, and is expected by many to have a positive impact on commerce and tourism in the Kimberley area. The airport expansion will accommodate large charter and scheduled flights, opening up the area to more vacationers from across the country and abroad.
which also serves Invermere
and Golden
. Five of the district schools are in Kimberley.
Other Schools accredited by the government:
(KIJHL). The Dynamiters have produced many pro hockey players including Jason Wiemer
, who last played with the New Jersey Devils
of the National Hockey League
(NHL).
Kimberley Alpine Resort regularly hosts ski races
on the IPC Disabled Alpine World Cup
.
There are five major golf course
s to play, Trickle Creek Golf Resort, which, along with Trickle Creek Lodge and Kimberley Alpine Resort, is owned by Resorts of the Canadian Rockies Inc.
, Bootleg Gap Golf Course, Kimberley Golf Club, and just 15 – 20 minutes away are the St Eugene Golf Resort and Shadow Mountain Golf Course, both of which have received rave reviews for their quality and incredible scenery. Additionally, new investment in the area is producing another golf course known as Wild Stone. The areas around Kimberley also have premiere golf courses, making Kimberley and the surrounding area a golf
tourism destination.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
along Highway 95A between the Purcell
Purcell Mountains
The Purcell Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. They are a subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which includes the Selkirk, Monashee, and Cariboo Mountains. They are located on the west side of the Rocky Mountain Trench in the area of the Columbia Valley, and on...
and Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. Kimberley was named in 1896 after the Kimberley mine
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. From 1917 to 2001, it was the home to the world's largest lead-zinc mine, the Sullivan Mine
Sullivan mine
Sullivan Mine was an underground conventional–mechanized mine located in Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada; it has a complex, diatreme-hosted orebody, made up primarily of zinc sulfide, lead sulfide, and iron sulfides....
. Now it is mainly a tourist destination
Tourist destination
A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...
and home to the Kimberley Alpine Resort
Kimberley Alpine Resort
Kimberley Alpine Resort is a ski resort located in Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada.It is located in the Purcell Mountains, on the east face of North Star Hill...
, a ski area
Ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
and the Kimberley Underground Mining Railway that features a 750 feet (228.6 m) underground mining interpretive centre. 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 British Columbia. At 1977 acres (800 ha), the Kimberley Nature Park is the largest incorporated park in Canada and the paved, non-motorized Rail-Trail linking the cities of Kimberley and Cranbrook make Kimberley a unique four-season resort. Kimberley is also home to a thriving Arts and Cultural scene.
History
Kimberley was incorporated as a city in 1944. 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 leadLead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
-zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
mine in the world. The mine ceased operation in 2001.
Tourism and transportation
The city has the "largest freestanding cuckoo clockCuckoo clock
A cuckoo clock is a clock, typically pendulum-regulated, that strikes the hours with a sound like a common cuckoo's call and typically has a mechanical cuckoo that emerges with each note...
in Canada".
Kimberley is also home to a non-equity summer theatre which typically produces a mainstage musical at the local theatre and a free outdoor vaudeville show in the town square. Past productions include:You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a 1967 musical comedy with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip Peanuts...
; Where's Charley?
Where's Charley?
Where's Charley? is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by George Abbott. The story was based on the play Charley's Aunt by Brandon Thomas. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1948 and was revived on Broadway and in the West End...
; By Jeeves
By Jeeves
By Jeeves, originally Jeeves, is a 1975/1996 musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Alan Ayckbourn, based on the novels of P. G. Wodehouse....
and several original scripts featuring local material.
Kimberley Summer Theatre's mandate is to produce affordable but professional theatre for all ages. Productions are housed at the 125-seat "Centre 64".
Kimberley is served by the Canadian Rockies International Airport that has been expanded, and is expected by many to have a positive impact on commerce and tourism in the Kimberley area. The airport expansion will accommodate large charter and scheduled flights, opening up the area to more vacationers from across the country and abroad.
Schools
Schools in Kimberley are part of School District 6 Rocky MountainSchool District 6 Rocky Mountain
School District 6 Rocky Mountain is a school district in South Eastern British Columbia. This includes the major centres of Kimberley, Invermere and Golden.-History:...
which also serves Invermere
Invermere, British Columbia
Invermere is a community in eastern British Columbia, Canada, near the border of Alberta. With its growing permanent population of almost 4,000 , swelling to near 40,000 on summer weekends, it is the hub of the Columbia Valley between Golden, and Cranbrook...
and Golden
Golden, British Columbia
Golden is a town in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located west of Calgary, Alberta and east of Vancouver.-History:Much of the town's history is tied into the Canadian Pacific Railway and the logging industry...
. Five of the district schools are in Kimberley.
- Blarchmont Elementary School (closed as of September, 2006) and now home of the Kimberley Campus of the College of the Rockies
- Selkirk Secondary SchoolSelkirk Secondary SchoolSelkirk Secondary School is a public high school in Kimberley, British Columbia part of School District 6 Rocky Mountain.-School Reports - Ministry of Education:* * * *...
- McKim Elementary School (changed from a Middle School to a 4 to 7 school as of September, 2006)
- Marysville Elementary School
- Lindsay Park Elementary SchoolLindsay Park Elementary SchoolLindsay Park Elementary is a public elementary school in Kimberley, British Columbia part of School District 6 Rocky Mountain.-School Reports - Ministry of Education:* * * *...
- Continuing Education School
- Kimberley Alternate School
Other Schools accredited by the government:
- Kimberley Independent School - Pre-K to 8th Grade
Sports
The Kimberley Dynamiters Junior B Ice Hockey team play in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey LeagueKootenay International Junior Hockey League
The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League is a Junior "B" Ice Hockey league in British Columbia, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada. The winner of the KIJHL playoffs competes with the champions of the Pacific International Junior Hockey League and the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League...
(KIJHL). The Dynamiters have produced many pro hockey players including Jason Wiemer
Jason Wiemer
Jason Earl Wiemer is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He most recently played for the New Jersey Devils of the NHL during the 2005–06 NHL season.-Playing career:...
, who last played with the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL).
Kimberley Alpine Resort regularly hosts ski races
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
on the IPC Disabled Alpine World Cup
IPC Disabled Alpine World Cup
The IPC Disabled Alpine Skiing World Cup is an annual circuit of elite disabled alpine skiing competitions, regulated by the International Paralympic Committee and the International Ski Federation ....
.
There are five major golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
s to play, Trickle Creek Golf Resort, which, along with Trickle Creek Lodge and Kimberley Alpine Resort, is owned by Resorts of the Canadian Rockies Inc.
Resorts of the Canadian Rockies Inc.
Resorts of the Canadian Rockies Inc. is the largest private ski resort owner/operator in North America, owning six ski resorts across Canada....
, Bootleg Gap Golf Course, Kimberley Golf Club, and just 15 – 20 minutes away are the St Eugene Golf Resort and Shadow Mountain Golf Course, both of which have received rave reviews for their quality and incredible scenery. Additionally, new investment in the area is producing another golf course known as Wild Stone. The areas around Kimberley also have premiere golf courses, making Kimberley and the surrounding area a golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
tourism destination.
| Club | League | Sport | Venue | Established | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimberley Dynamiters | KIJHL Kootenay International Junior Hockey League The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League is a Junior "B" Ice Hockey league in British Columbia, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada. The winner of the KIJHL playoffs competes with the champions of the Pacific International Junior Hockey League and the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League... |
Ice Hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
Kimberley Civic Centre | 1972 | 3 |
Notable residents
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