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Castlegar
KNOWLEDGE OF Castlegar
Castlegar (49°19′34″N, 117°39′53″W) is a small city in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers, within the Selkirk Mountains. It is a regional trade and transportation centre, with a local economy fueled by forestry and tourism. It is home to Selkirk College, a regional airport, a pulp mill, and several small sawmills. The population of approximately 7,500 people includes a large number of Doukhobors, who were largely responsible for much of Castlegar's early development and growth. A sizeable Portuguese community grew as workers, mainly from the Azores islands, moved in to take up employment in the area. Outside the city limits are the small surrounding communities of Ootischenia, Brilliant, Robson, Raspberry, Tarrys, Thrums, Shoreacres, Fairview and Genelle. Taken together, these outlying areas comprise an approximate population of a further 8,000 people.
David Thompson arrived in the Columbia River area on June 30, 1807. Thompson arrived at the location where Castlegar now sits on September 5, 1811, where he camped near the mouth of the Kootenay River. A plaque dedicated to David Thompson can be found on the east bank of the Columbia River overlooking the present day site of Castlegar.
The first settlement in the area was West Waterloo, now known as South-Castlegar. There was widescpread provincial interest in gold prospecting in the late 19th century, and by 1895 there were forty houses in Waterloo. The town boomed until the end of the century when interest in the local mines declined. Around the year 1902, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) built the bridge at Castlegar and laid the wide gauge railway tracks to Trail. They put in a box car station at the old Waterloo trail crossing and called it Kinnaird Station in honour of Lord Kinnaird who was a shareholder in the CPR.
There was little in Castlegar until after the completion of the CPR bridge. A Mr. Farmer built the first store in town, housing both the post office and the town hall. William Gage built the Castlegar Hotel in 1908, standing until 1982 when it was destroyed by fire. Also in 1908, the first schoolhouse was built by a few local residents who bought the lumber and erected the building. A dance pavilion, garage, tourist cabins and a slaughterhouse had all been established by 1925.
In 1946, Castlegar was incorporated into a village, then in 1966 into a Town. The neighbouring town of Kinnaird was amalgamated into the city on January 1, 1974, effectively doubling the population. On May 20, 2004, the City's boundary was extended to include the Blueberry Creek Irrigation District.
David Thompson arrived in the Columbia River area on June 30, 1807. Thompson arrived at the location where Castlegar now sits on September 5, 1811, where he camped near the mouth of the Kootenay River. A plaque dedicated to David Thompson can be found on the east bank of the Columbia River overlooking the present day site of Castlegar.
The first settlement in the area was West Waterloo, now known as South-Castlegar. There was widescpread provincial interest in gold prospecting in the late 19th century, and by 1895 there were forty houses in Waterloo. The town boomed until the end of the century when interest in the local mines declined. Around the year 1902, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) built the bridge at Castlegar and laid the wide gauge railway tracks to Trail. They put in a box car station at the old Waterloo trail crossing and called it Kinnaird Station in honour of Lord Kinnaird who was a shareholder in the CPR.
There was little in Castlegar until after the completion of the CPR bridge. A Mr. Farmer built the first store in town, housing both the post office and the town hall. William Gage built the Castlegar Hotel in 1908, standing until 1982 when it was destroyed by fire. Also in 1908, the first schoolhouse was built by a few local residents who bought the lumber and erected the building. A dance pavilion, garage, tourist cabins and a slaughterhouse had all been established by 1925.
In 1946, Castlegar was incorporated into a village, then in 1966 into a Town. The neighbouring town of Kinnaird was amalgamated into the city on January 1, 1974, effectively doubling the population. On May 20, 2004, the City's boundary was extended to include the Blueberry Creek Irrigation District.
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