Crawford Bay, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Crawford Bay is a community of approximately 350 people, situated in 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...
mountain range on the eastern shore of Kootenay Lake
Kootenay Lake
Kootenay Lake is a lake located in British Columbia, Canada and is part of theKootenay River. The lake has been raised by the Corra Linn Dam and has a dike system at the southern end, which, along with industry in the 1950s-70s, has changed the ecosystem in and around the water...
in the Southern Interior
British Columbia Interior
The British Columbia Interior or BC Interior or Interior of British Columbia, usually referred to only as the Interior, is one of the three main regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, the other two being the Lower Mainland, which comprises the overlapping areas of Greater Vancouver...
of British Columbia
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...
. The community is located on Highyway 3A, one hour's drive north of Creston
Creston, British Columbia
Creston is a town of 4,826 people in the Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia, Canada. The town is located just a few kilometers north of the Porthill, Idaho border crossing into the United States and about a three-hour drive north from Spokane, Washington. It is about a one-hour drive...
, one hour southeast across Kootenay Lake from the city of Nelson
Nelson, British Columbia
Nelson is a city located in the Selkirk Mountains on the extreme West Arm of Kootenay Lake in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Known as "The Queen City", and acknowledged for its impressive collection of restored heritage buildings from its glory days in a regional silver rush,...
.
History, Geography, Demographics and Economy
The West Kootenay region of British ColumbiaBritish 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...
, where the community of Crawford Bay is situated, is part of the traditional territories of the Sinixt
Sinixt
The Sinixt are a First Nations People...
and Ktunaxa peoples.
Arts, Culture, Attractions and Sport
Crawford Bay plays host to a music festival each July. The Starbelly Jam, an annual event since 1999, is a weekend-long outdoor music festival which features a wide variety of musical styles.The village centre, along Highway 3A, is home to a collection of working artisan studios including: a forge, broommaker, potters, weavers, copper enamellists, glassblowers, and jewellers.
Crawford Bay hosts an autumn agricultural fair that dates back to 1910 and features a juried display of locally grown produce, homemade goods and artistic creations.cit req
Kokanee Golf Resort, located within Crawford Bay, is a championship 18-hole course designed by Norman Wood in 1968.
Government and Infrastructure
The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) is the local governing body for Crawford Bay. The village lies within Electoral Area A in the RDCK and the current director for Area A is Gary Jackman.Provincially, Crawford Bay lies within the electoral riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Nelson-Creston
Nelson-Creston
Nelson-Creston is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada. It made its first appearance on the hustings in the general election of 1933 following a redistribution of the earlier Nelson riding....
, currently represented in the provincial legislature
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....
by NDP
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
MLA Michelle Mungall
Michelle Mungall
Michelle Mungall is a Canadian politician, who was elected as a New Democratic Party Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2009 provincial election, representing the riding of Nelson-Creston. She was born and raised in St. Albert, Alberta where she attended Paul Kane High...
. Federally, Crawford Bay is part of the riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Kootenay-Columbia, currently represented by Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
MP Jim Abbott
Jim Abbott (politician)
James "Jim" Abbott, PC, MP was a Conservative member of Canada's House of Commons. Abbott was a member of the Reform Party from 1993 to 2000 and a member of the Canadian Alliance from 2000 to 2004...
.
Education and Media
The village school, Crawford Bay School, offers kindergartenKindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
to Grade 12, and serves the entire eastern shore of Kootenay Lake
Kootenay Lake
Kootenay Lake is a lake located in British Columbia, Canada and is part of theKootenay River. The lake has been raised by the Corra Linn Dam and has a dike system at the southern end, which, along with industry in the 1950s-70s, has changed the ecosystem in and around the water...
. In 2009 a new school building was constructed on a larger piece of land. It became the first school in British Columbia to meet the LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
Green Building Rating System requirements. The school design also received a Wood WORKS! Community Recognition Award from the Canada Wood Council.
Also serving the 'east shore' community, which includes Crawford Bay, is a local newspaper called The Eastshore Mainstreet. The paper is published monthly and focuses on local issues and events.