Golden, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Golden is a town in southeastern British Columbia
, Canada
, located 262 kilometres (162.8 mi) west of Calgary
, Alberta
and 713 kilometres (443 mi) east of Vancouver
.
and the logging
industry. Today, the town's economy still relies heavily on those two influences, but the development of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, along with other outdoor adventure companies, has allowed the town to diversify into tourism. Mount 7, which is just southeast of town, is popular with paragliding, hang gliding, and mountain biking enthusiasts.
Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge is the longest freestanding timber frame bridge in Canada. Planned as a community project by the Timber Framers Guild, volunteers from Golden were joined by carpenters and timber framers from the United States and from Europe. The bridge structure is 150 feet (45.7 m) long, with a 210,000-pound Burr arch structure. The bridge was completed in September 2001.
On March 26, 2009, then-Mayor Aman Virk died suddenly of complications after suffering a heart attack while vacationing in India.
, built around the confluence of the Columbia
and Kicking Horse
rivers, surrounded by three different mountain ranges and five National Parks: Yoho National Park
, Banff National Park
, Jasper National Park
, Glacier National Park
, and Kootenay National Park
.
Golden is located on Highway 1 (the Trans-Canada Highway
) and it is the terminus of Highway 95, connecting it to the United States via the rest of the East Kootenay region and the city of Cranbrook, British Columbia
. The Trans-Canada Highway
east of Golden has numerous upgrade projects ongoing to greatly improve the roadway west of the Yoho National Park
boundary. The Ten Mile Hill section of the project was recently completed and represents a major upgrade to old highway.
which operates 3 primary schools and one secondary school
. Community College education is offered by the Golden Campus of the College of the Rockies
.
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...
, located 262 kilometres (162.8 mi) west of Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and 713 kilometres (443 mi) east of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
History
Much of the town's history is tied into the Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
and the logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
industry. Today, the town's economy still relies heavily on those two influences, but the development of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, along with other outdoor adventure companies, has allowed the town to diversify into tourism. Mount 7, which is just southeast of town, is popular with paragliding, hang gliding, and mountain biking enthusiasts.
Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge is the longest freestanding timber frame bridge in Canada. Planned as a community project by the Timber Framers Guild, volunteers from Golden were joined by carpenters and timber framers from the United States and from Europe. The bridge structure is 150 feet (45.7 m) long, with a 210,000-pound Burr arch structure. The bridge was completed in September 2001.
On March 26, 2009, then-Mayor Aman Virk died suddenly of complications after suffering a heart attack while vacationing in India.
Geography
Golden is nestled in the Rocky Mountain TrenchRocky Mountain Trench
The Rocky Mountain Trench, or the Trench or The Valley of a Thousand Peaks, is a large valley in the northern part of the Rocky Mountains. It is both visually and cartographically a striking physiographic feature extending approximately from Flathead Lake, Montana, to the Liard River, just south...
, built around the confluence of the Columbia
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
and Kicking Horse
Kicking Horse River
The Kicking Horse River is a river located in the Canadian Rockies of southeastern British Columbia, Canada.The river was named in 1858, when James Hector, a member of the Palliser Expedition, was kicked by his packhorse while exploring the river. Hector survived and named the river and the...
rivers, surrounded by three different mountain ranges and five National Parks: Yoho National Park
Yoho National Park
Yoho National Park is located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains along the western slope of the Continental Divide in southeastern British Columbia. Yoho NP is bordered by Kootenay National Park on the southern side and Banff National Park on the eastern side...
, Banff National Park
Banff National Park
Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 kilometres west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine...
, Jasper National Park
Jasper National Park
Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, spanning 10,878 km² . It is located in the province of Alberta, north of Banff National Park and west of the City of Edmonton. The park includes the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield, hot springs, lakes, waterfalls and...
, Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park (Canada)
Glacier National Park is one of seven national parks in British Columbia, and is part of a system of 43 parks and park reserves across Canada. It protects a portion of the Columbia Mountains. It also contains the Rogers Pass National Historic Site, designated for its importance in the construction...
, and Kootenay National Park
Kootenay National Park
Kootenay National Park is located in southeastern British Columbia Canada covering in the Canadian Rockies and forms part of a World Heritage Site. The park ranges in elevation from at the south-west park entrance to at Deltaform Mountain...
.
Golden is located on Highway 1 (the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
) and it is the terminus of Highway 95, connecting it to the United States via the rest of the East Kootenay region and the city of Cranbrook, British Columbia
Cranbrook, British Columbia
Cranbrook, British Columbia is a city in southeast British Columbia, located on the west side of the Kootenay River at its confluence with the St. Mary's River, It is the largest urban centre in the region known as the East Kootenay. As of 2006, Cranbrook's population is 18,267, and the...
. The Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
east of Golden has numerous upgrade projects ongoing to greatly improve the roadway west of the Yoho National Park
Yoho National Park
Yoho National Park is located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains along the western slope of the Continental Divide in southeastern British Columbia. Yoho NP is bordered by Kootenay National Park on the southern side and Banff National Park on the eastern side...
boundary. The Ten Mile Hill section of the project was recently completed and represents a major upgrade to old highway.
Education
Public education is provided by 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 operates 3 primary schools and one secondary school
Golden Secondary School
Golden Secondary School is a public high school in Golden, British Columbia, part of School District 6 Rocky Mountain. The school is headed by principal Iris Trask. There is a wide variety of courses held in the school and outside the school...
. Community College education is offered by the Golden Campus of the College of the Rockies
College of the Rockies
The College of the Rockies is a Canadian public community college, located in the southeast corner of British Columbia, Canada. The main campus is in Cranbrook, with regional campuses in Creston, Fernie, Golden, Invermere, and Kimberley.-Programs:...
.
Sports
| Club | League | Sport | Venue | Established | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Rockets Golden Rockets The Golden Rockets are a junior ice hockey team based in Golden, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Eddie Mountain Division of the Kootenay Conference of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League . They play their home games at Golden Arena.-History:From 1991-2005, the team was... |
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... |
Golden Arena | 1991 | 0 |
Notable residents
- Doug BarraultDoug BarraultDouglas Barrault is a retired ice hockey right winger. He played in four National Hockey League games with the Minnesota North Stars and Florida Panthers.-External links:...
- David DuncanDavid Duncan (ski cross)David Duncan is a World Cup freestyle skier. Duncan currently resides in Golden, British Columbia and is a member of the Canadian National Ski Cross Team....
- Patricia OwensPatricia Owens (actress)Patricia Molly Owens was a Canadian-born American actress, working in Hollywood...
- Sara RennerSara RennerSara Renner is a Canadian cross-country skier who competed from 1994 to 2010. With Beckie Scott, she won the silver medal in the team sprint event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and earned her best individual finish of 8th in the 10 km classical event in those same games...
- Christopher Thornley