Golden, British Columbia Explained

Golden
Official Name:Town of Golden[1]
Settlement Type:Town
Pushpin Map:Canada British Columbia
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of Golden in British Columbia
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Canada
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:British Columbia
Subdivision Type2:Region
Subdivision Name2:Columbia Valley
Subdivision Type3:Regional District
Subdivision Name3:Columbia-Shuswap
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Ron Oszust
Leader Title1:Governing Body
Leader Name1:Golden Town Council
Leader Title2:MP
Leader Name2:Rob Morrison[2] (Conservative-Kootenay/Columbia)
Leader Title3:MLA
Leader Name3:Doug Clovechok (BC United-Columbia/Revelstoke)
Established Title:Incorporated
Established Date:1957
Area Total Km2:11.33
Population As Of:2021
Population Footnotes:[3]
Population Total:3986
Population Density Km2:351.9
Timezone:Mountain Time Zone
Utc Offset:−7
Timezone Dst:Mountain Daylight Time
Utc Offset Dst:−6
Coordinates:51.3019°N -116.9667°W
Elevation M:800
Postal Code Type:Postal code span
Postal Code:V0A 1H0 & V0A 0A0
Area Code:250 / 778 / 236
Blank Name:Highways
Blank Info:Trans-Canada Highway

Golden is a town in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, 262km (163miles) west of Calgary, Alberta, and 713km (443miles) east of Vancouver.

History

In 1807, David Thompsonrenowned fur trader, surveyor, and map makerwas tasked by the North West Company to open a trading route to the lucrative trading territories of the Pacific Northwest. He first crossed over the Rocky Mountains and travelled along the Blaeberry River to the future site of Golden.[4]

In 1881, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) hired surveyor A. B. Rogers to find a rail route through the Selkirk and Rocky Mountains, and in 1882, he found the pass now named for him. Rogers established a base camp for his survey crew led by a man named McMillan. Initially known as McMillan's Camp, the settlement was the beginning of the town of Golden. By 1884, in response to a nearby lumber camp naming itself Silver City, the residents of McMillan's Camp, headed by Baptiste Morigeau,[5] decided not to be outdone and renamed the settlement Golden City.[6] The word city was later dropped.

In the late 1890s, the CPR began importing Swiss mountain guides to assist travellers attracted to the area to explore the surrounding mountains, Glacier National Park, Yoho National Park and the Rogers Pass region, as part of their efforts to promote tourism to the mountain parks area. The railway built a group of chalet-style house in a section that became known as Edelweiss, some of them still standing, to encourage the guide to bring their families to Canada and remain year-round. The men made many of the first ascents of area mountains and helped pioneer the ski industry in the region. [7]

Golden is also the site of notable South Asian Canadian history, after Sikh settlers first arrived in Golden in 1902 to work at the Columbia River Lumber Company.[8] These early settlers built the first Panjabi; Punjabi: [[gurdwara]] (Sikh temple) in North America in 1905,[9] [10] which burned down in 1926.[11]

Much of the town's history is tied into the CPR and the logging industry. 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 also an outdoor activity destination. The town forms part of the Golden Triangle cycle route.

Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge is the longest freestanding timber-framed bridge in Canada.[12] Planned as a community project by the Timber Framers Guild,[13] volunteers from Golden were joined by carpenters and timber framers from the United States and from Europe. The bridge structure is 150feet long, with a 210000adj=onNaNadj=on Burr arch structure. The bridge was completed in September 2001.

In June 2021, the Golden Skybridge opened. The bridge is the highest suspension bridge in Canada.[14]

The Golden meteorites fell there on October 4, 2021.[15]

Geography

Golden is nestled in the Rocky Mountain Trench, built around the confluence of the Columbia and Kicking Horse rivers, surrounded by three different mountain ranges (most notably the Purcell Mountains and Rocky Mountains) and five national parks: Yoho National Park, Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, Glacier National Park, and Kootenay National Park.

Golden is on Highway 1 (the Trans-Canada Highway), and it is the northern 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 (B.C. Highway 95 is a continuation of U.S. Route 95, which runs north-to-south through the U.S. and into Mexico). 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 is a major upgrade to the old highway.

Climate

Golden has a climate with influences of the humid continental (Dfb) and semi-arid (BSk) varieties. Summers are warm but rarely hot, with winters being somewhat moderated in comparison to areas east of the Rockies. Annual snowfall is heavy, averaging .

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Golden had a population of 3,986 living in 1,734 of its 1,892 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 3,708. With a land area of, it had a population density of in 2021.[16]

Ethnicity

Panethnic
group! colspan="2"
20212016[17] 2006[18] 2001[19] 1996[20] 1991[21] [22] 1986[23] [24] [25]
European3,2002,9103,3103,4053,4403,0302,965
Indigenous330360160255215265165
South Asian180125200250250340345
Southeast Asian100401000255
East Asian401407560251525
Latin American1010000010
African00010000
Middle Eastern00000155
Other/Multiracial020000
Total responses3,9003,5953,7753,9753,9353,6903,520
Total population3,9863,7083,8114,0203,9683,7213,584

Religion

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Golden included:[26]

Religious group! colspan="2"
20212011[27] 20011991[28]
Christian1,225N/AN/A2,2402,280
Sikh115N/AN/A165300
Hindu40N/AN/A015
Buddhist15N/AN/A2030
Muslim0N/AN/A040
Jewish0N/AN/A00
Other religion55N/AN/A3510
Irreligious2,430N/AN/A1,495 1,020
Total responses3,900N/AN/A3,975 3,690

Economy

Golden has a service and resource-based economy.

Education

Public education is provided by School District 6 Rocky Mountain which operates 3 primary schools and one secondary school. Community College education is offered by the Golden Campus of the College of the Rockies.

Notable people

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: British Columbia Regional Districts, Municipalities, Corporate Name, Date of Incorporation and Postal Address . British Columbia Ministry of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development . . November 2, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140713004716/http://www.cscd.gov.bc.ca/lgd/infra/library/Name%20Incorp%202011.xls . July 13, 2014.
  2. Web site: Richard Zussman . Canada election results: Kootenay-Columbia . Global News . 17 November 2019.
  3. https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=golden&DGUIDlist=2021A00055939007&GENDERlist=1&STATISTIClist=1&HEADERlist=0 2021 Community Profiles
  4. Web site: Golden BC in the Canadian Rocky Mountains; History and Mountain Culture . December 10, 2019. www.tourismgolden.com.
  5. Web site: Metis Week recognizes Golden's roots. November 7, 2019.
  6. Web site: Golden BC in the Canadian Rocky Mountains; History and Mountain Culture . www.tourismgolden.com . December 10, 2019.
  7. News: Randall . Cassidy . The birthplace of Canada’s mountain culture . 29 April 2024 . BBC Travel . 22 January 2020.
  8. Web site: FIRST SIKH TEMPLE IN NORTH AMERICA. March 10, 2021. The first Sikhs came to Golden about 1902, arriving to work in the sawmill of the Columbia River Lumber Company. When the Sikhs arrived in Golden the community was in its infancy and the sawmill had recently opened. The Columbia River Lumber Company recognized the value of these tall strong men and had no problem with the men. They hired them to work in the lumberyard, planer, and sawmill. The first documented proof that we have of South Asians of the Sikh faith being residents of Golden is a copy of a telegram sent to G.T. Bradshaw, Chief of Police, New Westminster from Colin Cameron, Chief of Police, Golden, BC on July 20, 1902. It was sent collect and reads: Geha Singh of Golden sent a telegram to Santa Singh care of Small and Bucklin for one thousand dollars..
  9. Web site: Sikhs celebrate history in Golden. April 26, 2018. The original temple in Golden sat on a corner of a lot, in the south western area of town at the end of the street looking toward where Rona is now. The largest influx of men came from South Asia around 1905, which would be the time period that the temple in Golden would have began services. In 1926, a fire burned the timber limits of the Columbia River Lumber Company, where the South Asian men worked..
  10. Web site: Golden's Sikh heritage recognized on new Stop of Interest sign. November 9, 2016. “We acknowledge the Gurdwara in Golden as the first in B.C., and quite likely the first in North America,” said Pyara Lotay, on behalf of the local Sikh community. “We thank the B.C. government for recognizing Golden’s Sikh pioneers and their place of worship with this Stop of Interest.”.
  11. Web site: Golden Gurdwara is recognized for its historical significance. June 7, 2017. The original temple sat on the corner of a lot, which is now owned by Gurmit Manhas, at the end of the street past the School Board Office looking towards the Rona. Plans are being put together to erect a kiosk there that would share information about the original building, the first South Asian people to Canada, the importance of the Gurdwara to the Sikh people and the history of why they left and what brought them back. The largest influx of men came from South Asia in about 1905-06, which would be the time period that the Temple would have begun services. In 1926 a fire burned the timber limits of the Columbia River Lumber Company, where all the South Asian men worked and the men left for the coast having no work to do. When the forest started to grow back the men came back and soon it was necessary to build the present Gurdwara on 13th Street South..
  12. Web site: Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge . Tourism Golden . dead . November 21, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081121043527/http://www.tourismgolden.com/activities/other/142 .
  13. http://www.tfguild.org/ Timber Framers Guild website
  14. Web site: June 17, 2021 . Canada's highest suspension bridge just opened in B.C. . March 10, 2022 . British Columbia . en.
  15. News: Staff . The Canadian Press . Scientists study trajectory of meteorite that landed in Golden, B.C. last fall . May 17, 2022 . Global News . January 17, 2022.
  16. Web site: Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), British Columbia . . February 9, 2022 . February 20, 2022.
  17. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2021-10-27 . Census Profile, 2016 Census . 2023-03-21 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
  18. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2019-08-20 . 2006 Community Profiles . 2023-03-21 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
  19. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2001 Community Profiles . www12.statcan.gc.ca . 2019-07-02 . 2023-07-08.
  20. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2019-06-04 . Electronic Area Profiles Profile of Census Divisions and Subdivisions, 1996 Census . 2023-03-21 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
  21. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2019-03-29 . 1991 Census Area Profiles Profile of Census Divisions and Subdivisions - Part B . 2023-03-21 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
  22. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2019-03-29 . Data tables, 1991 Census Population by Ethnic Origin (24), Showing Single and Multiple Origins (2) - Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions . 2023-03-21 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
  23. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2019-06-27. Data tables, 1986 Census Census Profile for Canada, Provinces and Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 1986 Census - Part A . 2023-03-21 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
  24. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2019-06-27. Data tables, 1986 Census Census Profile for Canada, Provinces and Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 1986 Census - Part B . 2023-03-21 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
  25. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2013-04-03. Canada's aboriginal population by census subdivisions from the 1986 Census of Canada . 2023-03-21 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
  26. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2022-10-26 . Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population . 2022-11-11 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
  27. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . NHS Profile - Place name search results . 2023-07-08 . www12.statcan.gc.ca. 8 May 2013 .
  28. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 1991 Census of Canada: Census Area Profiles . 2023-07-08 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.