Cranbrook, British Columbia

Cranbrook (/ˈkrænbrʊk/ KRAN-bruuk) is a city in southeast British Columbia, Canada, located on the west side of the Kootenay River at its confluence with the St. Mary's River,[3] It is the largest urban centre in the region known as the East Kootenay. As of 2016, Cranbrook's population is 19,259[4] with a census agglomeration population of 26,083. It is the location of the headquarters of the Regional District of East Kootenay and also the location of the regional headquarters of various provincial ministries and agencies, notably the Rocky Mountain Forest District.

Cranbrook
City
City of Cranbrook
10th Ave Cranbrook
Flag
Motto(s): 
Mountains of Opportunity
Cranbrook
Location of Cranbrook in British Columbia
Coordinates: 49°30′35″N 115°46′00″W
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
Regional DistrictEast Kootenay
Established1898
Incorporation1905
Government
 • MayorLee Pratt[1]
 • Governing bodyCranbrook City Council
 • MPRob Morrison
 • MLATom Shypitka
Area
 • Total31.95 km2 (12.34 sq mi)
 • Agglomeration4,568.03 km2 (1,763.73 sq mi)
Elevation
921 m (3,021 ft)
Population
 (2016)
 • Total19,259
 • Density604.7/km2 (1,566/sq mi)
 • Agglomeration
26,083
 • Demonym
Cranbrookite, Cranbrookian
Time zoneUTC−07:00 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−06:00 (MDT)
Forward sortation area
V1C
Area code(s)236, 250, 778
Telephone Exchanges236-363, 250-417, 250-420, 250-421, 250-426, 250-464, 250-489, 250-581, 250-919, 778-261, 778-450, 778-517, 778-520, 778-550, 778-570, 778-687, 778-761, 778-963
NTS Map082G05
GNBC CodeJAIQY
Highways Hwy 3
Hwy 95
Hwy 95A
Hwy 93
WebsiteCity of Cranbrook
City Data[2]

Cranbrook is home to the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel which presents static exhibits of passenger rail cars built in the 1920s for the CPR and in the 1900s for the Spokane International Railway.

History
Cranbrook's welcome sign

Originally inhabited by Ktunaxa peoples, the land that Cranbrook now occupies was bought by European settlers, notably Colonel James Baker who named his newly acquired land Cranbrook after his home in Cranbrook, Kent, England. [5]:55 In 1890, the Kootenay Indian Residential School, also called St. Eugene's, opened in Cranbrook, and operated until 1975.[6]

In 1898, Baker had successfully convinced Canadian Pacific Railway to establish their Crowsnest Pass line through Cranbrook rather than nearby Gold Rush Boom Town Fort Steele. With that accomplishment Cranbrook became the major centre of the region, while Fort Steele declined; however, the latter is today a preserved heritage town.

On November 1, 1905, Cranbrook was incorporated as a city.

Some of the major industries include mining and forestry services, trades, and health care.

Geography

While much of the city is relatively flat, Cranbrook is surrounded by many rising hills where many residential homes are located.[7] Cranbrook faces the Purcell Mountains to the west and the Rocky Mountains to the north and east. There are many lakes in close proximity to Cranbrook. Some of these lakes include Jim Smith Lake, Wasa Lake, Lazy Lake, Moyie Lake, Monroe Lake, Norbury Lake and Elizabeth Lake. Many of these lakes contain opportunities for boating, fishing and camping. There are public recreational beaches and provincial campgrounds.

Demographics
Canada 2016 CensusPopulation% of Total Population
Visible minority group
Source:[16]		Chinese1800.9%
South Asian1550.8%
Black1150.6%
Filipino1250.6%
Latin American450.2%
Southeast Asian600.3%
Arab250.1%
West Asian200.1%
Korean850.4%
Japanese1100.6%
Other visible minority00%
Mixed visible minority700.4%
Total visible minority population1,0005.1%
Aboriginal group
Source:[17]		First Nations6603.4%
Métis9955.1%
Inuit200.1%
Total Aboriginal population1,7108.7%
European Canadian16,85086.1%
Total population19,560100%

Climate

Cranbrook features a humid continental climate under the Köppen climate classification. Environment Canada reports Cranbrook as having the most sunshine hours of any BC city at approximately 2190.5 hours annually. It is a fairly dry city throughout the year, and when precipitation does fall a good percentage of it will be in the form of snow. Environment Canada also states that the city experiences some of the lightest wind speeds year-round, has few foggy days, and has among the highest average barometric pressure of any city in Canada.[18] Frost-free days average 110 days, typically occurring between May 26 to September 14. Mean daily temperatures range from −8.3 °C (17.1 °F) to 18.2 °C (64.8 °F). However, temperatures can range from −20 °C (−4.0 °F) in the winter to 35 °C (95.0 °F) in the summer months. Overall, its climate is extremely similar to that of Kelowna, in the nearby Okanagan Valley to the west - especially in regard to precipitation patterns and total monthly accumulation. However, Kelowna is significantly warmer throughout all seasons.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Cranbrook was 40.5 °C (105 °F) on August 10, 2018.[19] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −41.1 °C (−42 °F) on January 19, 1958.[20]

Climate data for Cranbrook International Airport, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1901–present[lower-alpha 1]
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 13.9
(57.0)		 13.5
(56.3)		 22.4
(72.3)		 30.6
(87.1)		 34.2
(93.6)		 37.4
(99.3)		 38.9
(102.0)		 40.5
(104.9)		 33.9
(93.0)		 29.4
(84.9)		 19.5
(67.1)		 13.3
(55.9)		 40.5
(104.9)
Average high °C (°F) −1.9
(28.6)		 1.9
(35.4)		 7.5
(45.5)		 12.9
(55.2)		 17.9
(64.2)		 21.6
(70.9)		 26.2
(79.2)		 26.0
(78.8)		 19.9
(67.8)		 11.7
(53.1)		 2.7
(36.9)		 −3.4
(25.9)		 11.9
(53.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) −6.1
(21.0)		 −3.2
(26.2)		 2.0
(35.6)		 6.6
(43.9)		 11.3
(52.3)		 15.0
(59.0)		 18.7
(65.7)		 18.2
(64.8)		 12.6
(54.7)		 5.7
(42.3)		 −1.3
(29.7)		 −7.2
(19.0)		 6.0
(42.8)
Average low °C (°F) −10.2
(13.6)		 −8.3
(17.1)		 −3.5
(25.7)		 0.3
(32.5)		 4.7
(40.5)		 8.4
(47.1)		 11.2
(52.2)		 10.3
(50.5)		 5.3
(41.5)		 −0.3
(31.5)		 −5.2
(22.6)		 −11.0
(12.2)		 0.1
(32.2)
Record low °C (°F) −41.1
(−42.0)		 −37.2
(−35.0)		 −30.0
(−22.0)		 −17.2
(1.0)		 −12.2
(10.0)		 −4.4
(24.1)		 −1.7
(28.9)		 −5.0
(23.0)		 −12.2
(10.0)		 −29.4
(−20.9)		 −31.8
(−25.2)		 −40.0
(−40.0)		 −41.1
(−42.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 25.5
(1.00)		 18.9
(0.74)		 22.2
(0.87)		 24.6
(0.97)		 46.1
(1.81)		 62.2
(2.45)		 38.3
(1.51)		 28.0
(1.10)		 31.3
(1.23)		 20.1
(0.79)		 35.3
(1.39)		 32.7
(1.29)		 385.3
(15.17)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 4.5
(0.18)		 4.2
(0.17)		 10.8
(0.43)		 19.9
(0.78)		 44.1
(1.74)		 62.1
(2.44)		 38.3
(1.51)		 28.0
(1.10)		 30.8
(1.21)		 16.5
(0.65)		 14.5
(0.57)		 5.8
(0.23)		 279.5
(11.00)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 25.3
(10.0)		 18.2
(7.2)		 12.5
(4.9)		 5.4
(2.1)		 1.5
(0.6)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.6
(0.2)		 3.8
(1.5)		 23.7
(9.3)		 34.4
(13.5)		 125.3
(49.3)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 11.1 8.5 9.2 8.8 11.6 13.6 9.2 8.4 8.4 8.2 11.8 12.8 121.5
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 2.8 2.5 5.4 7.3 11.4 13.6 9.2 8.4 8.4 7.4 5.7 2.3 84.2
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 10.4 7.2 5.6 2.7 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 1.2 7.6 12.2 47.8
Average relative humidity (%) (at 3pm) 70.6 58.7 47.7 40.9 41.0 42.2 35.7 35.6 41.3 49.7 67.1 73.4 50.3
Mean monthly sunshine hours 63.5 106.9 163.2 215.0 256.7 267.8 315.1 302.7 218.2 159.5 69.8 51.9 2,190.5
Percent possible sunshine 23.7 37.5 44.4 52.2 54.0 55.0 64.2 67.7 57.5 47.6 25.5 20.4 45.8
Source: Environment Canada[19][21][22][23][24]

Education

Schools

Public schools are run by School District 5 Southeast Kootenay, consisting of seven elementary schools and two middle schools that feed into the city's only high school: Mount Baker Secondary School, home to approximately 1,000 students and 90 staff members. Mount Baker is the largest high school in school district five. Prior to 2004, the middle schools were referred to as junior high schools housing grades 8-10 rather than the current 7–9. However, due to declining enrollment, the school district adopted the new system. There is also a local home-school network.

The following 13 schools are located in Cranbrook.

  • Aqamnik Elementary School (First Nations school located in St. Mary's Band)
  • Amy Woodland Elementary
  • Gordon Terrace Elementary
  • Highlands Elementary School
  • Kootenay Christian Academy
  • Kootenay Orchards Elementary School
  • Laurie Middle School
  • Mount Baker Secondary School
  • Parkland Middle School
  • Pinewood Elementary School
  • St. Mary's Catholic Independent School (private school)
  • Steeples Elementary School
  • T M Roberts Elementary School

Post-secondary education

Cranbrook is home to the main campus of the College of the Rockies, which has over 2,500 full and part-time students from over 21 countries.[25]

Transportation

Cranbrook is at the junction of major highways 3 and 93/95, and due to its close proximity to the borders of Alberta and the United States, it is an important transportation hub. Cranbrook has a major Canadian Pacific Railway yard, which serves as a key gateway for trains arriving from and departing to the United States.

The McPhee Bridge also known as the St. Mary's Bridge rises high above the St. Mary River and is near the Canadian Rockies International Airport and the Shadow Mountain Golf Community. It supports the thousands of people who travel between Kimberley and Cranbrook on highway 95A.

Approximately 9 km (6 mi) north is the Canadian Rockies International Airport, which has recently completed its 12.5 million dollar expansion including the lengthening of its runway from 6000 to 8000 feet in order to accommodate a limited number of international flights and an expansion to the Terminal for more passengers. The airport is served by Air Canada Jazz to Vancouver, Pacific Coastal Airlines to Victoria and Kelowna, and WestJet Link to Vancouver and Calgary. On February 11, 1978, Pacific Western Airlines Flight 314, a Boeing 737-200, nearly impacted a snowplow on the runway at the airport in Cranbrook, then lost control and crashed, killing 42 of the 49 people on board.

Cranbrook has a public transit system operated by BC Transit, which runs buses on eight different lines.[26]

Sports and recreation
"Big tree" mountain bike trail in the community forest

Western Financial Place (formerly called the RecPlex) is a pool and hockey arena in Cranbrook that opened in 2000, and was formerly the home to the Kootenay Ice until relocating to Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 2019.[27] A paved, two-lane 28 km (17 mi) trail exists between Cranbrook and Kimberley, BC.[28] This trail constitutes a section of the Trans-Canada Trail and is known as the Rails to Trails. Canadian Pacific Railway donated the rail right-of-way and the teardown of the railway began by CP Rail in 2009.[29] In addition to this trail, there are 2000 acres of wilderness to explore in the community forest.[30]

Media
Newspapers
Radio stations
Television

Notable people

The following notable people come from or were born in Cranbrook:

Sister cities

Cranbrook is twinned with

References
  1. Meet Our Mayor | City of Cranbrook
  2. "Population, Age characteristics, Dwellings, Houses, Language, Education, Work, Industry, Earnings, Income, Immigration, Citizenship, Labor". www.city-data.com. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  3. BCGNIS entry "Cranbrook (city)"
  4. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=POPC&Code1=0210&Geo2=PR&Code2=47&Data=Count&SearchText=Cranbrook&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&TABID=1
  5. Akrigg, G.P.V.; Akrigg, Helen B. (1986), British Columbia Place Names (3rd, 1997 ed.), Vancouver: UBC Press, ISBN 0-7748-0636-2
  6. The Canadian Encyclopedia https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/residential-schools-in-canada-interactive-map. Retrieved 14 June 2020. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. City of Cranbrook website.
  8. "Table 6: Population by sex, for census subdivisions, 1956 and 1951". Census of Canada, 1956. Volume I: Population. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1958.
  9. "Table 9: Population by census subdivisions, 1966 by sex, and 1961". 1966 Census of Canada. Western Provinces. Population: Divisions and Subdivisions. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1967.
  10. "Table 3: Population for census divisions and subdivisions, 1971 and 1976". 1976 Census of Canada. Census Divisions and Subdivisions, Western Provinces and the Territories. Population: Geographic Distributions. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1977.
  11. "Table 2: Census Subdivisions in Alphabetical Order, Showing Population Rank, Canada, 1981". 1981 Census of Canada. Census subdivisions in decreasing population order. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1982. ISBN 0-660-51563-6.
  12. "Table 2: Population and Dwelling Counts, for Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 1986 and 1991 – 100% Data". 91 Census. Population and Dwelling Counts – Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1992. pp. 100–108. ISBN 0-660-57115-3.
  13. "Population and Dwelling Counts, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, and Census Divisions, 2001 and 1996 Censuses – 100% Data (British Columbia)". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  14. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses – 100% data (British Columbia)". Statistics Canada. January 6, 2010. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  15. "Census Profile, 2016 Census". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  16. "Community Profiles from the 2006 Census, Statistics Canada - Census Subdivision". 2.statcan.gc.ca. December 6, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
  17. "Aboriginal Peoples - Data table". 2.statcan.ca. October 6, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
  18. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 11, 2006. Retrieved July 10, 2006.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. "Daily Data Report for August 2018 - Climate - Environment and Climate Change Canada". climate.weather.gc.ca. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  20. "Daily Data Report for January 1958". Environment Canada. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  21. "Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010 Station Data". Environment Canada. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  22. "Cranbrook". Environment Canada. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  23. "Cranbrook A". Environment Canada. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  24. "Cranbrook Airport Auto". Environment Canada. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  25. College of the Rockies website
  26. Cranbrook Transit System.
  27. "Cranbrook Rec Plex Becomes Western Financial Place", Cranbrook, August 1, 2012.
  28. "The Trail", North Star Rails to Trails.
  29. "History of the Trail", North Star Rails to Trails.
  30. Cranbrook Community Forest Society web
  1. Climate data was recorded at Cranbrook from January 1901 to March 1939 and at Cranbrook Airport from February 1938 to present.
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