Jaffray, British Columbia () is an unincorporated

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

in southeast

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. As of the RDEK 2011 census, the

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

was 82

spread over a rural

area Area is the quantity that expresses the extent of a region on the plane or on a curved surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape A shape or figure is a graphics, graphical representation of an obje ...

of roughly 44 square kilometres.

History

Jaffray was formerly a siding, depot and steam train water stop. In the early 1900s Robert Jaffray and several of his brothers worked at the local sawmills, eventually leaving and homesteading in

Lacombe, Alberta Lacombe ( ) is a city in central Alberta, Canada. It is located approximately north of Red Deer, the nearest major city, and south of Edmonton, the nearest metropolitan area. The city is set in the rolling parkland of central Alberta, between t ...

, and even though some local people believed that Jaffray may have been named after the brothers, according to folklore, Jaffray had already been named by the time they came to the area. Frank Desrosier may have been the first resident to purchase land in the Jaffray town-site, purchasing District Lot 3055. In September 1900, Robert Elmsby received a crown grant on D.L. 3543, obtaining for two hundred dollars, including most of what is now Jaffray proper. Since the first residents settled in, Jaffray has had four hotels, including the Jaffray Hotel, the Henderson's Hotel, Desrosier's Hotel and the Pearson Hotel. Historical general stores included Anthony Modigh's General Store, Economy Corner Store, and the present Jaffray General Store.

Fire protection

In September 1995, the Regional District of East Kootenay, with the direction of founding Fire Chief John Betenia, and community approval of an RDEK bylaw, opened the Jaffray Volunteer Fire Department with 31 volunteer firefighter trainees. The department has expanded considerably since inception and now includes a rescue team with First Responder Level III status

Notable residents

The following notable people come from or were born near Jaffray: *

Dean Brody Dean Brody (born August 12, 1975) is a Canadian country music artist who has won 16 CCMA Awards and 2 JUNO Awards. Originally signed to Broken Bow Records in 2008, Brody made his debut later that year with the single "Brothers". This song, a Top ...

, country recording artist

Geography

Jaffray is located near the picturesque Steeples, which include Fisher Peak, and the Lizard Mountain ranges, not far from

Lake Koocanusa Lake Koocanusa () is a reservoir in British Columbia (Canada) and Montana (United States) formed by the damming of the Kootenai River by the Libby Dam in 1972. The Dam was formally dedicated by President Gerald Ford on August 24, 1975. The lake ...

. The village is found on Highway 3 and 93, west of the

Elko, British Columbia Elko is located at the junction of Highway 93 and the Crowsnest Highway, to the north of the Roosville Canada–United States border crossing. A small sawmill town, Elko is situated near the southern end of the Rocky Mountain Trench at the edg ...

's Highway 93 junction; just north of the Canadian/United States border at Rooseville, BC. This portion of the

Rocky Mountain Trench The Rocky Mountain Trench, also known as the Valley of a Thousand Peaks or simply the Trench, is a large valley on the western side of the northern part of North America's Rocky Mountains. The Trench is both visually and cartographically a s ...

is relatively flat, with open woodland and grasslands. The area is very popular for its great recreational opportunities.

Climate

Education

This

East Kootenay The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) is a regional district in the provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, Canada. In the 2016 census, the population was 60,439. Its area is . The regional district ...

is home to the Jaffray Elementary Junior Secondary School, which has over 200 students from Jaffray and surrounding communitie

This public school is run by

School District 5 Southeast Kootenay School District 5 Southeast Kootenay is a school district in British Columbia. It covers the southeast corner of the province up to the Alberta and Montana borders. This includes the major centres of Cranbrook, Fernie, Elkford, and Sparwood Sp ...

Radio stations

(broadcast from Jaffray) * 101.3 FM -

CBC Radio One CBC Radio One is the English-language news and information radio network of the publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial-free and offers local and national programming. It is available on AM and FM to 98 percent of Ca ...

, repeater located in Jaffray. (available in Jaffray (broadcast from Cranbrook)) * 107.5 FM -

CFSM-FM CFSM-FM (107.5 FM, ''107.5 2Day FM'') is a radio station in Cranbrook, British Columbia. Owned by Vista Radio, it broadcasts a hot adult contemporary format targeting the Kootenay region of British Columbia. History The station was approved b ...

, 107.5 2Day FM * 104.7 FM -

CHBZ-FM CHBZ-FM (104.7 FM, ''Wild 104.7'') is a radio station in Cranbrook, British Columbia. Owned by Pattison Media, it broadcasts a country format. History The station originally began broadcasting in 1995 as CKKR until it was changed to the curr ...

, B-104 * 102.9 FM -

CHDR-FM CHDR-FM is a Canadian radio station in Cranbrook, British Columbia that broadcasts a classic hits format at 102.9 FM branded as ''102.9 Rewind Radio''. The station is owned by the Jim Pattison Group. History The station originally began broad ...

, The Drive FM

External links

Singer/Songwriter Dean Brody WebsiteAcrylic Artist John de Jong WebsiteSouth Country Fire Services Facebook Page

Notes

{{authority control Unincorporated settlements in British Columbia Populated places in the Regional District of East Kootenay Designated places in British Columbia