Kimberley is a city 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, ...

, Canada along Highway 95A between the

Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer. Purcell's style of Baroque music was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements. Generally considered among the greatest Eng ...

and

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

. Kimberley was named in 1896 after the Kimberley mine in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. From 1917 to 2001, it was the home to the world's largest lead-zinc mine, the

Sullivan Mine The Sullivan Mine is a now-closed conventional–mechanized underground mine located in Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada. The ore body is a complex, sediment-hosted, sedimentary exhalative deposit consisting primarily of zinc, lead, and i ...

. Now it is mainly a

tourist destination A tourist attraction is a place of interest that Tourism, tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of ...

and home to the

Kimberley Alpine Resort Kimberley Alpine Resort is a ski resort in southwestern Canada, located in Kimberley, British Columbia. In the Purcell Mountains on the northeast face of ''North Star Hill'', Kimberley's vertical drop is with a summit elevation of above sea leve ...

, a

ski area A ski area is the terrain and supporting infrastructure where skiing and other snow sports take place. Such sports include alpine and cross-country skiing, snow boarding, tubing, sledding, etc. Ski areas may stand alone or be part of a ski resort. ...

and Kimberley's Underground Mining Railway that features a underground mining interpretive centre complete with operational

narrow-gauge railway A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard-gauge railway, standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with Minimum r ...

equipment. Recreational pursuits include world-class skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, fishing, whitewater rafting, kayaking, biking, hiking and golfing on championship golf courses. The city has the largest urban park in Canada. At , the Kimberley Nature Park is the largest incorporated park in Canada. SunMine, was the largest solar PV plant in Western Canada when built in 2015 on the site of the former

concentrator.

History

Kimberley incorporated as a city on March 29, 1944. It amalgamated with the former Village of Marysville on November 1, 1968. Following the routing of

Highway 95 Route 95, or Highway 95, may refer to routes in the following countries: __TOC__ International * European route E95 Australia * Great Northern Highway (Western Australia) * Fossickers Way (New South Wales) Canada * British Columbia Highway 95 ...

away from the city, in 1972 Kimberley transformed into the ''Bavarian City of the Rockies'' to entice motorists passing through the region to visit. Kimberley's Mine was the

, and it was the largest

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...

mine in the world. The mine ceased operation in 2001.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...

, Kimberley had a population of 8,115 living in 3,595 of its 4,263 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 7,425. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. Although its historical population was closely tied to activities at the Sullivan Mine, the city's high-speed internet and scenic location enabled growth in tech and tourism beginning in the 2000s.

Ethnicity

Religion

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Kimberley included: *

Irreligion Irreligion or nonreligion is the absence or rejection of religion, or indifference to it. Irreligion takes many forms, ranging from the casual and unaware to full-fledged philosophies such as atheism and agnosticism, secular humanism and a ...

(5,210 persons or 65.6%) *

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

(2,555 persons or 32.2%) *

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

(45 persons or 0.6%) *

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

(20 persons or 0.3%) *Other (105 persons or 1.3%)

Tourism and transportation

The city has the "largest freestanding

cuckoo clock A cuckoo clock is, typically, a pendulum clock that strikes the hours with a sound like a common cuckoo call and has an automated cuckoo bird that moves with each note. Some move their wings and open and close their beaks while leaning forwards ...

in Canada". It began to develop a Bavarian-themed village in the 1970s after taking inspiration from

Leavenworth, Washington Leavenworth is a city in Chelan County, Washington, Chelan County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. It is part of the Wenatchee, Washington, Wenatchee−East Wenatchee, Washington, East Wenatchee Wenatchee-East Wenatchee metropolit ...

. Kimberley is also home to a professional summer theatre which typically produces a mainstage musical at the local theatre and a free outdoor vaudeville show in the Platzl. Past productions include:

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' is a 1967 musical with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner and (in a 1999 revision) Andrew Lippa. It is based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip ''Peanuts''. The musical ...

Where's Charley? ''Where's Charley?'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by George Abbott. The story was based on the 1892 play ''Charley's Aunt'' by Brandon Thomas. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1948 and was revived on Broadway an ...

By Jeeves ''By Jeeves'', originally ''Jeeves'', is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and lyrics and book by Alan Ayckbourn. It is based on the series of novels and short stories by P. G. Wodehouse that centre around the character of Bertie Woo ...

Lend Me A Tenor ''Lend Me a Tenor'' is a comedy by Ken Ludwig. The play was produced on both the West End (1986) and Broadway (1989). It received nine Tony Award nominations and won for Best Actor (Philip Bosco) and Best Director (Jerry Zaks). A Broadway re ...

, Secrets Every Smart Traveler Should Know and several original scripts featuring local material. Kimberley Summer Theatre's mandate is to produce affordable but professional theatre for all ages. Productions are housed at the 125-seat "Centre 64". KST alumni include Elicia MacKenzie, winner of the

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...

contest How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?. Kimberley is served by the Canadian Rockies International Airport that has been expanded, and is expected by many to have a positive impact on commerce and tourism in the Kimberley area. The airport expansion will accommodate large charter and scheduled flights, opening up the area to more vacationers from across the country and abroad. Kimberly Platzl, British Columbia, Canada

Kimberly Platzl, British Columbia, Canada

Schools

Schools in Kimberley are part of School District 6 Rocky Mountain which also serves

Invermere Invermere is a community in eastern British Columbia, Canada, near the border of Alberta. It is the hub of the Columbia Valley between Golden to the north and Cranbrook to the south. Invermere sits on the northwest shore of Windermere Lake and ...

and

Golden Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall * Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershi ...

. Five of the district schools are in Kimberley. * Blarchmont Elementary School (closed as of September, 2006) and now home of the College of the Rockies Kimberley Campus *

Selkirk Secondary School Selkirk Secondary School is a public high school in Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward ...

* McKim Elementary School (changed from a Middle School to a 4 to 7 school as of September, 2006) * Marysville Elementary School *

Lindsay Park Elementary School School District 6 Rocky Mountain is a school district in South Eastern British Columbia. This includes the major centres of Kimberley, British Columbia, Kimberley, Invermere, British Columbia, Invermere and Golden, British Columbia, Golden. Hist ...

* Continuing Education School * Kimberley Alternate School Other schools accredited by the government: * Kimberley Independent School (pre-K to grade 9)

Climate

Kimberley has a

continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 north), within large landmasses where prevailing winds blow overland bringing som ...

with

semi-arid A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

influences and heavy moderation from the nearby mountains which tend to block arctic air masses, and produce a

rain shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes) is carrie ...

. Its fairly high elevation counters this effect slightly, as temperatures are somewhat cooler and the town slightly more rainy than it would otherwise be.

Sports

The Kimberley Dynamiters Junior B Ice Hockey team play in the

Kootenay International Junior Hockey League The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) is a Junior "B" Ice Hockey league in British Columbia, Canada sanctioned by Hockey Canada. The winner of the Teck Cup competes with the champions of the Pacific Junior Hockey League ...

(KIJHL). The Dynamiters have produced many professional hockey players, including Jason Wiemer, who last played with the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional sports, professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

(NHL). Kimberley Alpine Resort regularly hosts ski races on the

IPC Disabled Alpine World Cup The World Para Alpine Skiing World Cup (previously called the IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup) is an annual circuit of elite Paralympic alpine skiing, disabled alpine skiing competitions, regulated by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and t ...

. It is known as the sunniest resort in British Columbia, and offers a wide range of runs, for all levels.

is also home to the Winter Sports School which hosts lessons for all ages, and abilities, such as Black Forest Tours. There are five major

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". Th ...

s to play, Trickle Creek Golf Resort, which, along with Trickle Creek Lodge and Kimberley Alpine Resort, is owned by Resorts of the Canadian Rockies Inc., Bootleg Gap Golf Course, Kimberley Golf Club, and just 15 – 20 minutes away are the St Eugene Golf Resort and Shadow Mountain Golf Course, both of which have received rave reviews for their quality and incredible scenery. Additionally, new investment in the area is producing another golf course known as Wild Stone. The areas around Kimberley also have premiere golf courses, making Kimberley and the surrounding area a

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

tourism destination. There is an annual ultra marathon at

, the Black Spur Ultra. Runners choose between 54 km and 108 km distances.

Notable people

* Stanley Hayer, former Olympian and current head coach of the Canadian ski cross team * Rosalind C. Morris,

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

anthropologist,

Guggenheim Fellow Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...

Gerry Sorensen Gerry Sorensen (born October 15, 1958) is a Canadian former female alpine skier. Sorensen was born in Kimberley, British Columbia Kimberley is a city in southeast British Columbia, Canada along Highway 95A between the Purcell and Rocky Mount ...

, former

alpine skier Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for ...

* Daniel Sullivan, ice hockey goaltender * Jason Wiemer, retired

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

player

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Cities in British Columbia Populated places in the Regional District of East Kootenay