Fairmont Hot Springs is an unincorporated resort community located in south-eastern

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

commonly referred to as Fairmont. The community had a reported population of 781 in the 2021 census, but the town receives frequent tourists. The local resort is centered around a soak pool and swimming pool fed by natural mineral hot springs. The original springs building, surrounded by hot spring water seeping out of the ground, still stands. The community contains three golf courses: Mountainside and Riverside are 18-hole courses, while Creekside is a family-oriented 9-hole par 3. In the winter, the area is also home to a small downhill ski area, with three lifts (one triple chair, one magic carpet and one platter lift), 13 runs and a tube park, as well as numerous cross-country trails. Fairmont Hot Springs has a strip mall including a market, restaurants, and a gift shop. Fairmont Hot Springs is home to the Dutch Creek Hoodoos, which are sandstone cliffs ( hoodoos) with hiking trails located next to Dutch Creek, a source of the Columbia River and formerly a salmon breeding stream. Fairmont provides the only road access to

Columbia Lake Provincial Park Columbia Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located on the northeast shore of Columbia Lake south of the town of Invermere Invermere is a community in eastern British Columbia, Canada, near the border of Al ...

, five kilometers south. Fairmont Hot Springs Airport is located here. On July 15, 2012, a

mudslide A mudflow, also known as mudslide or mud flow, is a form of mass wasting involving fast-moving flow of debris and dirt that has become liquified by the addition of water. Such flows can move at speeds ranging from 3 meters/minute to 5 meters/ ...

occurred in Fairmont Hot Springs. A small creek that runs throughout the town formed a natural dam and backup water built up. Several homes were evacuated along with a golf course and many people were airlifted to safety. To the north are

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 a ...

, Athalmer, Wilmer,

Radium Radium is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Ra and atomic number 88. It is the sixth element in alkaline earth metal, group 2 of the periodic table, also known as the alkaline earth metals. Pure radium is silvery-white, ...

, Edgewater, and Golden. To the south are

Canal Flats Canal Flats is a village municipality in the East Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. This Columbia Valley community lies between the southern end of Columbia Lake and the northwest shore of the Kootenay River. The locality, on Briti ...

, Scookumchuck,

Kimberley Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to: Places and historical events Australia Queensland * Kimberley, Queensland, a coastal locality in the Shire of Douglas South Australia * County of Kimberley, a cadastral unit in South Australia Ta ...

, and Cranbrook.

Fairmont Hot Springs Resort

Fairmont Hot Springs Resort is the biggest employer in Fairmont Hot Springs. The resort boasts a hotel, two campgrounds, 3 golf courses, a ski-hill, several hot springs swimming pools, a spa, water and sewer utility plants, 668 acres of undeveloped property and more.

Resort Ownership

1957: Lloyd and Earl Wilder, and a group of investors purchased the resort. 1965 - 2006: Lloyd Wilder becomes sole owner of the resort. The resort is managed by the Wilder family for many years. Sept 2006 - June 2023: Ken Fowler Enterprises. June 2023 - Present: Aldestra Hotel Group.

2021 Census

The 2021

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

reported a population of 781 people. Fairmont experienced a 37% increase in population between 2016 and 2021- in 2016, the population was only 571. The average age of the population in 2021 was 52.3 years old- this is significantly older than the 2021 national average age of 41.7 years old. These statistics show the popularity of Fairmont as a retirement destination. Only 50% of the private homes in Fairmont are permanently occupied. This is because Fairmont is a popular tourist destination where many of the houses are used as vacation homes or rented to seasonal staff.

Images

File:Fairmont Hot Springs Resort entrance.jpg, Fairmont Hot Springs Resort entrance File:Fairmont Hot Springs Airport.jpg, Fairmont Hot Springs Airport File:Fairmont Hot Springs Business District.jpg, Business district File:Fairmont Hot Springs Information Centre.jpg, Information Centre

References

External links

* Columbia Valley Hot springs of British Columbia British Columbia populated places on the Columbia River Populated places in the Regional District of East Kootenay Ski areas and resorts in British Columbia Designated places in British Columbia {{EastKootenay-geo-stub