Falkland is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

located in the

Columbia-Shuswap Regional District The Columbia–Shuswap Regional District is a regional district in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located in the Southern Interior region on the Trans-Canada Highway between Vancouver and Calgary, Alberta. The regional district bo ...

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 ...

. Recognized as being home to one of Canada's largest Canadian flags, and the annual Falkland Stampede, the Falkland area has a wide array of lakes, which are used for fishing and recreation.

Town history

Falkland was first settled seasonally by the Salish tribes, who frequently stayed in the region during the summer to gather food for the winter. Located in what's now the Falkland Valley, the Salish named the valley ''Slahaltkan'', meaning "meeting of the winds."

Naming and European Settlement

The name "Falkland" was adopted in honor of Colonel Falkland G.E. Warren of the Royal Horse Artillery. Colonel Warren was an early European settler who established a post office in the valley in 1893.https://falkland-bc.ca/our-community/about-our-community/ The community's name reflects this connection to a prominent figure in the region's early history. After retiring from British service, Warren emigrated to Canada in 1893. He settled in the valley that would later bear his name—Falkland, British Columbia. As an early pioneer, he established a post office in the area, contributing to the development of the community of Falkland. Warren also worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway during his time in Canada.https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG58278

Economic Development

The Falkland

Gypsum Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate Hydrate, dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, drywall and blackboard or sidewalk ...

Mine began operations in 1926. This mine played a significant role in the local economy, providing employment and contributing to the region's development. Currently owned by Lafarge, the mine continues to operate, demonstrating the community's ongoing reliance on natural resource industries.

Falkland in the News

On October 31, 2024, an illicit drug superlab, described as "the largest and most sophisticated drug superlab in Canada," was discovered and seized by a specialized RCMP unit on a remote 66-hecatre property 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Falkland. 54 kilograms of finished

fentanyl Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic piperidine opioid primarily used as an analgesic (pain medication). It is 30 to 50 times more Potency (pharmacology), potent than heroin and 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Its primary Medici ...

, 390 kilograms of

methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug use, recreational or Performance-enhancing substance, performance-enhancing drug and less commonly as a secon ...

, 35 kilograms of

cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...

, 15 kilograms of

MDMA 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy (tablet form), and molly (crystal form), is an empathogen–entactogenic drug with stimulant and minor Psychedelic drug, psychedelic properties. In studies, it has been used ...

, and six kilograms of

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...

were seized, alongside 89 firearms, several explosive devices, massive amounts of ammunition, firearm silencers, high-capacity magazines, body armor and $500,000 in cash. It is estimated the total worth of all the seized items is around CAN$485 million (US$347 million).

The Falkland Stampede

The Falkland Stampede is an annual

rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaqu ...

exhibition An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibiti ...

, and

festival A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...

that was first held on March 24, 1919.

Falkland's Canadian flag

Falkland's Canadian flag was built to support the 'I Care' campaign, which gained international attention after the people of Falkland challenged the rest of Canada to fly the Canadian flag. The Canadian flag is located above the Falkland Valley

floor A floor is the bottom surface of a room or vehicle. Floors vary from wikt:hovel, simple dirt in a cave to many layered surfaces made with modern technology. Floors may be stone, wood, bamboo, metal or any other material that can support the ex ...

, on Gyp Mountain. It is illuminated at night, allowing visitors of Falkland to view the flag at any time. The power reaches the flag from an extension cord.

Location

Falkland is located on the

confluence In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...

of three valleys and two rivers, the Salmon River and the Bolean Creek. It is bordered by Tuktakamin Mountain to the south, and Estekawalan Mountain to the west.

References

External links

* * {{authority control Populated places in the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District Shuswap Country Unincorporated settlements in British Columbia Designated places in British Columbia