Cranbrook | |
|---|---|
| City of Cranbrook | |
 Downtown Cranbrook | |
 Flag | |
| Motto: Mountains of Opportunity | |
  Cranbrook Location of Cranbrook | |
| Coordinates:49°30′29″N115°44′49″W / 49.50806°N 115.74694°W /49.50806; -115.74694[1] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Regional District | East Kootenay |
| Established | 1898 |
| Incorporation | 1905 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Wayne Price[2] |
| • Governing body | Cranbrook City Council |
| • MP | Rob Morrison |
| • MLA | Pete Davis |
| Area | |
| • Land | 31.97 km2 (12.34 sq mi) |
| • Agglomeration | 4,563.87 km2 (1,762.12 sq mi) |
| • Population centre | 16.32 km2 (6.30 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 921 m (3,022 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 20,499 |
| • Density | 641.2/km2 (1,661/sq mi) |
| • Agglomeration | 27,040 |
| • Agglomeration density | 5.9/km2 (15/sq mi) |
| • Population centre | 20,008 |
| • Population centre density | 1,225.8/km2 (3,175/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Cranbrookite, Cranbrookian |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
| Forward sortation area | |
| Area codes | 250,778,236,672 |
| Telephone Exchanges | 236-363, 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 Map | 82G5Moyie Lake |
| GNBC Code | JAIQY |
| Highways |  Highway 3 Highway 95 Highway 95A Highway 93 |
| Website | cranbrook |
| City Data | |
Cranbrook (/ˈkrænbrʊk/KRAN-bruuk) is a city in southeastBritish Columbia, Canada, located approximately 10 km southwest of the confluence of theKootenay River and theSt. Mary's River.[6] It is the largest urban centre in the region known as theEast Kootenay. As of 2021, Cranbrook's population is 20,499[3] with acensus agglomeration population of 27,040.[4] It is the location of the headquarters of theRegional 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 is home to theCanadian Museum of Rail Travel which presents static exhibits of passenger rail cars built in the 1920s for theCPR and in the 1900s for theSpokane International Railway.
Originally inhabited byKtunaxa peoples, the land that Cranbrook now occupies was bought by European settlers, notablyColonel James Baker who named his newly acquired land Cranbrook after his home inCranbrook,Kent, England.[7]: 55 In 1890, theKootenay Indian Residential School, also called St. Eugene's, opened in Cranbrook, and operated until 1975.[8]
In 1898, Baker had successfully convincedCanadian Pacific Railway to establish theirCrowsnest Pass line through Cranbrook rather than nearby Gold Rush Boom TownFort Steele. With that accomplishment Cranbrook became the major centre of the region, whileFort Steele declined; however, the latter is today apreserved 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.
While much of the city is relatively flat, Cranbrook is surrounded by many rising hills where many residential homes are located.[9] Cranbrook faces thePurcell Mountains to the west and theRocky 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.
Cranbrook features ahumid continental climate (Dfb) under theKöppen climate classification with very warm, sunny summer days followed by cool nights, and moderately cold and snowy winters.Environment and Climate Change Canada reports Cranbrook as having the most sunshine hours of anyBC city at approximately 2190.5 hours annually. It is a fairly dry city throughout the year, and whenprecipitation does fall a good percentage of it will be in the form ofsnow. Environment and Climate Change Canada also states that the city experiences some of the lightest wind speeds year-round, has fewfoggy days, and has among the highest averagebarometric pressure of any city in Canada.[10]Frost-free days average 127 days, typically occurring between May 18 to September 23.Mean daily temperatures range from −6.5 °C (20.3 °F) to 19.2 °C (66.6 °F). However, temperatures can range from −20 °C (−4 °F) in the winter to 35 °C (95 °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 (104.9 °F) on August 10, 2018.[11] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −41.1 °C (−42.0 °F) on January 19, 1958.[12]
| Climate data for Cranbrook (Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport) WMO ID: 71880; coordinates49°36′44″N115°46′55″W / 49.61222°N 115.78194°W /49.61222; -115.78194 (Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport); elevation: 940.0 m (3,084.0 ft); 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1901–2010[a] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | 40.1 (104.2) | 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) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −1.9 (28.6) | 1.6 (34.9) | 7.3 (45.1) | 12.8 (55.0) | 18.3 (64.9) | 21.5 (70.7) | 26.9 (80.4) | 26.6 (79.9) | 20.4 (68.7) | 11.4 (52.5) | 2.7 (36.9) | −2.8 (27.0) | 12.1 (53.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −6.1 (21.0) | −3.5 (25.7) | 1.8 (35.2) | 6.4 (43.5) | 11.5 (52.7) | 14.9 (58.8) | 19.2 (66.6) | 18.6 (65.5) | 13.1 (55.6) | 5.6 (42.1) | −1.3 (29.7) | −6.5 (20.3) | 6.1 (43.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −10.1 (13.8) | −8.6 (16.5) | −3.8 (25.2) | 0.0 (32.0) | 4.7 (40.5) | 8.2 (46.8) | 11.3 (52.3) | 10.4 (50.7) | 5.7 (42.3) | −0.3 (31.5) | −5.3 (22.5) | −10.1 (13.8) | 0.2 (32.3) |
| 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) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 26.7 (1.05) | 19.9 (0.78) | 26.5 (1.04) | 23.2 (0.91) | 42.0 (1.65) | 62.2 (2.45) | 35.4 (1.39) | 24.0 (0.94) | 30.1 (1.19) | 26.1 (1.03) | 34.8 (1.37) | 34.8 (1.37) | 385.7 (15.17) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 4.8 (0.19) | 3.4 (0.13) | 11.9 (0.47) | 17.7 (0.70) | 41.1 (1.62) | 66.4 (2.61) | 38.1 (1.50) | 25.4 (1.00) | 30.9 (1.22) | 18.7 (0.74) | 13.8 (0.54) | 6.6 (0.26) | 278.8 (10.98) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 27.8 (10.9) | 17.4 (6.9) | 15.5 (6.1) | 6.4 (2.5) | 1.4 (0.6) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 5.8 (2.3) | 23.9 (9.4) | 34.6 (13.6) | 132.8 (52.3) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 12.3 | 9.1 | 10.0 | 9.2 | 11.0 | 13.4 | 8.6 | 7.2 | 8.0 | 9.6 | 12.3 | 12.9 | 123.6 |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 3.0 | 2.3 | 5.3 | 7.4 | 10.9 | 13.7 | 8.8 | 7.7 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 5.4 | 2.5 | 83 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.2 cm) | 10.9 | 7.6 | 6.4 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 7.8 | 12.1 | 50.3 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 3pm) | 71.9 | 58.5 | 48.7 | 41.0 | 40.2 | 42.6 | 33.7 | 32.2 | 39.7 | 50.7 | 67.8 | 75.2 | 50.2 |
| Mean monthlysunshine 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 |
| Percentagepossible 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 and Climate Change Canada(Sunshine: 1981-2010)[11][13][14][15][16][17] | |||||||||||||
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 3,621 | — |
| 1956 | 4,562 | +26.0% |
| 1961 | 5,549 | +21.6% |
| 1966 | 7,849 | +41.4% |
| 1971 | 12,011 | +53.0% |
| 1976 | 13,510 | +12.5% |
| 1981 | 15,915 | +17.8% |
| 1986 | 15,971 | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 16,447 | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 18,329 | +11.4% |
| 2001 | 18,476 | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 18,267 | −1.1% |
| 2011 | 19,319 | +5.8% |
| 2016 | 20,047 | +3.8% |
| 2021 | 20,499 | +2.3% |
| Source:Statistics Canada [3][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] | ||
In the2021 Canadian census conducted byStatistics Canada, Cranbrook had a population of 20,499 living in 8,780 of its 9,058 total private dwellings, a change of2.3% from its 2016 population of 20,047. With a land area of 31.97 km2 (12.34 sq mi), it had a population density of641.2/km2 (1,660.7/sq mi) in 2021.[3]
| Panethnic group | 2021[26] | 2016[27] | 2011[28] | 2006[29] | 2001[30] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |||||
| European[b] | 16,500 | 83.14% | 16,845 | 86.12% | 17,030 | 90.44% | 16,555 | 92.23% | 16,655 | 91.14% | ||||
| Indigenous | 1,965 | 9.9% | 1,710 | 8.74% | 1,310 | 6.96% | 1,090 | 6.07% | 1,115 | 6.1% | ||||
| Southeast Asian[c] | 385 | 1.94% | 185 | 0.95% | 65 | 0.35% | 30 | 0.17% | 85 | 0.47% | ||||
| South Asian | 365 | 1.84% | 155 | 0.79% | 80 | 0.42% | 20 | 0.11% | 75 | 0.41% | ||||
| East Asian[d] | 325 | 1.64% | 375 | 1.92% | 185 | 0.98% | 190 | 1.06% | 220 | 1.2% | ||||
| African | 190 | 0.96% | 115 | 0.59% | 80 | 0.42% | 30 | 0.17% | 65 | 0.36% | ||||
| Latin American | 70 | 0.35% | 45 | 0.23% | 40 | 0.21% | 10 | 0.06% | 25 | 0.14% | ||||
| Middle Eastern[e] | 15 | 0.08% | 45 | 0.23% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 0.06% | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Other/Multiracial[f] | 25 | 0.13% | 70 | 0.36% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 25 | 0.14% | ||||
| Total responses | 19,845 | 96.81% | 19,560 | 97.57% | 18,830 | 97.47% | 17,950 | 98.26% | 18,275 | 98.91% | ||||
| Total population | 20,499 | 100% | 20,047 | 100% | 19,319 | 100% | 18,267 | 100% | 18,476 | 100% | ||||
| Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses | ||||||||||||||
According to the2021 census, religious groups in Cranbrook included:[26]
Public schools are run bySchool District 5 Southeast Kootenay, consisting of seven elementary schools and twomiddle 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, themiddle schools were referred to as junior high schools housinggrades 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.
Cranbrook is home to the main campus of theCollege of the Rockies, which has over 2,500 full and part-time students from over 21 countries.[31]
Cranbrook is at the junction of major highwaysBC 3 and93/95, and due to its close proximity to the borders ofAlberta 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.
TheMcPhee Bridge also known as the St. Mary's Bridge rises high above theSt. Mary River and is near the Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport and the Shadow Mountain Golf Community. It supports the thousands of people who travel betweenKimberley and Cranbrook on highway 95A.
Approximately 5nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) north[32] is theCranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport, which has recently completed its 12.5 million dollar expansion including the lengthening of its runway from 6,000 to 8,000 ft (1,800 to 2,400 m)[32] feet in order to accommodate a limited number of international flights and an expansion to the Terminal for more passengers. The airport is served byAir Canada Jazz to Vancouver, andWestJet Encore to Vancouver and Calgary.
On February 11, 1978,Pacific Western Airlines Flight 314, aBoeing 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 apublic transit system operated byBC Transit, which runsbuses on eight different lines.[33]
Cranbrook has the largest hospital in the region, the East Kootenay Regional Hospital.[34]
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 theKootenay Ice until relocating toWinnipeg, Manitoba, in 2019.[35] Following their departure, the recreational centre became home to theCranbrook Bucks who play in theBCHL.[36] A paved, two-lane 28 km (17 mi) trail exists between Cranbrook and Kimberley, BC.[37] 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.[38] In addition to this trail, there are 2000 acres of wilderness to explore in the community forest.[39]
The following notable people come from or were born in Cranbrook:
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Cranbrook is twinned with
Cranbrook travel guide from Wikivoyage| International | |
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