Field | |
|---|---|
Unincorporated | |
 Front entrance to the townsite | |
  Field Location of Field in British Columbia | |
| Coordinates:51°23′45″N116°29′20″W / 51.39583°N 116.48889°W /51.39583; -116.48889 | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Regional district | Columbia-Shuswap |
| Named after | Cyrus West Field |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 195 |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain Standard Time (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Postal code | V0A 1G0 |
Field is an unincorporated community of approximately 169 people located in theKicking Horse River valley of southeasternBritish Columbia,Canada, within the confines ofYoho National Park. At an elevation of 1,256 m (4,121 ft), it is 27 km (17 mi) west ofLake Louise along theTrans-Canada Highway, which provides the only road access to the town. The community is named forCyrus West Field ofTransatlantic telegraph cable fame, who visited the area in 1884.[2]: 81
In 2011, Field had a population of 195 year-round residents.[1]
Field's land ownership was split between the Crown and theCanadian Pacific Railway (CPR), with the border between the two jurisdictions being Stephen Avenue. The railway was in charge of the water and electricity supply for the town until the 1950s, when the Canadian government took over. Today, the townsite is managed by Parks Canada. Local residents lease their land from the park administration, with a term of 42 years.
CPR track workers in Field discovered the fossils of theBurgess Shale. Commonly called by the workers "the stone bugs", the first fossils were discovered onMount Stephen.[3] In 1909,Charles D. Walcott discovered the Walcott Quarry on the slope ofMount Field.
Field travel guide from Wikivoyage