Invermere is a community in eastern
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, for ...
, Canada, near the border of
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest T ...
. It is the hub of the
Columbia Valley
The Columbia Valley is the name used for a region in the Rocky Mountain Trench near the headwaters of the Columbia River between the town of Golden and the Canal Flats. The main hub of the valley is the town of Invermere. Other towns include R ...
between
Golden to the north and
Cranbrook to the south. Invermere sits on the northwest shore of
Windermere Lake and is a popular summer destination for visitors and second home owners from
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city an ...
and
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, maki ...
.
Geography
Invermere is located south of
Radium
Radium is a chemical element with the symbol Ra and atomic number 88. It is the sixth element in group 2 of the periodic table, also known as the alkaline earth metals. Pure radium is silvery-white, but it readily reacts with nitrogen (rat ...
, and south of
Golden and from the
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway (Canadian French, French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the A ...
. Invermere is also north of
Fairmont Hot Springs, north of
Canal Flats, north of
Fort Steele
Fort Steele is a heritage site in the East Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. This visitor attraction lies on the east shore of the Kootenay River between the mouths of the St. Mary River and Wild Horse River. The locality, on the m ...
, north of
Kimberley, and north of the hub of
Cranbrook and the
Crowsnest Highway
The Crowsnest Highway is an east-west highway in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. It stretches across the southern portions of both provinces, from Hope, British Columbia to Medicine Hat, Alberta, providing the shortest highway connectio ...
. Invermere is situated within the Columbia River Wetlands, North America's largest intact wetland and a
Ramsar-designated site. Located in the
Rocky Mountain Trench
The Rocky Mountain Trench, also known as the Valley of a Thousand Peaks or simply the Trench, is a large valley on the western side of the northern part of North America's Rocky Mountains. The Trench is both visually and cartographically a ...
, Invermere is from
Kootenay National Park
Kootenay National Park is a national park of Canada located in southeastern British Columbia. The park consists of of the Canadian Rockies, including parts of the Kootenay and Park mountain ranges, the Kootenay River and the entirety of the V ...
, and is near the
Purcell Wilderness Conservancy.
Climate
Invermere's climate is characterized by warm summers and cool winters. The Rocky Mountains to the east shield Invermere from the Arctic air in winter, although extreme cold spells do occur on occasion. Spring arrives earlier than on the prairies to the east of the Rocky Mountains. Although warm, summers are variable, with weather alternating between hot, dry spells and cool, showery periods.
Demographics
In the
2021 Census of Population
The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...
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 cultu ...
, Invermere had a population of 3,917 living in 1,660 of its 2,238 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 3,391. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.
Religion
According to the
2021 census, religious groups in Invermere 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 ...
(2,380 persons or 62.7%)
*
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 popula ...
(1,340 persons or 35.3%)
*
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 ...
(20 persons or 0.5%)
*
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 0.5%)
*Other (35 persons or 0.9%)
Arts and culture
The annual Invermere MusicFest takes place on the Pynelogs greenspace for one weekend every August. The two-day Festival attracts hundreds of people each day and delivers a high caliber of Canadian and international musical talent, including The Dead South and Lindi Ortega in 2018.
Sports and recreation
;Hockey
The
Columbia Valley Rockies
The Columbia Valley Rockies are a junior "B" ice hockey team based in Invermere, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Eddie Mountain Division of the Kootenay Conference of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL). The ...
play in Invermere. Former New York Islanders and University of Denver goaltender
Wade Dubielewicz
Wade Roger Dubielewicz (born January 30, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 43 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 2003 and 2010 with three teams: the Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, and ...
was born in Invermere.
;Skiing
*
Panorama Mountain Village lies about 30 minutes west.
* Fairmont Hot Springs Resort ski area lies 25 minutes south.
*
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 ...
is about 1 hour south in
Kimberley.
*
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is about 1.5 hours north of Invermere in
Golden, British Columbia
;Skating
The longest ice skating trail in the world can be found on the
Lake Windermere Whiteway
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...
. The naturally frozen trail measures .
;Golfing
Invermere is a major centre for
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 ...
.
*Copper Point Golf Club is a newer golf course about east of Invermere along
Highway 95/93.
*Eagle Ranch Golf Course is located northeast of Invermere, also along Highway 93/95 and was rated 4.5/5.0 stars by
Golf Digest
''Golf Digest'' is a monthly golf magazine published by Warner Bros. Discovery through its sports unit under its Warner Bros. Discovery Golf division. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competi ...
.
*Greywolf Golf Course is located in
Panorama Mountain Village is about west of Invermere, along the Toby Creek canyon.
*The Resort Course and Springs Course at Radium Resort,
Radium Hot Springs
Radium Hot Springs, informally and commonly called Radium, is a village of 1,339 residents situated in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia. The village is named for the hot springs located in the nearby Kootenay National Park. From Ban ...
are very popular.
*Mountainside, Creekside, and Riverside golf courses are located in
Fairmont Hot Springs, 20 minutes south of Invermere.
* Edgewater Hill Top Par 3 is located in
Edgewater, 20 minutes north of Invermere.
* Setekwa Golf Course is located about north of Invermere on Highway 93/95.
* Windermere Valley Golf Course is located approximately south of Invermere, by the town of Windermere
;Gliding and soaring
The
Invermere Airport is home to the non-profit Canadian Rockies Soaring Club. The club is active during the summer months, when it welcomes dozens of student pilots and private owners. The Invermere Soaring Centre is a separate commercial operation which provides aerotowing services and glider rides to the general public.
*Canadian Rockies Soaring Club
*Invermere Soaring Centre
The local area is also a popular destination for other non-motorized forms of flying including
hang-gliding
Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised foot-launched heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered ...
and
paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or lies supine in a cocoon-like 'p ...
. There are designated launch sites at nearby Mount Swansea.
;Curling
The Valley is host to the biggest outdoor
bonspiel
A bonspiel is a curling tournament, consisting of several games, often held on a weekend. Until the 20th century most bonspiels were held outdoors, on a frozen freshwater loch. Today almost all bonspiels are held indoors on specially prepared ar ...
in Canada every January. The spiel is held on the frozen
Windermere Lake. The curling club is also host to many leagues and bonspiels throughout the season.
;Hot springs
Hot springs are numerous in the area, with the major developed ones being
Fairmont and
Radium Hot Springs
Radium Hot Springs, informally and commonly called Radium, is a village of 1,339 residents situated in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia. The village is named for the hot springs located in the nearby Kootenay National Park. From Ban ...
; the latter is located inside
Kootenay National Park
Kootenay National Park is a national park of Canada located in southeastern British Columbia. The park consists of of the Canadian Rockies, including parts of the Kootenay and Park mountain ranges, the Kootenay River and the entirety of the V ...
.
Less developed 'wilderness' hot springs can be found in the southern Columbia Valley, in
Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park
Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located in the Kootenay Ranges of the Rocky Mountains, 22 km east of Canal Flats
Canal Flats is a village municipality in the East Kootenay region of southea ...
.
Lussier Hot Springs
Lussier Hot Springs is an undeveloped hot spring just inside Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park in British Columbia, a province of Canada.
History
The hot springs are in traditional territory of the Ktunaxa people. In the early 20th century, th ...
is located south of Invermere and can be accessed from the Whiteswan Forestry Road. Ram Creek Warm Springs, a less visited and cooler natural spring, can also be accessed along the same route.
Media
Invermere is home to one newspaper, the ''
Columbia Valley Pioneer''. On July 1, 2017, the "Pioneer" (founded in 2004) and the ''
Invermere Valley Echo'' (founded in 1956) merged to one paper retaining the ''Columbia Valley Pioneer'' designation. The "Pioneer" serves the Columbia Valley region, from Spillimacheen in the north to Canal Flats in the south and is published once a week, every Thursday.
Notable people
*
Wade Dubielewicz
Wade Roger Dubielewicz (born January 30, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 43 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 2003 and 2010 with three teams: the Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, and ...
–
Ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...
player and coach
*
Christine Keshen –
Curler
*
Patrick Morrow –
Photographer
A photographer (the Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who makes photographs.
Duties and types of photographers
As in oth ...
*
Benjamin Thomsen –
Professional skier
References
External links
*
*
{{authority control
District municipalities in British Columbia
Columbia Valley
British Columbia populated places on the Columbia River
Populated places in the Regional District of East Kootenay