The Boundary Country is a historical designation for a district in southern
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 ...
lying, as its name suggests, along the
boundary between Canada and the United States. It lies to the east of the southern
Okanagan Valley and to the west of the
West Kootenay. It is often included in descriptions of both of those regions but historically has been considered a separate region. Originally inclusive of the
South Okanagan towns of Osoyoos and
Oliver, today the term continues in use to refer to
the valleys of the
Kettle,
West Kettle, and
Granby Rivers and of Boundary and
Rock Creeks and that of
Christina Lake and of their various tributaries, all draining the south slope of the
Monashee Mountains. The term Boundary District as well as the term Boundary Country can both refer to the local mining division of the British Columbia Ministry of Mines, Energy and Petroleum Resources.
Geography
The Boundary Country comprises the lower valleys of the West Kettle and
Kettle Rivers and the lower
Granby River. The Granby and Kettle converge just north of the border at
Grand Forks, the largest city and heart of the Boundary. The Kettle crosses the border at the town of
Midway, near the confluence of the Kettle and Boundary Creek, which flows out of the
galena-rich
Boundary Creek basin where the city of
Greenwood is located. A small pass connects between the Kettle River basin and that of the Granby, where the town of
Grand Forks lies immediately upon the border, and just east of which is the resort community of
Christina Lake.
The principal community of the West Boundary area is
Rock Creek, which is located at the western end of the region where the creek of the
same name meets the
Kettle River. The area is rich with the sites of former towns and cities, most long defunct and nearly disappeared, although the names
Kettle Valley,
Boundary Falls,
Anaconda,
Phoenix and
Eholt still appear on the map.
History
The Boundary Country was part of the traditional territory of the
Sinixt, a
First Nations people of the
Interior Salish language group (also known as "
Arrow Lakes" Indians). Declared "extinct" as a band for purposes of the Indian Act but not as a tribal group by the government of
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 ...
in the 1950s. Sinixt families still reside in the region as well as neighbouring
Washington.
Sinixt Nation website
/ref>
American miners poured across the border in 1859 during the Rock Creek Gold Rush. In subsequent years followed the construction of the Dewdney Trail and, later on, discovery and industrialization of the area's rich mineral resources, notably copper. Copper provided the industrial base for the development of the region, with many large mines and smelters and associated mining camps and communities. These were large enough that there were two provincial electoral seats in the area Greenwood and Grand Forks. Several towns from this era have since disappeared or vanished beyond recognition, among them Eholt, Deadwood, Cascade Falls and Phoenix.
Political organization
Federally, the Boundary Country is now part of the South Okanagan—West Kootenay electoral district. Historically it was originally part of the Yale riding (1871-1952) and afterwards had been in the Okanagan Boundary (1952-1966), the Okanagan—Kootenay (1966-1968), and the British Columbia Southern Interior (1997-2015) ridings.
The Boundary Country is currently part of the Boundary-Similkameen
Boundary-Similkameen is a provincial electoral district in British Columbia, Canada. It was formed in 2008 out of parts of Penticton-Okanagan Valley, West Kootenay-Boundary and Yale-Lillooet.
The riding's name corresponds to that of a form ...
provincial electoral district. Previously it had been in the West Kootenay-Boundary (2001-2009), Okanagan-Boundary Okanagan-Boundary was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacifi ...
(1991-1996) ridings, Boundary-Similkameen
Boundary-Similkameen is a provincial electoral district in British Columbia, Canada. It was formed in 2008 out of parts of Penticton-Okanagan Valley, West Kootenay-Boundary and Yale-Lillooet.
The riding's name corresponds to that of a form ...
(1963-1991), and Grand Forks-Greenwood ridings (1924-1963). From 1903 to 1924 it was represented by two ridings, Greenwood and Grand Forks, both of which had been created from the redistribution of the older West Kootenay (south riding) (1894 only) and prior to that West Kootenay riding (1890 only). Originally it was part of the Kootenay provincial electoral district.
The Boundary Country is currently part of the Kootenay Boundary Regional District.
Climate
Rock Creek, Midway, Grand Forks, Westbridge and Christina Lake enjoy a semi-arid climate with fairly low precipitation, mild winters and hot summers. Higher elevation communities such as Greenwood, Beaverdell, Carmi, Christian Valley and Bridesville can also be considered semi-arid, but receive cooler temperatures and more precipitation, particularly snow. The Boundary Country as a whole shares a similar climate to the Okanagan Valley just to the West.
Municipalities
The largest city in the region is Grand Forks with a city population of almost 4,000 and an area population of about 10,000. The incorporated municipalities in the Boundary Country are the cities of Grand Forks and Greenwood and village of Midway. The unincorporated communities are Bridesville, Rock Creek, Westbridge, Christian Valley, Beaverdell, Carmi, Kettle Valley, Anaconda, Christina Lake and Cascade. During the area's smelting and railway heyday, Phoenix was also incorporated as a city but only Greenwood and Grand Forks retain their city status, with Greenwood proudly retaining the status of "Canada's Smallest City".
References
{{Subdivisions of British Columbia, regions=yes
Southern Interior of British Columbia
Regional District of Kootenay Boundary