KIMBERLEY

KIMBERLEY

Kimberley is a large-sized town located in the East Kootenay Region of British Columbia, and located 31 kilometres northwest of Cranbrook along 55-kilometre long Highway #95A.

Kimberley was first known as Mark Creek Crossing and was founded in the mid-1890s when two prospectors discovered galena on North Star Mountain. It wasn't long after that when 4 prospectors; Walter Burchette, John Cleaver, E.C. Smith and Pat Sullivan founded the town and the North Star mine was staked at the same time. A founders mural on the east side of Mark Creek Market, honours these 4 men.

After another discovery of another mineral find just west of the North Star Mine, this persuaded Sullivan to construct another mine at the site and named it simply “the Sullivan Mine”. Soon after, Mark Creek Crossing started to grow. In 1896, Mark Creek Crossing, was renamed “Kimberley” after the famous diamond mining town of the same name in South Africa. It was thought that this name change would bring the same economic wealth and prosperity to Kimberley, British Columbia as its overseas counterpart.

Kimberley was incorporated in 1944, but was again a second time in 1968 after merging with 2 adjoining villages, Marysville, and Chapman Camp.

This mine was then bought by the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company (COMINCO) in 1909, and operated it for 92 years, until exhaustion of its reserves led to its ultimate closure in 2001. It was at the time, the largest lead-zinc mine in the world.

Since then, tourism, has flourished the main source of income for Kimberley's economy.

In 1972, as part of its European-like feel, town officials adopted a plan to make Kimberley “the Bavarian City of the Rockies”. Successful, the town made 2 blocks of Spokane Street pedestrian-only and with it came an outdoor shopping area and platzl complete with cafes, gift shops, and restaurants that specialize in German cuisine.

A major attraction for tourists, the platzl is also home to North America's largest free-standing cuckoo clock, where for a dollar or at the top of every hour, Kimberley's mascot “Happy Hans” will perform a one-minute yodelling session.

Kimberley is also home to the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League's (KIJHL) Kimberley Dynamiters, who play their home games at the Kimberley Civic Centre.

Formerly the site of the North Star Mine, the Kimberley Alpine Ski Resort offers 80 runs of downhill skiing with a skiing season that lasts from November to April, dependant of course, on weather conditions. 

KIMBERLEY’S POPULATION: 7,289