GRANISLE

GRANISLE Is a former mining town located on the west side of Babine Lake , about 55 kilometers east of Smithers on Highway #118. The community was established in 1965 as a site for open-pit copper mine. The town got a boost in the 1970s, when Noranda Mine Company opened the Bell copper mine. In 1981, the company bought the original mine. The town get its name from a combination of “Gran” for Granby, the original owners of the mine and “Isle” for an island of where the mine is located. 1992 was a terrible year for the community as Noranda shut down the mine, delivering the community a severe shock, but since the late 1990s, Granisle has since recovered from near “ghost town” status to a nice retirement and lodging center. During its prime, when the mine was operational, Granisle had a peak population of more than 3,000 people.

GRANISLE'S POPULATION: 446