Rossland, British Columbia
Rossland | |
|---|---|
| The Corporation of the City of Rossland | |
 Rossland's main street | |
| Nickname: The Golden City[1] | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  British Columbia |
| Region | West Kootenay |
| Regional district | Kootenay Boundary |
| Incorporated | 1897 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Elected city council |
| • Governing body | Rossland City Council |
| • Mayor | Kathy Moore |
| Area | |
• City | 59.79 km2 (23.09 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,023 m (3,356 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• City | 3,556 |
| • Density | 59.5/km2 (154/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 3,491[2] |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| Postal code | V0G 1Y0 |
| Area code | 250 |
| Highways | 3B 22 |
| Waterways | Columbia River nearby |
| Website | City of Rossland |
Rossland is a city in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada. Tucked high in the Monashee Mountains, Rossland is at an elevation of 1023 metres (3410 feet). Its population is 3556, though it fluctuates from season to season. The population is at its peak during the winter. Rossland has been known as the 'Mountain Bike Capital of Canada' since 1993 when it was awarded this title, with an extensive trail system radiates from the outskirts of the town. Also nearby is the multi-peak ski hill, Red Mountain Resort.[3]
Toponym
The origin of the toponym Rossland comes from the name of a miner, Ross Thompson, who staked a claim in 1890.[4] He originally tried to call the city Thompson, but he was advised that there was already a town with that name.
History
In 1897, as a result of a gold rush, Rossland for a time was one of Western Canada's largest cities.[1] A number of historic buildings survive from this time.
In 1929 Doukhobor firefighters were sent from Rossland to Gold Creek Basin in Washington State to fight a forest fire. Two of the men discovered a Lost Mine called the Lost Doukhobor Ledge.[5]
The Rossland Court House was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1980.[6]
Notable people
- Dallas Drake, retired NHL Hockey player (Detroit Red wings).
- Kerrin Lee-Gartner, downhill ski racer, Olympic Gold Medalist.
- Nancy Greene, Canada's best ever alpine ski racer: two time overall alpine ski World Cup champion (1967, 1968), Olympic Gold medalist.
- George Grey, Cross country skier, Olympian.
- Gary Camozzi, expert stonemason, accomplished bushman and famous for his overnight stay on Granite Mountain in a downhill racing suit, communing with the mountain gods.
- Michel Trudeau, son of 15th Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau and brother of 23rd Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, swept into Kokanee Lake by an avalanche and drowned.[7][8]
- Dane Tudor, professional freeskier sponsored by Red Mountain, spent time growing up between Rossland and Palmer, Alaska.
- John Turner, 17th Canadian Prime Minister, grew up in Rossland after moving to Canada from England as an infant with his family.
- Joe Zanussi, retired NHL hockey player (St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Winnipeg Jets)
Media
Rossland is home to CHLI-FM, Rossland Radio Co-op, an internet-based community radio station which has currently applied for, and was granted, a low-power FM license with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) at 101.1 FM.
Rossland is served by two newspapers. One is The Rossland Telegraph, an online only full-service paper, founded in August 2008. In July 2010 the "Rossland News" was opened and is both online and currently distributes 1,200 papers throughout the town.
Education
School District 20 Kootenay-Columbia operates public schools in Rossland.
The Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique operates one Francophone school: école des Sept-sommets primary school.[9]
Television
Rossland was featured on the historical television series Gold Trails and Ghost Towns, season 1, episode 4.
Climate
| Climate data for Rossland | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 7.5 (45.5) |
13.3 (55.9) |
16 (61) |
27.2 (81.0) |
30.5 (86.9) |
31 (88) |
35 (95) |
35 (95) |
32.8 (91.0) |
25 (77) |
15 (59) |
9 (48) |
35 (95) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −3 (27) |
0 (32) |
4.9 (40.8) |
10.3 (50.5) |
15.4 (59.7) |
19.6 (67.3) |
23.4 (74.1) |
23.4 (74.1) |
17.3 (63.1) |
10.6 (51.1) |
1 (34) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
10 (50) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −8.6 (16.5) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
0 (32) |
4.1 (39.4) |
8 (46) |
10.5 (50.9) |
10.6 (51.1) |
5.6 (42.1) |
0.9 (33.6) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
−7.7 (18.1) |
0.8 (33.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −25.5 (−13.9) |
−25 (−13) |
−17.8 (0.0) |
−9.4 (15.1) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
0 (32) |
2 (36) |
2.2 (36.0) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−18 (0) |
−25 (−13) |
−33.3 (−27.9) |
−33.3 (−27.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 98.5 (3.88) |
95 (3.7) |
77 (3.0) |
60.2 (2.37) |
74.9 (2.95) |
68 (2.7) |
46.6 (1.83) |
48.7 (1.92) |
50.7 (2.00) |
55 (2.2) |
119.7 (4.71) |
122.9 (4.84) |
917.2 (36.11) |
| Source: Environment Canada[10] | |||||||||||||
References
- ^ a b History of Rossland on the official website of Rossland
- ^ Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and population centres, 2011 and 2006 censuses: British Columbia. Statistics Canada. 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
- ^ Scott, Gord (16 February 2011). "Pioneering spirit lives at Red Mountain". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
- ^ Reference on toponym "Rossland" in the official database of the Integrated Land Management Bureau in British Columbia
- ^ N.L. Barlee, Gold Creeks and Ghost Towns of Northeastern Washington., Hancock House Publishers., 2004
- ^ Rossland Court House. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ^ Moore, Dene. "Trudeaus remember Michel and promote avalanche awareness". canoe.ca. The Canadian Press. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
Michel, a hiking and skiing enthusiast who had worked as a ski-lift attendant at Red Mountain Ski Resort in the southeastern B.C. town of Rossland...
- ^ Trudeau, Justin. "Justin Trudeau's memoir: 'My father was never the same man'". Toronto Star. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
...[Michel] wasn't too far from me, working on the ski hill in Rossland.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Carte des écoles." Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique. Retrieved on 22 January 2015.
- ^ Environment Canada—Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000, accessed 11 July 2009
External links
Media related to Rossland, British Columbia at Wikimedia Commons
Rossland travel guide from Wikivoyage- City of Rossland
- Tourism Rossland
- The Rossland Telegraph
