Sept 8 to 11, 2014
Today was a travel day. We left Fort Steel Resort and headed west on Highway 3 over a couple of passes. The destination was Castlegar, BC.
Castlegar is located within the Selkirk Mountains at the confluence of the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers. The city stretches a long the shores up and down stream of the Columbia River. Castlegar is the second largest city in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada.
It is a regional trade and transportation centre, with a local economy fueled by forestry, mining and tourism. It was recently cited as one of the Top 8 Places in British Columbia for most promising growth.. It is home to Selkirk College, a regional airport, a pulp mill, and several sawmills. The population of 7,259 people includes a large number of Doukhobors, who were largely responsible for much of Castlegar's early development and growth. A sizeable Portuguese community grew as workers, mainly from the Azores islands, moved in to take up employment in the area.
On September 5, 1811, David Thompson arrived at the location where Castlegar now sits, where he camped near the mouth of the Kootenay River. A plaque dedicated to David Thompson can be found on the east bank of the Columbia River overlooking the present day site of Castlegar. The first settlement in the area was West Waterloo, now known as South Castlegar. There was widespread provincial interest in gold prospecting in the late 19th century, and by 1895 there were forty houses in Waterloo. The town boomed until the end of the century when interest in the local mines declined.
Zuckerberg Island was accessed by walking across the suspension bridge. The Island was encircled by walking paths. It was very scenic and very relaxing to walk with great views of the two rivers.
Long ago the Columbia River carved through the Selkirk Mountains forming a major valley. The ice age buried the river and mountain tops with glaciers. As the ice melted into the valley the Columbia River had, at times, many river channels.
Zuckerberg Island may have been formed as a lag deposit within this channelling. The island formation and unveiling after the ice age invited rich and diverse vegetation and wildlife communities. The relatively wet and mild climate supported this rich environment which attracted native inhabitants who prospered by the local bounty. These Indians settled on the island during the winter using their stored food reserves of salmon. Even as explorer David Thompson surveyed this area of the Columbia River in 1811, the Indians were still inhabiting the island during spring fishing and winter camp. The attraction of the island drew Alexander Zuckerberg to establish his special island home. And even today, as a unique river front park, Zuckerberg Island remains not only a place of beauty but also a legacy to its historical past.
Alexander Feodorovitch Zuckerberg was trained as a civil engineer. He taught mathematics in a Russian high school until the Revolution of 1917, then immigrated to Canada in 1921 with his wife, Alicia and son and daughter, Gilbert and Asta. In 1931 he came to Castlegar at the request of Peter Verigin II to teach the Doukhobor children. Shortly afterwards, he settled on the island and began building the Chapel House. He was a Tolstoyan and his lifestyle reflected his admiration for the great Russian writer, humanitarian, and pacifist. Zuckerberg was as unique as his work, and is greatly admired to this day by many people, particularly the Doukhobors of the region.
Doukhobor Heritage Centre toured around.
Doukhobor Heritage Centre
Between 1908 and 1913, about 5,000 Doukhobors came to settle here after the Dominion government of the day reversed the land settlement policy and they were forced to forfeit their hard won Saskatchewan settlements.
This spacious and beautiful valley was to become their new place of refuge, and Peter V. Verigin named it Dolina Ootishenia, the Valley of Consolation. Near the original settlement of Brilliant, so named after the sparkling waters, is the historic suspension bridge built in 1913, now acclaimed a National Heritage Site.
This valley is the confluence of the Kootenay – Columbia Rivers, an historic transportation route. David Thompson was the first European to travel through here between 1807 to 1812. Placer gold mining created rudimentary trails from 1850 to 1875.
In 1898 the Canadian Pacific Railway was extended to Kootenay Lake and goods began to arrive by steamer in Nelson, supplying this area from the north instead of the south.
Major agrarian settlement began with the arrival of the Doukhobors in 1908, and by 1914, their land holdings in BC totalled over 14,000 acres. By the time Peter V. Verigin suffered an untimely tragic death in 1924, the Christian Community of Universal Brotherhood, incorporated in 1917, operated 71,600 acres of improved land mostly in BC, but also included operations in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
There were 90 villages similar to this museum construction in BC, about 60 in this Kootenay area. The Doukhobor Village Museum illustrates the history and heritage of the Doukhobors who settled and prospered here as the largest communal enterprise in North America until 1938, when the commune folded due to the onset of the depression and active efforts by outside forces to bring about assimilation.
The Doukhobor Discovery Centre is located across from the Airport in Castlegar and is open 10am – 5pm daily from May 1 to September 30.
National Pool Park Castlegar BC. the confluence of the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers.
Young or old, residents and visitors to Castlegar, B.C., have a beautiful and safe new area on the Columbia River to enjoy. Located in Millenium Park, the Natural Outdoor Swimming Ponds consist of three separate pools. Ground-filtered well water is drawn from alongside the Columbia River during the day and descends through the pools before returning to the river. At night the water is redirected into the Millennium Park irrigation system, which reduces the load on the city’s water system while saving chlorinated water from entering the adjacent river.
A grand opening celebration for the ponds was held August 4, 2014. The city estimates that approximately 2,500 people attended the event, which included an unveiling ceremony and games along with hundreds of rubber ducks in the top pool.
“People got to look at it and I can tell you we heard nothing but great comments about the ponds themselves and the surrounding area—what it looks like and what the future is,” said Lawrence Chernoff, the mayor of Castlegar. “It's just off the downtown core and, to me, it’s an ideal location. The views are absolutely spectacular, so I think it's a great opportunity for the community (and) it's a great opportunity for the downtown.”
The project, which cost about $1.6 million, was subject to lots of public input before being built. A safe, recreational beach area was identified as a priority. The top pond is designed for use by youngsters and their families with a depth of 0.7 metres, while the middle pond is designed for teenagers and adults. The bottom pond, the largest of the three, has a depth of 3.6 metres and has small waterslides. Each pool is surrounded by sand. The surrounding area also has sports fields, an outdoor workout area, benches and picnic tables. It has quickly become a popular area for anyone looking to enjoy the Columbia River or just a stroll in Castlegar’s beautiful outdoors.
“I think if you haven't been to the Millennium Ponds by all means come down and just see exactly what happened and how it's developed,” said Chernoff. “It's just made it so much safer and so much nicer and so much more enjoyable. . . . You can have a picnic and just have a great family time. And I think that's really what it's all about.”
Woo hoo! It’s the day we’ve all been waiting for – the Millennium Park Natural Swimming Ponds grand opening celebration is slated for Aug. 4 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a massive SPLASH party to which everyone is invited.
The $1.6-million project has been a couple of years in the making (sped somewhat by $400,000 from the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development), but councilor and chair of council’s Public Works committee Dan Rye said it will be well worth the wait.
“The whole Millennium Park area, I believe, is going to be the keystone feature For Castlegar, and there’s going to be a whole lot of people coming to the area because of it,” he said, adding there are other attractions being highlighted, such as the Rotary Outdoor Gym, the new competitive bike area, a concession stand for which they should break ground this summer, and more.
The party will include a plaque unveiling ceremony at 11:30 a.m., food vendors, hundreds of rubber duckies in the kiddie pool, kids games, Castlegar SPLASH beach balls, and more (bring your own lawn chair and towel, please).
Mayor Lawrence Chernoff said the completed project is a testament to the hard work of everyone, especially city staff, in seeing a grand vision through to fruition.
“What it brings to the community is unbelievable,” he said. “It’s really spectacular – not so much the jewel in Castlegar’s crown, as it is the whole crown.”
Both Rye and Chernoff agree the feature will not only draw residents, but will also serve as a tourist attraction to enhance economic activity and boost other local business.
The Upper Pond (at the highest elevation) is designed for families and children, with a depth of .7 metres, and roughly 40 metres by 25 metres in size. The Mid Pool is better suited for teens and adults, with a depth of 1.6 metres (75 metres by 40 metres) and a waterslide that empties into the Lower Pool (closest to the Columbia River) which will be 3.6 metres deep and 80 metres by 45 metres in size.
So remember to "discover It and Live It".
