Crawford Bay, British Columbia

Crawford Bay is a community of approximately 350 people,[1] situated in the Purcell mountain range on the eastern shore of Kootenay Lake in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia.[2] This location on Highyway 3A is 76 kilometres (47 mi) by road north of Creston and 48 kilometres (29.8 mi) by road and ferry northeast across Kootenay Lake from Nelson.

For other places with the same name, see Crawford Bay.
Crawford Bay
Village
Crawford Bay
Location of Crawford Bay in British Columbia
Coordinates: 49°41′00″N 116°49′00″W
Country Canada
Province British Columbia
RegionWest Kootenay
Regional districtCentral Kootenay
Area
 • Land13.31 km2 (5.14 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)
 • Total304
 • Density22.8/km2 (59/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−7 (MST)
postal code
V0B 1E0
Area codes250, 778, 236, & 672
Highways3A
WaterwaysKootenay Lake
Crawford Creek

History, geography, demographics and economy

The region is part of the traditional territories of the Sinixt and Ktunaxa peoples.[3] The Ktunaxa name for the bay is kʼupawiȼknuk, meaning "where the lake goes inland." Prospector and trapper, James Crawford, whom the Ktunaxa called White Man Jim, reportedly gave his name to the bay and creek. However, the settlement itself was Cocklethorpe for the first decade, named after Joseph William Cockle, who obtained the first preemption in 1889.[4]

Arts, culture, attractions and sports

Crawford Bay plays host to a music festival each July. The Starbelly Jam, an annual event since 1999, is a weekend outdoor music festival featuring a wide variety of musical styles.[5]

The village centre, along Highway 3A, is home to a collection of working artisan studios including: a forge, broommaker, potters, weavers, copper enamellist, leatherworkers, and jewellers.[6]

Crawford Bay hosts an annual autumn agricultural fair, The Kootenay Lake Fall Fair, which dates back to 1910 and features a juried display of locally grown produce, homemade goods and artistic creations.[7][8][9]

Kokanee Springs Golf Resort, located within Crawford Bay, is a championship 18-hole course designed by Norman H. Woods in 1968.[10]

Government and infrastructure

A good Gray Creek–Crawford Bay–Kootenay Bay trail was constructed in 1908, improving the steep trail over the ridge separating the latter two places. The ridge trail upgraded to a wagon road in 1912. The Creston–Kuskonook road was extended northward in 1927, reaching Gray Creek in 1931. Kuskonook–Kootenay Bay was upgraded to a highway and paved 1947–1949.[11]

The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) is the local governing body for Crawford Bay. The village lies within Electoral Area A in the RDCK and the current director for Area A is Garry Jackman.[12] Provincially, Crawford Bay lies within the electoral riding of Nelson-Creston, currently represented in the provincial legislature by NDP MLA Michelle Mungall.[13] Federally, Crawford Bay is part of the Kootenay-Columbia riding, currently represented by NDP MP Wayne Stetski.

Education and media

The local Crawford Bay School, offers kindergarten to Grade 12 and serves the entire eastern shore of Kootenay Lake. In 2009, with the old school at the end of its lifetime and no longer adequate for the communities' needs, a new school building was constructed on a larger piece of land nearby. It became the first school in British Columbia to meet the LEED Green Building Rating System requirements. The school design also received a "Wood WORKS! Community Recognition Award" from the Canada Wood Council.[14]

Also serving the "east shore" community, which includes Crawford Bay, is a local newspaper called The Eastshore Mainstreet.[15] The paper is published monthly and focuses on local issues and events.[16]

Kokanee Springs Golf Course, Crawford Bay, British Columbia, Canada, 2013.

Notable residents
  • Baba Brinkman, Canadian rapper and playwright born in the nearby town of Riondel and a graduate of Crawford Bay School.[17]
  • Tom "Comet" Hulland, stunt performer and special effects artist born in the area. Tom has worked with Madonna, Penn and Teller and Sir Richard Branson, among others.[18] Tom also held the world record for three chainsaw juggling (44 throws).[19]

See also

References
  1. Statistics Canada (March 13, 2007). "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Canada. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
  2. Province of British Columbia (2010). "Crawford Bay". BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office. British Columbia. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
  3. Pryce, Paula (1999). Keeping the Lakes' way: reburial and the re-creation of a moral world among an invisible people. University of Toronto Press. p. 7. ISBN 0-8020-4419-0.
  4. "Nelson Star, 16 Dec 2013". www.nelsonstar.com.
  5. "The Starbelly Jam Music Festival". The Starbelly Jam. Crawford Bay, British Columbia, Canada. 2010. Retrieved 2010. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  6. "The Artisians of Crawford Bay, BC, Canada".
  7. "BC Fairs - Kootenay Lake Fall Fair". Archived from the original on October 27, 2012. Retrieved October 26, 2012.
  8. "BC's Mountain Playground". Kootenay Rockies. Retrieved October 26, 2012.
  9. "Fall Fair 2012 – Coming Soon!". Retrieved October 26, 2012.
  10. Rob Petkau (August 14, 2010). "Good thing made better at resort". The Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
  11. "The East Shore Road; The Bays Kootenay and Crawford". www.crowsnest-highway.ca.
  12. "RDCK Directors". Central Kootenay Regional District. British Columbia, Canada. Archived from the original on 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2010. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  13. "Michelle Mungall MLA: Nelson-Creston". British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved 2010. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  14. "Crawford Bay Elementary Secondary School". Crawford Bay, British Columbia, Canada. Archived from the original on 2013-09-18. Retrieved 2010. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  15. The East Shore Mainstreet newspaper interactive website. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  16. "Eastshore Mainstreet". Community Services Directory. April 21, 2011. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011.
  17. "Baba Brinkman comes home with his acclaimed off-Broadway show – July 13". Retrieved April 9, 2016 – via The Civic Theatre.
  18. "Tom Comet - Bio" (PDF). Circus Orange. Circus Orange. January 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  19. "New juggling record prevents a chainsaw massacre". Herald Scotland. August 5, 2002. Retrieved April 9, 2016 – via Herald Scotland.
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