Salmon Arm, British Columbia
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| Salmon Arm, British Columbia | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | Canada  |
| Province | British Columbia  |
| Regional District | Columbia-Shuswap |
| Established | 1905 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Marty Bootsma |
| - Governing Body | Salmon Arm City Council |
| - MP | Colin Mayes, Conservative Party |
| - MLA | George Abbott |
| Area | |
| - Total | 155.38 km² (60.0 sq mi) |
| Population (2006) | |
| - Total | 16,205 |
| - Density | 102.2/km² (264.7/sq mi) |
| Time zone | Pacific Standard (PST) (UTC-8) |
| Area code(s) | 250 |
Salmon Arm is a city in the interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia that has a population of 16,205 (2006). It is on the shores of Shuswap Lake, where the Salmon River empties into the Salmon Arm reach of the Lake. It is a tourist destination for the summer, with many beaches, as well as camping facilities and house boat rentals. Salmon Arm is home to the longest wooden wharf in North America. It is the seat of the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District. Former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau famously made an obscene gesture to protesters here while on a train trip through the West. Salmon Arm became a city on May 15, 2005, its 100th birthday of incorporation. Directly north of the city, across Shuswap lake, lies Mt. Bastion. A photograph of Mt. Bastion serves as the background for the driver's license of BC.
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[edit] Economy
The largest employer in the Salmon Arm area is the forest industry and related businesses. The city benefits from close access to the Canadian Pacific railway.
Tourism is also important to Salmon Arm, bringing many tourists from Vancouver and Calgary. Most tourists arrive during the summer season, either stopping en route to other holiday destinations, or to visit the Shuswap Lake. Salmon Arm has several brand hotels, campsites and houseboats.
Relative to its size, Salmon Arm has a wide variety of restaurants and cultural attractions. Public beaches at Sunnybrae and Canoe are often crowded during the summer. The Salmon Arm Roots and Blues festival, in August, attracted over 20,000 visitors in 2007.
[edit] Educational facilities
Salmon Arm has a campus of Okanagan College that offers many programs in a wide range of fields.
The annual Shuswap International Writers' Festival and Roots and Blues Festival are held here.
Public schools are part of School District 83 North Okanagan-Shuswap which has its main office in Salmon Arm.
[edit] Cultural Activities
During the month of August, the annual Salmon Arm Roots and Blues festival draws large crowds of tourists with acts such as Xavier Rudd, The Pointer Sisters, and Feist.
The RJ Haney Heritage Park & Muesum is Salmon Arm's main museum, and celebrates the history of the region.
Large crowds of tourists and locals are drawn to the beaches at Sunnybrae, Canoe, and elsewhere on the Shuswap Lake during the summer. The city has many large hotels, as well as berths for a number of houseboats.
The Salmon Arm Silverbacks hockey team, in the BCHL, plays at Sunwave Center.
[edit] Transportation
Salmon Arm lies on the Trans-Canada Highway approximately halfway between Vancouver and Calgary. It is also at the top of Highway 97, which leads to Vernon and Kelowna. The economy benefits from though traffic; many brand-name hotels and restaurants have opened in the past few decades.
The Canadian Pacific Railway also runs though Salmon Arm. No passenger service is available, though the Rocky Mountaineer trains pass through on occasion.
Salmon Arm Airport mainly serves general aviation aircraft, though scheduled service to Vancouver and Vernon was available by Northern Hawk Air until it ceased operations.
Salmon Arm has a minor, infrequent bus service to nearby suburbs, using small commuter minibuses, as well as handyDart service for the disabled.[1]
[edit] Wildfire Damage 1998
In 1998, an area of 13,500 acres (34 Km²) immediately SW of Salmon Arm was burnt to the extent of deforestation by a wildfire started by lightning. The fire came down from the Fly Hills in the West and embers carried by the wind jumped the valley and ignited Mt. Ida. They raced down both sides of the valley, threatening many homes. An emergency evacuation was executed as the fire got closer. Remarkably, just as the fire reached the valley floor, a sudden change of wind direction forced the fire back on itself, extinguishing it. The fire came so close that trees in residential backyards were singed and barn paint was peeled.
About 40 homes and barns were destroyed during the firestorm.
[edit] Sister city
Salmon Arm's sister city is Inashiki, Ibaraki, Japan (Formerly Azuma, Ibaraki, Japan, until its recent amalgamation into Inashiki). There is a pavilion near McGuire Lake in honour of the friendship between Japan and Salmon Arm.
[edit] External links
- City of Salmon Arm
- EZ Rock: Soft Rock & Local News
- Shuswap Tourism
- Lakeshore News
- Salmon Arm Observer
- Salmon Arm Museum ( R.J. Haney Heritage Park & Museum)
- Salmon Arm Silverbacks BCHL Hockey Team
[edit] References
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