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Revelstoke, British Columbia Encyclopedia Article
Home: Revelstoke, British Columbia: Encyclopedia
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Revelstoke (population 7,500 municipal est. 2005) is a city in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. It is located 641 kilometers (398 miles) east of Vancouver, and 415 kilometers (258 miles) west of Calgary, Alberta. The city is situated on the banks of the Columbia River just south of the Revelstoke Dam and near its confluence with the Illecillewaet River. East of Revelstoke are the Selkirk Mountains and Glacier National Park, penetrated by Rogers Pass used by the Trans-Canada Highway and the Canadian Pacific Railway. South of the community down the Columbia River are the Arrow Lakes and the road to the Kootenays. West of the city is Eagle Pass through the Gold Range of the Monashee Mountains and the route to Shuswap Lake and points west.
Contents
- 1 History
- 2 Economy
- 3 Climate
- 4 Sports Trivia
- 5 Brushes with Hollywood
- 6 References
- 7 See also
- 8 External links
History
Revelstoke was founded in the 1880s when the Canadian Pacific Railway(CPR) was built through the area; mining was an important early industry. The name was originally Farwell, after a local land owner and surveyor. In yet earlier days, the spot was called the Second Crossing, to differentiate it from the first crossing of the Columbia River by the Canadian Pacific Railway near Golden. The city was named by the Canadian Pacific Railway in appreciation of Lord Revelstoke, the head of Baring & Glyn, a UK banking firm that saved the Canadian Pacific Railway from bankruptcy in the summer of 1885 by buying the company's bonds just as the railway was nearing completion.
The construction of the Trans-Canada Highway in 1962 further eased access to the region, and since then tourism has been an important feature of the local economy, with skiing having emerged as the most prominent attraction. Mount Revelstoke National Park is just north of the town. Currently the construction of a major new ski resort is underway on Mount MacKenzie, just outside of town. Revelstoke is also the site of a railway museum well known throughout Canada.
It is also the site and namesake of the 1965 impact of a meteorite [1]*, which, though resulting in only a few small pieces that could be found, made a splendorous fireball track across the sky. This meteorite was a carbonaceous chondrite, an especially primitive and friable type. That fact, plus the rather flat trajectory (allowing a long air path) accounts for the paucity of surviving fragments - most or the meteorite evaporated, burnt up, or broke into dust.
Economy
Revelstoke's economy has traditionally been tied to the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and it still maintains a strong connection to that industry. However, mining, forestry and, most importantly, tourism played an increasingly important role in Revelstoke's success as the prominence of the CPR declined over the last century.
Revelstoke is also the location of the Revelstoke Dam which was constructed on the Columbia River, and completed in 1984. In 1986, to offset the economic effects of the completed hydroelectric project and the temporary closure of the local sawmill, the City of Revelstoke undertook a downtown revitalization program and it was completed with marked success.
A small ski resort featuring a single short lift has operated on Mount MacKenzie since the 1960s, and cat skiing was offered for higher altitudes. It was recently decided to expand the entire mountain into a single resort. Outside funding was provided by Sotheby's and the Government of Canada, and construction started in the early 2000s. When it opens in the winter of 2007/8, Revelstoke Mountain Resort will feature the highest "vertical drop" of any ski resort in North America at 1 845 meters (6,100 feet), compared to the current "far and away" champion, Whistler-Blackcomb at 5,280 feet. Revelstoke should also offer much better quality snow than Whistler-Blackcomb, as it is higher in altitude and generally has twice the annual snowfall. The development also includes a huge real estate build-out with 16,600 beds in total, and golf courses for summer use.
Climate
Revelstoke has a temperate climate and nearby mountain ranges are of an alpine climate.
Annual snowfall averages roughly 400 centimeters, although this can range widely from year to year.
Sports Trivia
Revelstoke has produced some talented athletes in winter sports, notably ice hockey.
Revelstoke is the home town of former Vancouver Canuck Bruce Holloway.
The former local BCJHL team, the Revelstoke Bruins, had a number of future NHLers on its roster in the 1970s and 80's, including Bruce Holloway, Ron E. Flockhart, Rudy Poeschek, Rob Flockhart, Daryl Stanley, goaltender Mark Fitzpatrick, and Greg Pulliam who went on to professional in Europe. The current Revelstoke KIJHL team is the Revelstoke Grizzlies.
The Revelstoke Ski Club, founded in British Columbia in 1891, appears to have been the first formal ski organization in Canada, according to the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC).
It was not far from Revelstoke, on January 20, 2003 that Craig Kelly (snowboarder), the renowned snowboarding champion, died in an avalanche while assisting a group of skiers and snowboarders through some rough terrain.
Brushes with Hollywood
Some scenes in the 1999 thriller Double Jeopardy starring Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones were filmed in Revelstoke, notably the historic courthouse.
The 1937 British movie The Great Barrier starring Lilli Palmer depicted the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway and featured location shooting from Revelstoke.
The Barber (2001) starring Malcolm McDowell was almost entirely filmed in Revelstoke, BC, and featured the town name displaced as Revelstoke, Alaska.
References
See also
External links
- City of Revelstoke*
- Revelstoke Museum & Archives*
- Revelstoke Railway Museum*
- Revelstoke Mountain Resort*
51°0′36″N 118°12′51″W / 51.01, -118.21417 (Revelstoke)
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