Invermere, British Columbia

Invermere, British Columbia
—  Municipality  —
Invermere, British Columbia, with Mount Nelson in the distance
Location of Invermere, British Columbia
Coordinates: 50°30′30″N 116°01′49″W
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Region	East Kootenay
Incorporated	1951
Government
• Mayor	Gerry Taft
• Governing body	Invermere Council
• MP	Jim Abbott
• MLA	Norm Macdonald
Area
• Total	8.43 km2 (3.3 sq mi)
Elevation	859 m (2,818 ft)
Population (2006)
• Total	3,002
• Density	353.9/km2 (916.6/sq mi)
Time zone	Mountain Standard (MST) (UTC-7)
• Summer (DST)	Mountain Daylight (MDT) (UTC-6)
Postal code span	V0A 1K0, V0A 1K2
Highways	93, 95
Waterways	Columbia River, Windermere Lake
Website	Town of Invermere

Invermere is a community in eastern British Columbia, Canada, near the border of Alberta. With its growing permanent population of almost 4,000 (including Athalmer and Wilmer), swelling to near 40,000 on summer weekends, it is the hub of the Columbia Valley between Golden, and Cranbrook. Invermere sits on the northwest shore of Windermere Lake and is a popular summer destination for people from Calgary.

Geography

Invermere is located 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of Radium, and 104 kilometres (65 mi) south of Golden and 102 kilometres (63 mi) from the Trans-Canada Highway. Invermere is also 37 kilometres (23 mi) north of Fairmont Hot Springs, 60 kilometres (37 mi) north of Canal Flats, 128 kilometres (80 mi) north of Fort Steele, 130 kilometres (81 mi) north of Kimberley, and 144 kilometres (89 mi) north of the hub of Cranbrook and the Crowsnest Highway.

Invermere is situated within the Columbia River Wetlands, North America's largest intact wetland and a RAMSAR designated site. Located in the Rocky Mountain Trench, Invermere is 15 minutes to Kootenay National Park, Purcell Wilderness Conservancy.

Climate

Invermere is said to be almost "protected" by Mt. Nelson to the west which towers over the community. Invermere has a temperate, semi-arid climate, characterized by warm summers and cold winters. The Rocky Mountains to the east shield Invermere from the worst effects of Arctic air in winter, although extreme cold spells do occur on occasion. Spring arrives earlier than on the plains to the east of the Rocky Mountains. Although warm, summers are variable, with weather alternating between hot, dry spells and cool, showery periods.

Sports and recreation

Hockey

The Columbia Valley Rockies play in Invermere. Former New York Islanders and University of Denver goaltender Wade Dubielewicz was born in Invermere.

Dance

• Aspire Dance Academy They have been very sucsessful in Competitions and Festivals This is a more competitive school. Many successful dancers and teachers have graduated from the studio. The studio has recently moved to Cranbrook, BC

The Dance Tree has recently started, it is more recreational than competitive studio.

Skiing

Panorama Ski Resort lies about 30 minutes nearby. Kimberley Alpine Resort about 1 hour away in Kimberly. Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is about 1.5 hours away in Golden, British Columbia

Golfing

Invermere is also a major centre for golf courses.

• Copper Point Golf Course is the new golf course about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) east of Invermere along Highway 95/93.
• Eagle Ranch Golf Course is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) northeast of Invermere also along Highway 93/95 and was rated 4.5/5.0 stars by Golf Digest.
• Greywolf Golf Course is located in Panorama Mountain Village about 18 kilometres (11 mi) west of Invermere, along the Toby Creek canyon.
• The Resort Course and Springs Course at Radium Hot Springs are very popular.
• Mountainside, Creekside, and Riverside golf courses are located in Fairmont Hot Springs south of Invermere.
• Edgewater Hill Top Par 3 is located in Edgewater north of Invermere.
• Setekwa is located about 7 km north of Invermere.
• Windermere Vally is located approxamently 4 km south of Invermere in the town of Windermere

Gliding and Soaring

The Invermere Airport is home to the non-profit Canadian Rockies Soaring Club. The club is active during the summer months, when it welcomes dozens of student pilots and private owners. The Invermere Soaring Center is a separate commercial operation which provides aerotowing services and glider rides to the general public.

• Canadian Rockies Soaring Club
• Invermere Soaring Center

Hot springs are numerous in the area, with the major developed ones being Fairmont and Radium Hot Springs; the latter is located inside Kootenay National Park.

Club	League	Sport	Venue	Established	Championships
Columbia Valley Rockies	KIJHL	Ice Hockey	Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena	1978	4

External links

• District of Invermere – District Website
• Invermere.com / ColumbiaValley.com - Business Directory, Local Online Newspaper, Live Webcams
• Invermere.ca