British Columbia - Radium Hot Springs

Radium Hot Springs is at the gateway to theseason resort town.Not counted among the
Kootenay National Park (KNP) which has long beenvillage's 750 residents are some 200 members of
an east-west travel route. It is believed that thea Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep band. Few other
area encompassed by the park, some 1406 sq.communities can match Radium for the numbers
km., was traveled on a seasonal basis by Firstof sheep. Built on part of the band's winter range,
Nations. The Ktunaxa regularly crossed theRadium and valley residents have learned to live
Rockies via Whiteman Pass, Simpson Pass andand work side-by-side with the sheep and
Vermilion Pass to hunt buffalo on the plains.Theappreciate the blue-listed species. The sheep are
first non-native people in the area were trapperscommonly seen in the village only from late
and fur traders with the first recorded visit by Sirautumn to mid-spring.Like most valley
George Simpson in 1841. Hard on Simpson's heelscommunities, Radium has an interesting past.
was James Sinclair who came over WhitemanHuman beings have been making the most of the
Pass leading a cavalcade of Red River settlers enhealing waters for hundreds of years, beginning
route to Walla Walla, Washington. In 1858with the First Nations people who used Sinclair
geologist James Hector led a branch of the PalliserPass for access between the Columbia and
expedition into the north end of the KootenayKootenay valleys. In 1920, when its population
area.By the early 1900s local businessmen wereconsisted of a handful of construction workers
lobbying for a road linking Windermere to Banff.and lumberjacks, accommodations neither so
Eventually the road was completed by the federalplentiful nor civilized as they are today. Two
government in exchange for title to a strip of landdollars a week bought you space shared with
on either side of the route. In 1920, this land wasstrangers in a tent with a bed made of clean hay,
set aside as Kootenay National Park.The bestilluminated by candles stuck in empty whisky
known built up area in the region is Radium Hotbottles. Use of the hot pool cost 50 cents or $1 a
Springs which is just at the south entrance to theday for as many soaks as you wanted.In 1923 an
park through the narrow gorge of the Sinclairanalyst from the Canadian government did some
Canyon. Although it has a reputation for beingtests that showed the waters were radioactive,
perhaps the petunia and bighorn sheep capital ofhence the name Radium. It is believed that the
BC, Radium is most famous for which it waswater is therapeutic, particularly for arthritis
named, the healing, hot water springing from thesufferers. Even for completely healthy people, the
earth and captured in a huge soaking pool.Knownwater is certainly relaxing and soothing and the
internationally as a resort town, it has more thanview provided from the pools of the red walls of
30 motels and hotels, all geared to providingSinclair Canyon is sheer beauty. Geographical
accommodation for the thousands of visitors whoformations are the order of the area, as
pass through every year. They arrive on one ofwitnessed by the redrock wall and the dramatic
three highways, Hwy 95 south from Golden, Hwycrack which you pass through upon entering
93 southwest of the TransCanada HighwayRadium.The village of Radium is also now
between Lake Louise and Banff, or north on 93synonymous with golf as it boasts two top-rated
95 coming in from Montana and Idaho. The Village18-hole golf courses; the Springs at Radium and
of Radium Hot Springs with a current populationthe Radium Resort. Radium is also the gateway to
of 750 year round residents, was incorporated ina will Purcell Mountain backcountry rife with
1992. It remains one of the province's fastestrecreational opportunities.
growing communities and has become a four