Blairmore, Alberta
| Blairmore | |
|---|---|
 Blairmore
|
|
| Coordinates: 49°36′29″N 114°26′34″W / 49.6081°N 114.4428°WCoordinates: 49°36′29″N 114°26′34″W / 49.6081°N 114.4428°W | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Alberta |
| Census division | No. 15 |
| Specialized municipality | Municipality of Crowsnest Pass |
| Government | |
| • Type | Unincorporated |
| • Governing body | Municipality of Crowsnest Pass Council |
| Population (2006)[1] | |
| • Total | 2,088 |
| Time zone | MST (UTC−7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC−6) |
Blairmore is an urban community in the Rocky Mountains within the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass in southwest Alberta, Canada. It was formerly incorporated as a town prior to 1979 when it amalgamated with four other municipalities to form Crowsnest Pass. Blairmore currently is now the principal commercial centre of Crowsnest Pass.
Contents |
[edit] History
Originally a Canadian Pacific Railway stop called Tenth Siding or The Springs (for the cold sulphur spring to the east), the settlement was renamed Blairmore in November 1898. A ten-year dispute over land ownership between the CPR station agent and the section foreman stunted early development.[2] Blairmore’s principal industry was lumber and, after 1907, coal. Other industries followed and on September 29, 1911 Blairmore was incorporated as a town. With the declining fortunes of the nearby town of Frank, Blairmore soon became the region’s economic centre.
One of the town’s early characters was Emil Picariello (1875 – 1923). “Emperor Pic” settled in Blairmore in 1918 and operated several businesses, but also illegally imported alcohol from nearby British Columbia during prohibition. Picariello and Florence Lossandra were hanged after the shooting death of Alberta Provincial Police constable Steve Lawson in 1921.
Like many Canadian industrial towns in the 1930s, Blairmore had some sympathies with Communism. Canada's first Communist town council and school board were elected in Blairmore in 1933, which reformed the tax system, and refused to observe Remembrance Day as an Imperialist holiday and honoured the Russian Revolution instead. A street was named after the leader of the Communist Party of Canada, Tim Buck, a decision that was reversed by the next town council.[3]
Blairmore amalgamated with four other municipalities to form the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass in 1979.[4]
[edit] Demographics
According to the 2006 Census of Canada, the population of Blairmore is 2,088, which represents 36% of the overall population of the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass (5,749).[1]
[edit] Geography
Volcanic rocks in the Blairmore area are related to the well-known Crowsnest Formation. As a geological unit, the volcanics improved some attention in the late 1980s when geologists stated they had found trace amounts of gold in certain units of the volcanics.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Alberta Municipal Affairs (2009-09-15). "Alberta 2009 Official Population List". http://municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca/documents/LGS/2009pop.pdf. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
- ^ Crowsnest and its People Crowsnest Pass Historical Society, 1979
- ^ Crownest Pass Promoter - street name controversy
- ^ Alberta Municipal Affairs. "Crowsnest Pass - Town Profile". http://www.municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca/cfml/profiles/data/0508_1.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
- ^ Mineral Assessment Report 20060025 - A report for Assessment in reference to Metallic and Industrial Minerals Permit 9304091032
