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thethethethe
ElkfordElkford2012
Elkfordg u i d e
Walk out our back door into a world untamed. From Xtreme sportsman to simple nature lover...adventurers are living life to its fullest in our mountain playground. Why aren’t you...? Explore the wild life...
Visit Elkford, British Columbia. www.elkford.ca
Get intimate with nature.
VISIT WWW.SMSEQUIP.COM TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SMS EQUIPMENT & CAREER OPPORTUNITIES.
DEDICATED TO BEING THE #1 EQUIPMENT AND SOLUTIONS PROVIDER FOR THE MINING, FORESTRY,
CONSTRUCTION, AND UTILITY INDUSTRIES.
www.thefreepress.ca - Elkford Guide2
SALES REPRESENTATIVE: Jenna JensenART DIRECTOR: Colin Lock
PHOTOGRAPHY: Jenna Jensen/Pat AllardyceKaren & Kristy Anonson / Shawna Boyd /
Mandy McGregorWRITERS: Jenna Jensen
PUBLISHER: Dave Hamilton
The Elkford Guide is published once a year by:A Division of Black Press
The Free Press, 342 2nd Ave, Box 2350, Fernie, BC, V0B 1M0
Phone: 250-423-4666 Fax: 250-423-3110All content is Copyright 2011/12 and may not be reproduced
without prior approval of the publisher.
4...........................Elkford at a glance5..................What’s in your backyard6............................Where the water is8...5 Great reasonsJenna loves Elkford10..........................Discovering Elkford12.......................................Golf Elkford13...................Camping out in Elkford15.....Calendar of Events-Map-Index
Elkford Guide - www.thefreepress.ca 3
THE FREE PRESS
4...........................Elkford at a glance
WE REPAIR ANYTHING THAT ROLLS, CRAWLS OR JUST SITS AND SWINGS.
Free pickup and delivery in the Elk Valley
PERSONAL AUTOMOTIVE , COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL REPAIR SERVICES Sparwood 743 Doug las F i r Road .250. 425.6535 or E lk ford 1 F ron t S t ree t .250. 865.4622
Home of the Elk Valleys Most Experienced
Mechanics
What’s inside the guide!
Population: 2,500Elevation: 1,140mIncorporated: 1966Schools: Rocky Mountain Elementary School (K-7) and Elkford Secondary School (8-12)
www.thefreepress.ca - Elkford Guide4
-at a glance
Claim To Fame: Wilderness Capital of BC Behind The Name: Elk are many in the town of
Elkford and the coal mine known as Fording was in� uential in the creation of the town.
Elkford
Elkford Guide - www.thefreepress.ca 5
What’s
your
Elkford
Because of the quick hike and the beauty Josephine Falls is one of Elkford’s most popular attractions.Photo courtesy of the Elkford Visitor Information Center
Whether you want to fi sh, or relax with a breathtaking view, the Elk Lakes can be enjoyed by everyone. Photo courtesy of the Elkford Visitor Information Center
www.thefreepress.ca - Elkford Guide6
the isFor the water lover, Elkford offers many pristine lakes, rivers and waterfalls. Whether you enjoy a quiet dip in the warm Sulfur Spring or seek the thrill of your next big catch you will be sure to fi nd it in Elkford.
• The Elk Lakes
The Elk Lakes Provincial Park is located 69km north of Elkford. Surrounded by a breathtaking backdrop of sky high mountains, glaciers, waterfalls and cliffs sit the Elk Lakes. The Elk Lakes present not only an abundance of summer fi shing opportunities, but
during the winter, ice fi shing be-comes a treasured hobby of locals and visitors alike. Many campsites and trails are available for those that enjoy sitting back, relaxing and enjoying the scenery.
• Josephine Falls
A brief hike off of the road leading to Fording is Josephine Falls. The falls are spectacular, dropping 25m down a rugged canyon carved out by the Fording River,
• Sulphur Springs
Tricky to fi nd, but well worth the effort. Sulphur Springs is a natural-ly, warm spring hidden in surround-
ing forests and wildlife. Sulphur Springs is known for its smell as much as the healing properties some believe the water has. Take the Line Creek Road and turn left after the bridge. Approximately 10km after the bridge is the turn down the rugged road leading to Sulphur Springs.
• The Elk & Fording River.
A fl y-fi sher’s delight are the Elk and Fording River both located north of Elkford. With as many spots known, there are more unknown. Fishers can wade or walk down the edges of the river to get lost in a day of some of Canada’s best fi shing.
• Lost Lake & Lily Lake.
After the trail from Josephine Falls, you will fi nd Lily Lake and Lost Lake. The trails to these lakes are recommended for the more experienced hikers/riders but with their raw beauty and remote loca-tions wetland birds, big game and untouched nature are sure to be seen.
Please remember: Wildlife is abun-dant, so be aware and use precau-tions. Always tell someone where you are going and a map & GPS are recommended. Wherever your travels in Elkford bring you, leave nothing behind but your footprints.
The Elk Lakes are a popular destination for both sightseers and adventure seekers. Photo courtesy of the Elkford Visitor Information Center
Elkford Guide - www.thefreepress.ca 7
the is
great reasons
Jenna loves Elkford
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www.thefreepress.ca - Elkford Guide8
WAPITI SKI HILLWapiti Ski Hill is highly treasured with the residents and visitors of Elkford, and for good reason. It lays claim to seven runs for beginners or expert skiers with over one thousand feet of vertical drop. New to the hill is a Terrain Park with an angled step down, a twenty foot step up, kinked rail and straight rail. Remember, helmets are always mandatory in the Terrain Park. Wapiti also offers, lessons, rentals and night skiing at a fraction of the
cost of large commercial ski resorts. At an elevation of 1300m and an annual snowfall
of over 350cm, skiers can be sure to fi nd more fresh
powder than people. The ski hill and
ski hill conces-sion are ran and maintained by a volunteer ski so-ciety. For more
information on the Wapiti Ski Hill visit
their website at www.wapitiskiclub.com.
greatgreat5
THE WILDLIFEElkford is known around the world as be-ing the Wilderness Capital of B.C. Around every corner and turn this can be observed with the vast amount of wild-life walking around the community easily coexisting with the human residents. Most recently, Elkford has shared it’s home with the legendary “Spirit Bear”, a mother bear with triplet cubs, two of whom are the rare white in colour, herds of elk, many deer
and cougars as well as hundreds of species of birds. Visitors who travel to Elkford
are astounded at the splendor and magnifi cence of the wildlife
and the sprawling rocky mountains from any road or trail in the commu-nity. As beautiful as the wildlife is, the District would like to remind all
visitors and residents that feeding wildlife is strictly
prohibited. When visiting Elk-ford, have your camera in hand and
you will be guaranteed to have incredible photos and memories of Elkford, B.C.
with the legendary “Spirit Bear”, a mother bear with
are astounded at the splendor and magnifi cence of the wildlife
and the sprawling rocky mountains from any road or trail in the commu-nity. As beautiful as the wildlife is, the District would like to remind all
visitors and residents that feeding wildlife is strictly
prohibited. When visiting Elk-ford, have your camera in hand and
every corner and turn this can be observed with the
Jenna Jensen
Jenna lovesElkford
1WAPITI SKI HILL
1WAPITI SKI HILL
1Wapiti Ski Hill is highly treasured with 1Wapiti Ski Hill is highly treasured with 1greatgreatreasonsreasons
Jenna Jensen
Jenna
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Elkford Guide - www.thefreepress.ca 9
WILDERNESS CLASSIC SLED DOG DERBY
WILDCAT DAYS
THE RECREATION DEPARTMENT
Wildcat Days is Elkford’s annual community festival drawing in crowds of people. Wild-cat Days is named after “Wildcat Charlie” Weigert, one of Elkford’s fi rst pioneers. Wildcat Days is fi lled with many events for children and adults of all ages. A parade, kid’s carnival, prizes, live music, contests and competitions run through the weekend and the nightlife in Elkford’s most popular watering holes is always a hit with popular live bands rocking the adult scene. For those who like to shop, local area vendors
set up displays of homemade and commer-cial goods during Wildcat Days. No matter what excites you, you will be sure to fi nd it during Elk-ford’s Wildcat Days.
A sight for the whole family to see. The Wilderness Classic Sled Dog Derby is an annual event held in Elkford drawing in sled dog teams and spectators from around the world. Along with the races Elkford also holds many other community events during the Derby such as a snow sculpture competition, snowshoe biathlon, two dollar swimming, a toboggan party and other winter activities the whole family will be sure to enjoy. Top dog sled teams head to Elkford to participate in the races and
win the prestigious awards handed out as the competition closes. The community of Elkford unites in a combined effort of hundreds of volunteer hours to make the Sled Dog Derby a very well rec-ognized event.
The Recreation Department is always full of activity in Elkford. With 4 lanes for swimming and a “beach front” access for young children, two diving boards, a slide, whirlpool hot tub and a sauna the Recreation Department is a favourite place to spend time enjoying the water indoors. Next to the pool is Elkford’s arena and curling complex which is also used to house many commu-
nity events and activities in Elkford. The District of Elkford is now currently
in the process of building a new state of the art community
center which will soon be a central location to house most of Elkford’s events and ceremonies as well as the
daycare, a playground and community information center.
Many activities and programs are ran through the Recreation Depart-
ment so residents and visitors can take part in pursuits of all kinds.
Elkford Guide - www.thefreepress.ca 9
what excites
water indoors. Next to the pool is Elkford’s arena and curling complex
District of Elkford is now currently in the process of building a new
state of the art community center which will soon be a central location to house most of Elkford’s events and ceremonies as well as the
daycare, a playground and community information center.
Many activities and programs are ran through the Recreation Depart-
ment so residents and visitors can take
of activity in Elkford. With 4
event.
nity events and activities in Elkford. The
ognized
5 WILDCAT DAYS5 WILDCAT DAYSWildcat Days is Elkford’s annual community 5Wildcat Days is Elkford’s annual community festival drawing in crowds of people. Wild-5festival drawing in crowds of people. Wild-cat Days is named after “Wildcat Charlie” 5cat Days is named after “Wildcat Charlie” Weigert, one of Elkford’s fi rst pioneers. 5Weigert, one of Elkford’s fi rst pioneers.
www.thefreepress.ca - Elkford Guide10
Elkford recently celebrated its 40th birth-day. A young community in comparison to many, but nonetheless Elkford is rich in history and was created by the hands of hundreds of volunteers. With the backing of the coal mine called Fording, Elkford was established to house Fording employees and eventually grew to become an established community of thousands. Many residents have lived in Elkford since the beginning and recall the early days of taking a dusty dirt road to get there. Development in Elk-ford was rapid and it was dubbed as “B.C.’s fastest growing community.” Today Elkford is thriving and many projects and develop-ments are always underway.
The Spirit Bear is a legend of Elkford. Until lately, the white bear has been rarely seen and mysterious. These bears are known for their blonde or white coat, they are uncom-mon and illegal to hunt, but a treasured sight to see. It is unknown whether these black bears are in a lighter color phase or if they may share some genetic relationship with the Kermode bears who live on the Central and North Coast of B.C. These bears are currently being studied by scientists and with testing, it may soon be revealed what makes these black bears white.
State of the art construction underway on the new community center, National Resources Canada recognition of Elkford’s climate change plans, greenhouse gas reduction plans, water conservation, and many more strategies have been defi ned as a priority of Elkford. In the offi cial commu-nity plan Elkford outlines several policies to direct growth and development while protecting and enhancing residents’ current quality of life. A local volunteer commit-tee guided the steps in the process and also resulted in signifi cant public input. To read Elkford’s offi cial community plan you can visit the District of Elkford’s website at www.elkford.ca.
Elkford hosts a variety of annual com-munity events that showcase the style of Elkford such as the adult and kid triathlon, winter festival, Canada Day, Miss Elkford Pageant and Trans Rockies, just to name a few. Celebrations occur in all seasons, and draw crowds from the entire Elk Valley. Come check out any one, or all of Elkford’s celebrations!
A COAL BOOM CREATES ELKFORD
THE SPIRIT BEAR
LEADING THE WAY IN SUSTAINABILITY
ANNUAL COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS
Elkford Guide - www.thefreepress.ca 11
DiscoveringElkford
Some call Elkford the end of the road, as there is no highway leading North of the
community. Others call Elkford the begin-ning of the backcountry. In any case,
Elkford is well known worldwide for the expansive backcountry surrounding the community and lending to some of the
best fishing, hunting, hiking and ATV’ing around. Elkford has an abundance of trail
systems, as well as hundreds of acres rarely ever walked upon by anything oth-er than wildlife. Residents and visitors of
Elkford engage in many outdoor activi-ties and the lifestyle of outdoor leisure is readily apparent from anywhere in town.
LEADING THE WAY IN SUSTAINABILITY BOUNDLESS BACKCOUNTRY
www.thefreepress.ca - Elkford Guide12
Golf Elkford At Mountain Meadows Golf Course Streams, snowcapped mountains, wildlife. This is what you will fi nd at Elkford’s Mountain Meadows Golf Course. Well know for fabulous golf and the lowest rates in the region, Mountain Meadows will provide new and experienced golfers the game they have been waiting for. The nine hole course was constructed on an elk grazing meadow in 1976 and has been a popular place for residents and visi-tors to spend the day in the sunshine.
Mountain Meadows Golf Course is home to two of the toughest par 3’s
in the Kootenays - the 184 yard 5th and the 195 yard 12th hole. Both holes demand accurate tees shots to heavily guarded greens. Water is found on six of the nine holes and the fi rst nine play much different from the back nine, so there are a very different 18 holes to be played. At the Clubhouse is a family restaurant and lounge where people come to enjoy the atmosphere and amazing views. The Pro Shop offers all kinds of gear and gifts and there are always rentals available.
9 holes• Clubhouse, restaruant and • loungePro shop• Practice facility and driving • range
Lessons • Golf carts• RV parking• The lowest rates• The best mountian views• Golf for everyone to enjoy•
9 holes Lessons Mountain Meadows Golf Course Offers:
Elk ValleyPhotographywww.elkvalleyphotography.com
Jenna Jensen250-425-9044
“Making your moments last a lifetime.”
Specializing in quality, unique and a� ordable photography for special occasions or just because.
Serving the Elk Valley & area
BLACK ROCK NEWS
Sparwood & Elkford’s
“Dedicated To Communicating With The Community”
Serving the South Country, Fernie,
Sparwood, Elkford since 1898
THE FREE PRESS
Elkford Guide - www.thefreepress.ca 13
Mountain Meadows Golf Course Offers:
Camping Out
Elkford Lions Municipal Campground is beautiful, tree fi lled and surrounded by 40 km of maintained hiking and biking trails. With over seventy-fi ve sites, hot showers, a sani dump, free fi rewood for all registered guests, a giant family sized fi re pit and cookhouse for group gatherings this campground is sure to satisfy every camper. For more information please call 250.865.4470.
in Elkford
www.thefreepress.ca - Elkford Guide14
Mountain Meadows
GC
Ma
p O
f E
lkfo
rd
Elkford Guide - www.thefreepress.ca 15
Ca
len
da
r o
f E
ve
nts
Dec
embe
r 8.
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.Moo
nlig
ht M
adne
ss C
raft
Sal
e-
Janu
ary
20-2
2...
....
15th
Ann
ual S
led
Dog
Der
by &
Win
ter
Fest
ival
Febr
uary
...
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....
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....
...E
lkfo
rd W
inte
r Fe
stiv
al
Febr
uary
3-5
...
.. .
....
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....
.Wild
cat
Curl
ing
Bons
piel
Mar
ch 3
...
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....
..Fi
gure
skat
ing
Ice
Carn
ival
May
3..
....
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....
Yout
h Am
bass
ador
Win
e &
Che
ese
Show
May
25-
26..
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....
Yout
h Am
bass
ador
Pag
eant
June
....
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.Tee
Off
For
Tot
s
July
1-3.
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.Can
ada
Day
& W
ildca
t D
ays
Sept
embe
r...
....
....
....
.Vol
unte
er A
ppre
ciat
ion
Gol
f To
urna
men
t
Ad
ve
rtis
ers
In
de
xTe
ck -
Teck
is t
he la
rges
t em
ploy
er in
the
Elk
Val
ley
wit
h ov
er 3
,300
em
ploy
ees
and
5 m
ines
incl
udin
g Co
al
Mou
ntai
n, E
lkvi
ew,
Ford
ing
Rive
r, G
reen
hills
and
Li
ne C
reek
Elk
Valle
y Ph
otog
raph
y-
Spec
ializ
ing
in u
niqu
e, o
n lo
cati
on p
hoto
sho
ots
for
sing
les,
cou
ples
, fa
mili
es,
and
busi
ness
es.
Serv
ing
the
Elk
Valle
y an
d ar
ea.
SMS
Equi
pmen
t-
Supp
lies
equi
pmen
t, p
arts
and
ser
vice
to
the
con
stru
ctio
n, f
ores
try,
min
ing
indu
stri
es a
nd u
tilit
y pr
oduc
t us
ers.
Mou
ntai
n M
echa
nica
lRe
pair
s fo
r al
l of
your
per
sona
l aut
omot
ive,
com
-m
erci
al a
nd in
dust
rial
rep
air
need
s. F
rom
big
to
smal
l we
repa
ir it
all.
Dis
tric
t of
Elk
ford
El
kfor
d is
a p
ictu
resq
ue R
ocky
Mou
ntai
n to
wn.
It
rem
ains
a p
lace
whe
re n
atur
e pr
evai
ls –
and
hu-
man
ity
borr
ows
a bi
t of
spa
ce.
The
Free
Pre
ss
A w
eekl
y ne
wsp
aper
ser
ving
Fer
nie,
Sp
arw
ood,
Elk
ford
and
The
Sou
th
Coun
try
sinc
e 18
98.
Publ
ishe
d ev
ery
Thur
sday
and
can
be
view
ed o
nlin
e at
ww
w.t
hefr
eepr
ess.
ca.
GPI
Cha
rter
ed A
ccou
tant
s -
The
Elk
Valle
y’s
Char
tere
d Ac
coun
tant
s sp
ecia
lizin
g in
inco
me
tax
redu
ctio
n st
rate
gies
for
bus
ines
s an
d in
divi
dual
s as
wel
l as
othe
r bu
sine
ss a
ccou
ntin
g ne
eds.