Blairmore, Alberta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Blairmore Tenth Siding The Springs
Former village
The Cosmopolitan Hotel and Bar in Blairmore
Blairmore Location in the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass Show map of the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass Blairmore Location in Alberta Show map of Alberta
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Census division	No. 15
Specialized municipality	Municipality of Crowsnest Pass
Village	September 3, 1901
Town	September 29, 1911
Amalgamated	January 1, 1979
Government
• Type	Unincorporated
Area
• Land	2.04 km2 (0.79 sq mi)
Population  (2021)
• Total	1,522
• Density	741.6/km2 (1,921/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)

Blairmore is a community found in the Rocky Mountains in southwest Alberta, Canada. It is part of the larger Municipality of Crowsnest Pass. Blairmore used to be its own town. But in 1979, it joined with four other towns to create the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass. Today, Blairmore is the main business hub of the Crowsnest Pass area.

History of Blairmore

Early Days and Growth

Blairmore started as a stop for the Canadian Pacific Railway. It was first called Tenth Siding or The Springs. This name came from a cold sulphur spring nearby. In November 1898, the settlement was renamed Blairmore. A post office opened there the next year.

For ten years, a disagreement over land slowed down the town's early growth. The main industries in Blairmore were lumber and, after 1907, coal mining. Other businesses soon followed. On September 29, 1911, Blairmore officially became a town.

Becoming a Regional Centre

The nearby community of Frank faced tough times. Because of this, Blairmore quickly became the most important economic centre in the region. The Greenhill mine, just north of Blairmore, was very important to the community. It provided many jobs until it closed in 1957.

Unique Local Government

In the 1930s, Blairmore had a unique local government. In 1933, the town elected Canada's first town council and school board that supported certain political ideas. This council changed the tax system. They also decided not to observe Remembrance Day in the usual way. Instead, they honored the Russian Revolution. A street was even named after Tim Buck, a leader of a political party. However, the next town council changed the street name back.

Joining Crowsnest Pass

In 1979, Blairmore joined with four other communities. These were Coleman, Frank, Hillcrest Mines, and Bellevue. Together, they formed the larger Municipality of Crowsnest Pass.

Geography of Blairmore

Blairmore is located in the Canadian Rockies in southwest Alberta. It is about 135 kilometres (84 miles) west of Lethbridge. You can find it on Highway 3 (Crowsnest Highway). It is also about 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of the British Columbia border. Other communities in Crowsnest Pass are close by. Frank is about 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) to the east. Coleman is about 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) to the west.

Geology Around Blairmore

The rocks in the Blairmore area are special. They are Volcanic rocks that are part of something called the Crowsnest Formation. In the late 1980s, geologists became very interested in these rocks. They found tiny amounts of gold in some of them. There's even a very rare volcanic rock called Blairmorite. It was named after Blairmore because it was found there.

Population of Blairmore

In the 2021 Census, Blairmore had a population of 1,522 people. These people lived in 731 homes. This was a small decrease from its population of 1,545 in 2016. Blairmore covers an area of 2.04 square kilometres (0.79 square miles). This means there were about 741.6 people living in each square kilometre in 2021.

In the 2016 Census, Blairmore had 1,545 people. They lived in 731 homes. This was a small increase from its 2011 population of 1,521. With the same land area, the population density was about 757.4 people per square kilometre in 2016.