Cranbrook, British Columbia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cranbrook
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| City of Cranbrook | ||
Downtown Cranbrook
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| Motto(s):
Mountains of Opportunity
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 Cranbrook
Location in British Columbia
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| Country | Canada | |
| Province | British Columbia | |
| Regional District | East Kootenay | |
| Established | 1898 | |
| Incorporation | 1905 | |
| Area
(2021)
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| • Land | 31.97 km2 (12.34 sq mi) | |
| • Agglomeration | 4,563.87 km2 (1,762.12 sq mi) | |
| • Population centre | 16.32 km2 (6.30 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 921 m (3,021 ft) | |
| Population
(2021)
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| • Total | 20,499 | |
| • Density | 641.2/km2 (1,661/sq mi) | |
| • Agglomeration | 27,040 | |
| • Agglomeration density | 5.9/km2 (15/sq mi) | |
| • Population centre | 20,008 | |
| • Population centre density | 1,225.8/km2 (3,175/sq mi) | |
| Demonym(s) | Cranbrookite, Cranbrookian | |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 (MST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) | |
| Forward sortation area |
V1C
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| Area code(s) | 250, 778, 236, 672 | |
| Telephone Exchanges | 236-363, 250-417, 250-420, 250-421, 250-426, 250-464, 250-489, 250-581, 250-919, 778-261, 778-450, 778-517, 778-520, 778-550, 778-570, 778-687, 778-761, 778-963 | |
| NTS Map | 82G5 Moyie Lake | |
| GNBC Code | JAIQY | |
| Highways |  Hwy 3 Hwy 95 Hwy 95A Hwy 93 |
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| City Data | ||
Cranbrook (pronounced KRAN-bruuk) is a city in the southeast part of British Columbia, Canada. It's located about 10 kilometers southwest of where the Kootenay River and the St. Mary's River meet. Cranbrook is the biggest city in the East Kootenay area.
As of 2021, about 20,499 people live in Cranbrook. If you count the surrounding communities, the population is around 27,040. The city is also home to the main offices for the Regional District of East Kootenay.
You can visit the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel in Cranbrook. It shows old passenger train cars from the 1920s and 1900s. These cars were built for the CPR and the Spokane International Railway.
Contents
History of Cranbrook
Long ago, the Ktunaxa people lived on the land where Cranbrook is now. Later, European settlers bought the land. One important settler was Colonel James Baker. He named his new land Cranbrook after his home in Cranbrook, England.
In 1898, Colonel Baker convinced the Canadian Pacific Railway to build their Crowsnest Pass line through Cranbrook. This was a big deal because it meant the railway would go through Cranbrook instead of nearby Fort Steele. Because of this, Cranbrook grew into the main center of the region. Fort Steele became less important, but today it is a preserved heritage town you can visit.
Cranbrook officially became a city on November 1, 1905. Today, some of the main jobs in Cranbrook are in mining, forestry, trades, and health care.
Cranbrook's Geography
Cranbrook is mostly flat, but it has many hills where homes are built. The city is surrounded by beautiful mountains. To the west, you can see the Purcell Mountains, and to the north and east are the Rocky Mountains.
There are also many lakes close to Cranbrook. Some popular ones include Jim Smith Lake, Wasa Lake, and Moyie Lake. These lakes are great for boating, fishing, and camping. You can find public beaches and provincial campgrounds to enjoy the outdoors.
Cranbrook's Climate
Cranbrook has a climate with warm, sunny summers and cold, snowy winters. It gets a lot of sunshine, about 2190.5 hours each year. This makes it one of the sunniest cities in British Columbia.
The city is quite dry throughout the year. When it does rain or snow, a good amount of it is snow. Cranbrook also has light winds and few foggy days. The air pressure here is often higher than in many other Canadian cities.
The days without frost usually last about 127 days, from May 18 to September 23. The average daily temperatures range from about -6.5°C in winter to 19.2°C in summer. However, temperatures can drop to -20°C in winter and rise to 35°C in summer.
The hottest temperature ever recorded in Cranbrook was 40.5°C on August 10, 2018. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -41.1°C on January 19, 1958.
| Climate data for Cranbrook (Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport) WMO ID: 71880; coordinates 49°36′44″N 115°46′55″W / 49.61222°N 115.78194°W; elevation: 940.0 m (3,084.0 ft); 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1901–present |
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13.9 (57.0) |
13.5 (56.3) |
22.4 (72.3) |
30.6 (87.1) |
34.2 (93.6) |
40.1 (104.2) |
38.9 (102.0) |
40.5 (104.9) |
33.9 (93.0) |
29.4 (84.9) |
19.5 (67.1) |
13.3 (55.9) |
40.5 (104.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −1.9 (28.6) |
1.6 (34.9) |
7.3 (45.1) |
12.8 (55.0) |
18.3 (64.9) |
21.5 (70.7) |
26.9 (80.4) |
26.6 (79.9) |
20.4 (68.7) |
11.4 (52.5) |
2.7 (36.9) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
12.1 (53.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −6.1 (21.0) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
1.8 (35.2) |
6.4 (43.5) |
11.5 (52.7) |
14.9 (58.8) |
19.2 (66.6) |
18.6 (65.5) |
13.1 (55.6) |
5.6 (42.1) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
−6.5 (20.3) |
6.1 (43.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −10.1 (13.8) |
−8.6 (16.5) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
0.0 (32.0) |
4.7 (40.5) |
8.2 (46.8) |
11.3 (52.3) |
10.4 (50.7) |
5.7 (42.3) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
−10.1 (13.8) |
0.2 (32.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −41.1 (−42.0) |
−37.2 (−35.0) |
−30.0 (−22.0) |
−17.2 (1.0) |
−12.2 (10.0) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−12.2 (10.0) |
−29.4 (−20.9) |
−31.8 (−25.2) |
−40.0 (−40.0) |
−41.1 (−42.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 26.7 (1.05) |
19.9 (0.78) |
26.5 (1.04) |
23.2 (0.91) |
42.0 (1.65) |
62.2 (2.45) |
35.4 (1.39) |
24.0 (0.94) |
30.1 (1.19) |
26.1 (1.03) |
34.8 (1.37) |
34.8 (1.37) |
385.7 (15.17) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 4.8 (0.19) |
3.4 (0.13) |
11.9 (0.47) |
17.7 (0.70) |
41.1 (1.62) |
66.4 (2.61) |
38.1 (1.50) |
25.4 (1.00) |
30.9 (1.22) |
18.7 (0.74) |
13.8 (0.54) |
6.6 (0.26) |
278.8 (10.98) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 27.8 (10.9) |
17.4 (6.9) |
15.5 (6.1) |
6.4 (2.5) |
1.4 (0.6) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
5.8 (2.3) |
23.9 (9.4) |
34.6 (13.6) |
132.8 (52.3) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 12.3 | 9.1 | 10.0 | 9.2 | 11.0 | 13.4 | 8.6 | 7.2 | 8.0 | 9.6 | 12.3 | 12.9 | 123.6 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 3.0 | 2.3 | 5.3 | 7.4 | 10.9 | 13.7 | 8.8 | 7.7 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 5.4 | 2.5 | 83 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 10.9 | 7.6 | 6.4 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 7.8 | 12.1 | 50.3 |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 3pm) | 71.9 | 58.5 | 48.7 | 41.0 | 40.2 | 42.6 | 33.7 | 32.2 | 39.7 | 50.7 | 67.8 | 75.2 | 50.2 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 63.5 | 106.9 | 163.2 | 215.0 | 256.7 | 267.8 | 315.1 | 302.7 | 218.2 | 159.5 | 69.8 | 51.9 | 2,190.5 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 23.7 | 37.5 | 44.4 | 52.2 | 54.0 | 55.0 | 64.2 | 67.7 | 57.5 | 47.6 | 25.5 | 20.4 | 45.8 |
| Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada(Sunshine: 1981-2010) | |||||||||||||
People in Cranbrook
In 2021, Cranbrook had a population of 20,499 people. This was a small increase from its population in 2016. The city covers an area of about 31.97 square kilometers. Cranbrook is a place where people from many different backgrounds live.
Education in Cranbrook
Schools for All Ages
Public schools in Cranbrook are managed by School District 5 Southeast Kootenay. There are seven elementary schools and two middle schools. Students from these schools then go on to Mount Baker Secondary School, which is the only high school in the city. Mount Baker Secondary is the largest high school in the district, with about 1,000 students.
Before 2004, middle schools were called junior high schools and included grades 8-10. Now, they serve grades 7-9. This change happened because fewer students were enrolling. Cranbrook also has a local home-school network for families who prefer to learn at home.
Here is a list of the 13 schools in Cranbrook:
- Aqamnik Elementary School (a First Nations school)
- Amy Woodland Elementary
- Gordon Terrace Elementary
- Highlands Elementary School
- Kootenay Christian Academy
- Kootenay Orchards Elementary School
- Laurie Middle School
- Mount Baker Secondary School
- Parkland Middle School
- Pinewood Elementary School
- St. Mary's Catholic Independent School (a private school)
- Steeples Elementary School
- T M Roberts Elementary School
College Education
Cranbrook is also home to the main campus of the College of the Rockies. This college has over 2,500 students, both full-time and part-time. Students come from more than 21 different countries to study here.
Getting Around Cranbrook
Cranbrook is an important place for travel because it's where major highways 3 and 93/95 meet. It's also close to the borders of Alberta and the United States.
The city has a large Canadian Pacific Railway yard. This yard is a key point for trains traveling to and from the United States.
The McPhee Bridge, also known as the St. Mary's Bridge, goes high over the St. Mary River. It's near the Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport. This bridge helps thousands of people travel between Kimberley and Cranbrook on highway 95A.
The Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport is about 5 nautical miles north of the city. The airport recently finished a big expansion. Its runway was made longer to handle some international flights. The terminal was also expanded for more passengers. Several airlines fly from this airport to cities like Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, and Calgary.
Cranbrook also has a public transit system run by BC Transit. This system uses buses on eight different routes to help people get around the city.
Sports and Fun in Cranbrook
Western Financial Place is a popular spot in Cranbrook. It has a swimming pool and a hockey arena. It opened in 2000. This arena used to be home to the Kootenay Ice hockey team. After they moved in 2019, the Cranbrook Bucks became the new home team. They play in the BCHL.
There's a paved, two-lane trail that is 28 kilometers long between Cranbrook and Kimberley, BC. This trail is part of the Trans-Canada Trail and is called the Rails to Trails. The Canadian Pacific Railway gave the land for the trail. The railway tracks were removed starting in 2009. Besides this trail, there are 2000 acres of wilderness in the community forest to explore.
Media in Cranbrook
Newspapers
- Cranbrook Daily Townsman - This is the city's daily newspaper.
Radio Stations
- 101.3 FM - CBRR-FM, CBC Radio One (plays programs from CBTK-FM, Kelowna)
- 102.9 FM - CHDR-FM, 102.9 REWIND RADIO
- 104.7 FM - CHBZ-FM, B-104, Country music
- 107.5 FM - CFSM-FM, 107.5 2day FM, Adult Contemporary music
Television
- Channel 5: (Air) Channel 4: (Cable) CFCN-TV-9, CTV (a local broadcast of CFCN-DT Calgary)
- Shaw TV (a local community cable channel)
Famous People from Cranbrook
Many notable people have come from or were born in Cranbrook:
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Sister Cities
Cranbrook has a special partnership with one other city:
- Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (United States)
