Hedley, British Columbia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hedley
Hedley, British Columbia Location in British Columbia
Country	Canada
Province	BC/BCE
Region	Similkameen Country
Regional District	Okanagan-Similkameen
Area
• Total	0.57 km2 (0.22 sq mi)
Population  (2016)
• Total	242
• Density	422.4/km2 (1,094/sq mi)
Area codes	250, 778, 236, & 672
Highway	Hwy 3

Hedley is a small community in southern British Columbia, Canada. It's located near Hedley Creek in the Similkameen region. This former mining town sits on BC Highway 3. It is about 74 kilometers (46 miles) southwest of Penticton and 38 kilometers (24 miles) southeast of Princeton.

First Peoples of Hedley

The Upper Similkameen Indian Band has its Chuchuwayha Indian Reserve #2 right next to Hedley. This reserve is mostly to the northwest of the town. The Snaza'ist Discovery Centre is a special place here. It offers tours of the Mascot mine and teaches visitors about the culture of the First Nations people.

How Hedley Got Its Name

The town of Hedley was named after Hedley Camp. This was the original tent settlement used by prospectors (people looking for minerals) who were working on Nickel Plate Mountain. The name came from Robert R. Hedley. He was the first owner of a mining claim called Rollo on the mountain. He also managed a smelter (a place that melts ore to get metal) in Nelson.

Mining History on Nickel Plate Mountain

Mining was a big part of Hedley's past. The Nickel Plate Mine operated from 1900 to 1955. Another important mine, the Hedley Mascot Mine, was active from 1936 to 1949. Later, from 1988 to 1996, these mines were combined and operated as one.

Hedley's Early Days

The post office in Hedley in 2009.

The town of Hedley was officially planned out in 1900. That same year, a wagon road opened, connecting Hedley to Penticton. In 1901, the first hotel opened, and a general store was set up. The Old Hedley Road was also extended to Princeton. By 1902, another store opened, and a stagecoach service began, connecting Hedley to Penticton and Princeton. At this time, Hedley's population grew to over 1,000 people!

The first post office opened in 1903 inside a store. Later, it moved to a drug store and then to its current building. In 1905, the first bank in the Similkameen Valley opened in Hedley. A local newspaper, the Hedley Gazette, was published from 1905 to 1917. Many early hotels in Hedley were destroyed by fires over the years. By the mid-1950s, several fires damaged much of the business area. This happened as the town's population was shrinking. The population was highest in 1943 with 816 people. But it dropped a lot after the railway stopped running in 1954 and mining ended in 1955.

The Railway's Role

The railway was very important for Hedley. The Vancouver, Victoria and Eastern Railway (VV&E) started service to Hedley in 1909. This connected the town to the Great Northern Railway network.

In May 1915, the Canadian Pacific Railway also started service on the Kettle Valley Railway. This line connected the coast to the Kootenays, with a link to the Great Northern Railway in Princeton.

However, the railway service to Hedley didn't last forever. The line between Princeton and Hedley was stopped in 1937, though it hadn't been used since a bridge washed out in 1934. The line from Hedley to Keremeos closed in 1954.

Hedley Today

The Hedley Heritage Museum in 2009.

Today, Hedley has a special place called the Hedley Heritage Museum and Tea Room. It displays old items and photos from the town's mining days. You can also see some historic houses around town. The oldest building is the former Grace Methodist church, built in 1903. It was also the first school in Hedley.

In 2018, a fire destroyed the Hitching Post Restaurant, which was built in 1904. However, the Hedley Country Market (also known as the Motherlode Store), built in 1905, is still open. The post office is open six days a week. The population of Hedley has stayed pretty steady in recent years, with 252 people in 2011 and 242 in 2016.

Hedley on Screen

Hedley has been a filming location for both movies and television shows!

Movies Filmed in Hedley

• 1987: Malone, starring Burt Reynolds.
• 2001: Part of The Pledge, starring Jack Nicholson and directed by Sean Penn.

Television Shows Filmed in Hedley

• 2008: The mini-series "The Andromeda Strain".
• Hedley was featured on the historical television series Gold Trails and Ghost Towns in Season 3, Episode 10.

Hedley's Climate