| Radium Hot Springs is at the gateway to the | | | | has become a four season resort town.Not |
| Kootenay National Park (KNP) which has long | | | | counted among the village's 750 residents are |
| been an east-west travel route. It is | | | | some 200 members of a Rocky Mountain bighorn |
| believed that the area encompassed by the | | | | sheep band. Few other communities can match |
| park, some 1406 sq. km., was traveled on a | | | | Radium for the numbers of sheep. Built on |
| seasonal basis by First Nations. The Ktunaxa | | | | part of the band's winter range, Radium and |
| regularly crossed the Rockies via Whiteman | | | | valley residents have learned to live and |
| Pass, Simpson Pass and Vermilion Pass to hunt | | | | work side-by-side with the sheep and |
| buffalo on the plains.The first non-native | | | | appreciate the blue-listed species. The |
| people in the area were trappers and fur | | | | sheep are commonly seen in the village only |
| traders with the first recorded visit by Sir | | | | from late autumn to mid-spring.Like most |
| George Simpson in 1841. Hard on Simpson's | | | | valley communities, Radium has an interesting |
| heels was James Sinclair who came over | | | | past. Human beings have been making the most |
| Whiteman Pass leading a cavalcade of Red | | | | of the healing waters for hundreds of years, |
| River settlers en route to Walla Walla, | | | | beginning with the First Nations people who |
| Washington. In 1858 geologist James Hector | | | | used Sinclair Pass for access between the |
| led a branch of the Palliser expedition into | | | | Columbia and Kootenay valleys. In 1920, when |
| the north end of the Kootenay area.By the | | | | its population consisted of a handful of |
| early 1900s local businessmen were lobbying | | | | construction workers and lumberjacks, |
| for a road linking Windermere to Banff. | | | | accommodations neither so plentiful nor |
| Eventually the road was completed by the | | | | civilized as they are today. Two dollars a |
| federal government in exchange for title to a | | | | week bought you space shared with strangers |
| strip of land on either side of the route. | | | | in a tent with a bed made of clean hay, |
| In 1920, this land was set aside as Kootenay | | | | illuminated by candles stuck in empty whisky |
| National Park.The best known built up area in | | | | bottles. Use of the hot pool cost 50 cents |
| the region is Radium Hot Springs which is | | | | or $1 a day for as many soaks as you |
| just at the south entrance to the park | | | | wanted.In 1923 an analyst from the Canadian |
| through the narrow gorge of the Sinclair | | | | government did some tests that showed the |
| Canyon. Although it has a reputation for | | | | waters were radioactive, hence the name |
| being perhaps the petunia and bighorn sheep | | | | Radium. It is believed that the water is |
| capital of BC, Radium is most famous for | | | | therapeutic, particularly for arthritis |
| which it was named, the healing, hot water | | | | sufferers. Even for completely healthy |
| springing from the earth and captured in a | | | | people, the water is certainly relaxing and |
| huge soaking pool.Known internationally as a | | | | soothing and the view provided from the pools |
| resort town, it has more than 30 motels and | | | | of the red walls of Sinclair Canyon is sheer |
| hotels, all geared to providing accommodation | | | | beauty. Geographical formations are the |
| for the thousands of visitors who pass | | | | order of the area, as witnessed by the |
| through every year. They arrive on one of | | | | redrock wall and the dramatic crack which you |
| three highways, Hwy 95 south from Golden, Hwy | | | | pass through upon entering Radium.The village |
| 93 southwest of the TransCanada Highway | | | | of Radium is also now synonymous with golf as |
| between Lake Louise and Banff, or north on 93 | | | | it boasts two top-rated 18-hole golf courses; |
| 95 coming in from Montana and Idaho. The | | | | the Springs at Radium and the Radium Resort. |
| Village of Radium Hot Springs with a current | | | | Radium is also the gateway to a will Purcell |
| population of 750 year round residents, was | | | | Mountain backcountry rife with recreational |
| incorporated in 1992. It remains one of the | | | | opportunities. |
| province's fastest growing communities and | | | | |