Warfield, British Columbia

Warfield is a village at the bottom of the Rossland hill, immediately west of Trail, in the West Kootenay region of southern British Columbia.

Warfield
The Corporation of the Village of Warfield[1]
Nickname: 
Jewel of the Kootenays
Warfield is located in British Columbia
Warfield
Warfield
Location of Warfield in British Columbia
Coordinates: 49°05′43″N 117°44′42″W / 49.09528°N 117.74500°W / 49.09528; -117.74500
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
RegionWest Kootenay
Regional districtKootenay-Boundary
Incorporated8 December 1952
Government
 • Governing bodyWarfield Village Council
Area
 • Total1.9 km2 (0.7 sq mi)
Elevation
600 m (2,000 ft)
Population
 (2016)
 • Total1,680[2]
Time zoneUTC-8 (PST)
Area code(s)250, 778, 236, & 672
Highways Hwy 3B
Hwy 22
WebsiteOfficial website

Settlement edit

Warfield was named after Carlos Warfield, a business partner of Fritz Augustus Heinze, who built the Trail smelter arbitration (1938–1942).[3] Annable,[4][5] Mickey Mouse Town, and Minnie Mouse Town are among its six distinct neighbourhoods.[6] In the 1930s, the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company (CM&S) built a residential area to house employees. Warfield incorporated as a village in 1952.[3]

Fertilizer farm edit

In 1919, CM&S bought a tract of land at Warfield to supply cheap produce for its workers, and show that pollution from the Trail smelter was not as significant as critics claimed, but the farm proved the converse. Following the installation of a pollution control device in 1925, the captured dust was taken to a plant built at the farm that converted the material into a variety of fertilizers. By 1931, the company produced hydrogen, nitrogen, ammonia, ammonia sulphate, phosphite and phosphoric acid-based products.[7]

By 1941, the Warfield plant output of ordinance-grade ammonium nitrate was directed to munitions during World War II. In addition, the US military needed heavy water for the Manhattan Project. The only two sources in the world were Vemork, Norway, under German occupation, and Trail, where electrolytic hydrogen was a by-product of the CM&S sulfur recovery process. CM&S was directed by the federal government to build a heavy water plant at Warfield, which was funded by the US, and operated from 1943 to 1956. A 14-storey concrete building in the midst of the fertilizer complex has evidenced the strategic project.[8]

 
Warfield's welcome sign

Rossland CP line edit

In 1896, Warfield was one of two intermediate stations opened.[3] In 1966, Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) abandoned the Rossland spur west of Warfield.[9]

Demographics edit

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Warfield had a population of 1,753 living in 798 of its 828 total private dwellings, a change of 4.3% from its 2016 population of 1,680. With a land area of 1.89 km2 (0.73 sq mi), it had a population density of 927.5/km2 (2,402.2/sq mi) in 2021.[10]

Religion edit

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Warfield included:[11]

Government edit

On the provincial level, Warfield is a part of the electoral district of Kootenay West (provincial electoral district). The riding, which has traditionally voted for the British Columbia New Democratic Party, is currently represented by NDP MLA Katrine Conroy.

In the House of Commons of Canada, Warfield is represented in the electoral district of South Okanagan—West Kootenay. Created prior to the 2015 General Election, the seat is currently held by NDP Member of Parliament Richard Cannings (British Columbia politician).

School District edit

The current school district for Warfield is School District 20 Kootenay-Columbia.[12] Currently, Warfield offers one elementary school and one preschool.

Schools edit

School Enrollment Grades Mascot Principal Offered sports
James L Webster Elementary School 295 K-7 Leo the Lion Ms Shelly McKay Volleyball (6–7), Basketball (6–7), Cross Country (1–7), and Track (4–7).
Warfield Preschool (Associated with Webster) Not confirmed Preschool (3–5 years old) Not known Ms Shelly McKay N/A

Climate edit

Warfield has a humid continental climate (Dfb) with warm, sometimes hot summer days along with cool nights and moderately cold, snowy winters with annual snowfall averaging 179.1 cm (70.5 in).[13]

Climate data for Warfield
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 11.1
(52.0)
14.0
(57.2)
22.0
(71.6)
30.6
(87.1)
35.6
(96.1)
44.8
(112.6)
41.1
(106.0)
41.6
(106.9)
36.6
(97.9)
26.1
(79.0)
18.3
(64.9)
14.4
(57.9)
44.8
(112.6)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 0.5
(32.9)
3.3
(37.9)
9.2
(48.6)
15.0
(59.0)
19.8
(67.6)
23.3
(73.9)
27.8
(82.0)
28.1
(82.6)
22.1
(71.8)
12.8
(55.0)
4.5
(40.1)
−0.2
(31.6)
13.8
(56.8)
Daily mean °C (°F) −1.8
(28.8)
0.1
(32.2)
4.6
(40.3)
9.1
(48.4)
13.5
(56.3)
16.9
(62.4)
20.4
(68.7)
20.4
(68.7)
15.2
(59.4)
8.1
(46.6)
2.0
(35.6)
−2.4
(27.7)
8.9
(48.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −4.0
(24.8)
−3.1
(26.4)
0.0
(32.0)
3.2
(37.8)
7.1
(44.8)
10.5
(50.9)
12.9
(55.2)
12.7
(54.9)
8.4
(47.1)
3.4
(38.1)
−0.5
(31.1)
−4.5
(23.9)
3.8
(38.8)
Record low °C (°F) −27.8
(−18.0)
−27.2
(−17.0)
−21.1
(−6.0)
−11.1
(12.0)
−4.5
(23.9)
2.8
(37.0)
0.6
(33.1)
4.0
(39.2)
−3.0
(26.6)
−13.3
(8.1)
−20.5
(−4.9)
−31.1
(−24.0)
−31.1
(−24.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 78.4
(3.09)
60.6
(2.39)
66.1
(2.60)
62.0
(2.44)
74.0
(2.91)
74.4
(2.93)
48.2
(1.90)
35.5
(1.40)
39.7
(1.56)
51.4
(2.02)
96.5
(3.80)
92.4
(3.64)
779.0
(30.67)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 27.8
(1.09)
35.2
(1.39)
55.8
(2.20)
60.7
(2.39)
73.9
(2.91)
74.4
(2.93)
48.2
(1.90)
35.5
(1.40)
39.7
(1.56)
49.7
(1.96)
64.4
(2.54)
34.7
(1.37)
599.9
(23.62)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 50.6
(19.9)
25.4
(10.0)
10.3
(4.1)
1.4
(0.6)
0.1
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
1.7
(0.7)
32.0
(12.6)
57.7
(22.7)
179.1
(70.5)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 15.2 13.6 14.5 14.4 15.7 15.1 9.0 7.7 7.6 11.4 17.0 16.1 157.2
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 6.7 8.1 12.9 14.4 15.7 15.1 9.0 7.7 7.6 11.3 13.1 5.1 126.6
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 10.6 7.3 3.0 0.6 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 6.5 12.8 41.3
Source 1: [14]
Source 2: [15]

References edit

  1. ^ "British Columbia Regional Districts, Municipalities, Corporate Name, Date of Incorporation and Postal Address" (XLS). British Columbia Ministry of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  2. ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census: Warfield, Village". Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Castlegar News, 30 Nov 2017". www.castlegarnews.com. 30 November 2017.
  4. ^ "Nelson Star, 28 Apr 2013". www.nelsonstar.com. 28 April 2013.
  5. ^ "Nelson Star, 21 Jul 2013". www.nelsonstar.com. 21 July 2013.
  6. ^ "Castlegar News, 21 Sep 2019". www.nelsonstar.com. 21 September 2019.
  7. ^ "Cleaning up: the Smelter and Mother Nature". www.crowsnest-highway.ca.
  8. ^ "Project 9: CM&S and the Destruction of Hiroshima". www.crowsnest-highway.ca.
  9. ^ "The Columbia & Western Railway and Rossland". www.crowsnest-highway.ca.
  10. ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), British Columbia". Statistics Canada. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  11. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (26 October 2022). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  12. ^ School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia, B.C.); Ministry of Education: Aboriginal Education Enhancements Branch (2008). Aboriginal education enhancement agreement. [Ministry of Education]. OCLC 489627034.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Canada, Environment and Climate Change (25 September 2013). "Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010 Station Data - Climate - Environment and Climate Change Canada". climate.weather.gc.ca. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  14. ^ "Calculation Information for 1981 to 2010 Canadian Normals Data". Environment Canada. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  15. ^ "Historical Data - Climate - Environment and Climate Change Canada". 31 October 2011.

External links edit

49°05′43″N 117°44′04″W / 49.09528°N 117.73444°W / 49.09528; -117.73444