Revelstoke was founded in the 1880s when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was built through the area; mining was an important early industry. The name was originally Farwell, after a local land owner and surveyor. In yet earlier days, the spot was called the "Second Crossing" to differentiate it from the first crossing of the Columbia River by the Canadian Pacific Railway at Donald. The city was named by the Canadian Pacific Railway in appreciation of Lord Revelstoke, head of Baring Brothers & Co., the UK investment bank that, in partnership with Glyn, Mills & Co., saved the Canadian Pacific Railway from bankruptcy in the summer of 1885 by buying the company's unsold bonds, enabling the railway to reach completion. The post office dates from 1886.[3]
The construction of the Trans-Canada Highway in 1962 further eased access to the region, and since then, tourism has been an important feature of the local economy, with skiing having emerged as the most prominent attraction. Mount Revelstoke National Park is just north of the town. The construction of Revelstoke Mountain Resort, a major new ski resort on Mount MacKenzie, just outside town, has been underway since late 2005 and first opened during the 2007-2008 ski season. Revelstoke is also the site of a railway museum.
Revelstoke is situated in prime black bear and grizzly bear habitat. In 1994, the Revelstoke garbage dump was fenced with an electric fence, preventing bears from feeding on the garbage. The population of bears that had been feeding at the dump turned to town to forage for food, and many were destroyed as "nuisance bears." The destruction of so many bears led to the creation of an education program meant to keep bears wild and the community safe.
Revelstoke holds the Canadian record for the snowiest single winter. 2,447 centimetres (963 in) of snow fell on Mt. Copeland outside town during the winter of 1971–72. That works out to just over 24 metres (80 ft) of snow. The townsite received 779 centimetres (307 in), and snow levels were higher than many roofs around town by more than a few metres.[4]
Revelstoke's economy has traditionally been tied to the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), and it still maintains a strong connection to that industry. However, forestry, construction, tourism, and retail have increased over the past decades. The Revelstoke Railway Museum is a recognition of the town's continued attachment to the Canadian Pacific Railway and continues to be an important tourist attraction.[5]
Revelstoke is also the location of the Revelstoke Dam, which was constructed on the Columbia River and completed in 1984. In 1986, to offset the economic effects of the completed hydroelectric project and the temporary closure of the local sawmill, the City of Revelstoke undertook a downtown revitalization program, which was completed with marked success.
A small ski resort featuring a single short lift has operated on Mount MacKenzie since the 1960s, and snowcat skiing was offered for higher altitudes. A strong movement pushed to expand the entire mountain into a single resort, and construction started in the early 2000s. Revelstoke Mountain Resort opened in the winter of 2007/8 and boasts North America's greatest vertical at 1,713 metres (5,620 ft).
The resort also offers 3,121 acres of fall line skiing, high alpine bowls, 13 areas of gladed terrain and more groomed terrain. Revelstoke Mountain Resort was also the only resort world-wide to offer lift, cat, heli and backcountry skiing from one village base. Though economic conditions starting in late 2008 have deferred its initial plans, the resort will continue development with new lifts, hotels/condos and a golf course planned for 2025
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Revelstoke had a population of 8,275 living in 3,354 of its 3,739 total private dwellings, a change of 9.4% from its 2016 population of 7,562. With a land area of 41.28 km2 (15.94 sq mi), it had a population density of 200.5/km2 (519.2/sq mi) in 2021.[6]
Ethnicity
Panethnic groups in the City of Revelstoke (2001−2021)
Norwegian immigrants brought skiing and ski jumping to Revelstoke, and by the 1910s, several ski jumping hills had been built around the town. Revelstoke Ski Club was founded in 1914 and, by the following year, had reached 102 members. The pinnacle of the club was the annual Winter Carnival Tournament. The first tournament was held in 1915 and had, in addition to cross-country skiing competitions, ski jumping competitions for boys under 16 and the title of Champion of British Columbia. Nels Nelsen Hill, first known as Big Hill, opened in 1916. Revelstoke became an international center for ski jumping, attracting the world elite for the annual tournament.[12] Revelstoke's own Nels Nelsen set the world records in the hill, at 73 meters (240 ft) in 1925 and 82 meters (269 ft) set by Bob Lymburne in 1932.[13] The hill was completely renovated by 1948, leading to further international tournaments. The town even considered placing a bid for the 1968 Winter Olympics. However, throughout the 1960s, the interest in ski jumping was declining, with subsequent consequences for the number of spectators. The last tournament was held in 1975.[14]
Revelstoke Freeride World Tour
Due to the heavy snowfall in the area, Revelstoke is home to four heli-skiing and two cat-skiing operations. There are numerous backcountry skiing lodges in the area. Revelstoke is also a major snowmobiling destination.
In the summer, mountain biking, rock climbing, whitewater rafting and kayaking are popular activities.
In 2010, Revelstoke became part of a select group of ski resorts to feature the Freeskiing World Tour. After a successful trial of combining European and North American skiing tours starting with Revelstoke in 2012, the Swatch Freeride World Tour, Freeskiing World Tour and The North Face Masters of Snowboarding announced a merger that combined all three tours under one unified global 5-star championship series. The six-stop world tour, named the Swatch Freeride World Tour by the North Face, includes freeride skiing and snowboarding at each stop, starting with Revelstoke, Canada and ending with Verbier, Switzerland.
Starting in 2015, Revelstoke has hosted the Red Bull Cold Rush, fusing the disciplines of backcountry slopestyle, big mountain, cliffs, and alpine ski touring. The world's premier skiers are invited to battle it out for a chunk of the $36,000 prize purse, which is awarded in a peer-judged format to the most versatile, well-rounded athletes.
In 2011, Revelstoke locals Michael Curran and Stephanie Ells formed the "Revelstoke Roller Derby Association." The league's premier team, the Derailers, held its debut bouts in the summer of 2012 and won both home games.
Revelstoke experiences a humid continental climate (KöppenDfb). Summers are generally warm and rainy with cool nights, while winters are cold, snowy and very cloudy. Revelstoke on average experiences 50.3 days below 0 °C (32 °F), 13.5 days above 30 °C (86 °F) and one day above 35 °C (95 °F). The highest single-day snowfall recorded was 60.2 cm (23.7 in) and occurred on December 10, 1980, and the highest-ever snow depth recorded was 173 cm (68.1 in) and occurred on February 15, 1982.[17] The highest temperature ever recorded in Revelstoke was 40.6 °C (105 °F) on July 17, 1941.[18] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −34.4 °C (−30 °F) on January 11, 1909, January 20, 1935 and January 18, 1943.[19][20][21]
Climate data for Revelstoke Airport, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1898–present
