Creston (British Columbia)
Creston is a small town in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. The 5,000 inhabitants of small town located in the Regional District of Central Kootenay, about halfway between Castlegar and Cranbrook. It is located around 10 kilometers north of the border with the United States of America.
Creston is located in the transition area of the Purcell Mountains to the Selkirk Mountains.
Creston is one of two settlements in southern British Columbia, in which the summer time does not apply. The other settlement is Yahk.
History
In the language of Kutenai Creston kxunama name? Nam. This means as much as road to the lake. The Kutenai also settled long before the first euröpäischen settlement in this area.
Researching the Creston Valley by Europeans began around 1808, when David Thompson explored the region. He first came the fur traders and gold prospectors and later the surveyor for the railroad. With the construction of routes through the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Great Northern Railway began in the early 1880s, then the increased settlement of farmers.
Agriculture and forestry are the most important of the new Community industry. Although the mining attracted many people, but the natural resources of the Creston Valley were not productive enough to support a rentabele mining industry.
The settlement grew steadily in the following years, and on March 1, 1899 then also opened a post office in Creston.
Demography
The census in 2011 showed a population of 5,306 inhabitants for the city. The city's population has thereby increased from 2006 by 9.9 % compared to the census, which is above the average for the entire province of British Columbia, where the population grew only by 7.0 % at the same time.
Policy
The granting of local autonomy for the church took place on May 14, 1924 ( incorporated as the Village Municipality ). The status of a small town ( Town) was Creston awarded on July 26, 1966.
Mayor of the municipality is Ron Toyota. Together with six other citizens, it forms the Council of the Town ( council).
Economy
The economy in the Creston Valley is strongly influenced by the agriculture and forestry. Due to its location are particularly fruit and vegetable growing very strong. However, taking in the last few years the cultivation of grain again.
Another major employer is the Columbia Brewery (now owned by Anheuser -Busch InBev group), which since 1959 brews its beer of brand Kokanee in Creston.
In recent years, tourism is an increasingly important source of income in importance.
The average income of employees in Creston in 2006 was at 20 019 C $, while it was at the same time the average for the entire province of British Columbia 24 867 C $.
Traffic
In the east-west direction of the Crowsnest Highway (Highway 3) runs through the city. Furthermore, extending in a north-south direction Highway 3A and Highway 21 take its origin in Creston. The highway connects 3A Creston doing with Keremeos in the north of the province and Highway 21, the small town in the U.S. border in the south.
About 7 kilometers southeast of the small town is the local airfield (IATA: -, ICAO: -, Transport Canada Identifier: CAJ3 ). The airport has only one paved runway, and runway of 1,202 meters in length.