Mirror of Development

The Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History (CBIRH) is examining the common elements shared by two Kootenay communities – Rossland (West Kootenay) and Kimberley (East Kootenay). Major co-operating partners in this undertaking are the Kimberley District Heritage Society and the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre which are contributing more than 3,000 historical photographs from their collections.

The research will explore common elements of these communities such as resource development and depletion, the desire each community had for survival and change, and the results that are seen today. The rich history and energy of both communities will be celebrated. The project will strive to build a sense of common identity across mountain ranges, a sense that Basin culture is real and unifies us.

The funding partners for this work are B.C.’s Ministry of Social Development & Social Innovation along with the East Kootenay Employment Centre, Columbia Basin Trust & Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance. The CBIRH has also supplied funding. In-kind partners are the two museums who have so generously made available to the public significant portions of their historic photo collections.

This project is intended to make community history more popular and appealing by making new resources available for public examination. We hope to expose the world to the tenacity and vision that has brought both Kimberley and Rossland forward into a new economy and culture. A “Mirror” will let us all reflect on the roots of our hardworking mining existence and its transformation into the outdoor playground of today.