Cranbrook
| Coordinates | 49°30′29″N 115°44′49″W |
| Country | British Columbia |
| District | Greater Cranbrook Regional District |
| Population | 220,047 |
| Postal code area | CB |
| Postal code district | CB1, CB1N, CB1S |
| Suburbs | Elizabeth Lake (CB3) Idlewild (CB5) Jim Smith Lake (CB6) Parkland (CB8) South Star (CB10) Sylvan Lake (CB11) |
| Satellites | Eager (CB2) Fassiferne (CB4) Lumberton (CB7) St Eugene Mission (CB9) Twin Lakes (CB12) Wanklyn (CB13) Wycliffe (CB14) |
Cranbrook is a city in southeastern British Columbia. It is the seat of the Greater Cranbrook Regional District.
History
On 11 February 1978, a DHBC-7 Trident airliner of Pacific Western Airlines, operating as Flight PW314 from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to Castlegar, BC, via Calgary, Alberta and Cranbrook crashed at Cranbrook after a failed touch-and-go attempt. At 12:46 Flight 314 contacted Cranbrook and were advised about the snow removal in progress; the aircraft then made no further contact with the airport, making a straight-in instrument approach to Runway 16. The aircraft had touched down at 12:55 about 800 feet from the threshold and reverse thrust was selected when the crew noticed the snow plough on the runway. The captain initiated a go-around at once, but one of the thrust reversers failed to re-stow due to loss of hydraulic power. The aircraft became airborne and successfully cleared the snow plough, but unexpectedly the left thrust reverser deployed in flight as it climbed to about 350 feet. As a result of this the crew lost control of the aircraft, which suddenly banked steeply to the left, lost height, and side-slipped into the ground. The aircraft broke up and caught fire. The deep snow made it difficult for fire crews to reach the wreckage, and 42 of the 44 passengers and 5 crew were killed.
On 16 July 2003 a DHBC-4FF Firelark firebomber of Conair Aviation (VB-FDH, c/n C704/1962) was destroyed whilst fighting a fire near Cranbrook after striking a ridge about 3,900 feet ASL.
Commerce
Transportation
Air
Cranbrook–BC Rockies International Airport is located in the satellite of St Eugene Mission, providing scheduled domestic flights as well as flights to Calgary and Edmonton in Canada. It is the headquarters and main hub of Kootenay Airways, and is also served by Air BC, Pacific Coastal Airlines, Pacific Western Airlines, and WestJet.
The East Kootenay Regional Hospital has a heliport (MTC LID: BAE2).
Rail
Cranbrook is an important node in CP Rail operations in southeastern BC, being the division point between the Cranbrook and Nelson Subdivisions, the starting point of the Kimberley and Wardner Subdivisions, and the site of a locomotive depot.
In addition to extensive freight traffic, CP Rail operate a considerable array of passenger trains through Cranbrook. Of these, two are Limited Express services: the Smoke Eater (Train 107) from Trail to Calgary, Alberta and the Stampeder (Train 108) in the opposite direction are a joint operation between BC Rail and VIA Rail of Canada, each of which run once daily using CP trackage between Nelson and Calgary; and the Columbia Limited (Trains 911/912), a joint operation between VIA Rail, the Washington & British Columbia Railway, and Amtrak of the United States, runs once daily in each direction between Calgary and Portland, Oregon, both call at Cranbrook. There are also two Rapid services, an international joint-operation between CP Rail and the North Western Pacific Railroad running once daily in each direction between Cranbrook and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (Trains 681/682), and a thrice-daily domestic service between Cranbrook and Blaenau (Trains Trains 629/630, 631/632, 633/634). There are also two Local services serving Cranbrook, a twice-daily run between Cranbrook and Sparwood (Trains 711/712, 713/714), and a four-times-daily service between Cranbrook and Nelson (Trains 701/702, 703/704, 705/706, 707/708). CP Rail also operate a RailBus service between Cranbrook and Kimberley, under contract to the Cranbrook Transit System.
The Cranbrook Railway Museum is located adjacent to Cranbrook Station.
Railway stations in Cranbrook
NB: closed stations are not listed
| Station | Location | Railway | Line | Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cranbrook Station | Cranbrook | CP Rail | Cranbrook Sub, Nelson Sub | Limited Express, Rapid, Local, RailBus, freight |
| Fassiferne Station | Fassiferne | CP Rail | Nelson Sub | Local, freight |
| Lumberton Station | Lumberton | CP Rail | Nelson Sub | Local, freight |
| North Star Station | Cranbrook | CP Rail | Cranbrook Sub, Kimberley Sub | Local, Railbus, freight |
| Twin Lakes Station | Twin Lakes | CP Rail | Nelson Sub | Local, freight |
| Wanklyn Station | Wanklyn | CP Rail | Kimberley Sub | RailBus, freight |
| Wardner Junction Station | Cranbrook | CP Rail | Cranbrook Sub, Wardner Sub | junction only |
| Wycliffe Station | Wycliffe | CP Rail | Kimberley Sub | RailBus, freight |
Road
The Crowsnest (BC Highway 3) and the Kootenay (BC Highway 95) Highways share the same road as they enter Greater Cranbrook in the satellite of Lumberton and run northwest through the city to the satellite of Eager, where they meet the Banff Highway (BC Highway 93) in a three-way junction; Highways 3 and 93 continue together to the southeast, and Highways 93 and 95 continue jointly together to the north. The Kimberley Highway (BC Highway 95A) has its southern terminus at Highway 3/95 in North Cranbrook.
Sport
Baseball
The Cranbrook Dynamite of the British Columbia Baseball League play at Willowbrook Field, which has a capacity of 5,709 spectators.
Football
Cranbrook has three professional clubs playing in the various levels of the BC Football League, and one in the BC Women's Football League.
Cranbrook City FC presently play in Division Two of the BCFL. One of the founding members of the Football League in 1929, they remained in the top three levels until they were relegated at end of the 1985 season. After nearly a decade of non-league football, they returned to Division Three in 1994, and have remained in the League ever since. The club's best achievements thus far were Division Two championships in 1932, 1939, and 2005, as well as reaching the Final of the BC FA Cup once, in 1934. Their home is Baker Park (capacity 13,078) situated kittycorner from Balment Park, which they share with Cranbrook City FC Women of the WFL.
City's archrivals Cranbrook North Side FC, presently playing in the Southeast Football Championship, are based at Moir Park in North Cranbrook, which has a capacity of 16,467. A founding member of the League alongside Cranbrook City, they were relegated from Division Three after the 1987 season, and returned in 1992 but were again relegated from Division Three in 2016. They are the more decorated of the two clubs, having won the Division One title in 1936 and 1937, as well as the FA Cup in 1930, 1933, and 1940.
Elizabeth Lake FC are based at Innes Road in the suburb of Elizabeth Lake, presently playing in Division Three. The club's best performance thus far has been to maintain their Division Three status in 2020 - all previous promotions to the League had resulted in immediate relegation; in the FA Cup they have never advanced past the Second Round.
Hockey
The Cranbrook Ice of the British Columbia Hockey League play at the Cranbrook RecPlex, with a capacity of 8,654.
Rugby
Cranbrook RFC, presently competing in the BCRU Second Division, play at Balment Park, a rugby-only stadium with a capacity of 9,342. Balment Park and the Cranbrook RecPlex are adjacent to each other in central Cranbrook.
Military
DFJB Cranbrook is shared by the Royal BC Air Force and the British Columbia Army. A detachment of the RBCAF's 114 (Helicopter) Squadron is stationed there, and it is also the HQ of Army Air Corps and The Kootenay Regiment.