Creston
| Coordinates | 49°5′51″N 116°30′36″W |
| Country | British Columbia |
| District | Central Kootenay Regional District |
| Population |
15,583 |
| Postal code area | CT |
| Postal code district | CT1, CT1N |
| Suburbs | Alice Siding (CT2) Arrow Creek (CT3) Canyon Junction (CT4) Corbin (CT5) Erickson (CT6) Lister (CT8) Wilkes (CT12) |
Creston is a city in southeastern British Columbia. It is the seat of the Central Kootenay Regional District.
Commerce
The main industries in Creston are agriculture and related activities; the Rodgers Box Factory and Creston Mills are two notable wood-processing works.
Transportation
Air
Creston Aerodrome (MTC LID: BAJ3) is a general-aviation airfield located in Lister.
On 11 February 1942 a De Havilland BC Dominie of the Royal BC Air Force landed short of the runway approaching Creston Aerodrome. The left main gear strut broke and the aircraft slid onto the runway, and was written off.
Rail
Railway stations in Creston
Two railways serve Creston and its environs, CP Rail and the Washington & British Columbia Railway.
CP Rail's Nelson Subdivision is part of its southern mainline connecting Nelson with Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Creston Station, which CP share with the W&BC, is the area's major station; the Huscroft Subdivision is a short freight-only branchline from Canyon Junction to Huscroft, Rykerts. Two international Limited Express services call at Creston: one runs between Trail and Calgary, Alberta, running once daily in each direction, is operated jointly by BC Rail and Canada's VIA Rail; the westbound train (Train 107) is called the Smoke Eater, whilst the eastbound run (Train 108) is the Stampeder. The other is the Columbia Limited (Trains 911/912), which is a joint operation of the W&BC, VIA Rail, and its American equivalent, Amtrak; it runs once daily in each direction between Calgary and Portland, Oregon. There are also two Local services in Creston: CP Rail operate four return trips daily between Nelson and Cranbrook (Trains 701/702, 703/704, 705/706, 707/708), as well as a joint service with BC Rail between Creston and Castlegar twice daily (Trains 5105.1-2/5106.1-2).
The W&BC's Bedlington & Nelson Line formerly ran from Bonners Ferry, Idaho to Kootenay Bay; since 1978 it runs only as far north as Creston, and sees freight service only. As it is isolated from the rest of the W&BC network, trains are operated by the Burlington Northern & Gulf Railroad (who are part-owners of the W&BC).
| Station | Location | Railway | Line | Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alice Siding Station | Alice Siding | CP Rail | Nelson Sub | freight |
| Arrow Creek Station | Arrow Creek | CP Rail | Nelson Sub | Local |
| Canyon Junction Station | Canyon Junction | CP Rail | Huscroft Sub Nelson Sub |
junction only |
| Corbin Station | Corbin | CP Rail | Huscroft Sub | freight |
| Creston Station | Creston | CP Rail Washington & British Columbia |
Nelson Sub Bedlington & Nelson Line |
Limited Express, Local, freight |
| Erickson Station | Erickson | CP Rail | Nelson Sub | Local, freight |
| Lister Station (CPR) | Lister | CP Rail | Huscroft Sub | freight |
| Lister Station (W&BC) | Lister | Washington & British Columbia | Bedlington & Nelson Line | freight |
| Wilkes Station | Wilkes | CP Rail | Nelson Sub | freight |
Road
The Crowsnest Highway (BC Highway 3) passes east-west through Creston; the old alignment of Highway 3 between Creston and Castlegar is designated BC Highway 3A and has its eastern terminus at a junction with Highway 3 in Creston; less than a mile west on Highway 3 is the northern terminus of the Rykerts Highway (BC Highway 21), which runs south to the US border at Rykerts and Porthill, Idaho, whence it continues south as Idaho State Route 1.
Sport
Football
Creston United FC play in Division Three of the BC Football League at the Dogwood Street stadium, which has a capacity of 4,159 spectators. Between 1940 and 2006 the U's spent eleven seasons in the League, often being relegated after a single season in Division Three. However, since their return to Division Three in the 2014 season they have been successful in keeping their League status. Their only honour came in 2004, when they won the Southeast Football Championship title. Their greatest success in the FA Cup came in 1965, when as a non-league side they made a run into the Fifth Round, where they were defeated 1:3 at home to Division One's Dinas Blaenau.