Country Canada Region Okanagan Incorporated 1913 Elevation 360 m Population 4,815 (2011) | Province British Columbia Regional district North Okanagan Time zone PST (UTC-8) Area 5.19 km² Local time Wednesday 10:38 AM | |
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Weather 0°C, Wind NW at 2 km/h, 89% Humidity | ||
Place victoria b b armstrong british columbia
The City of Armstrong is located in the North Okanagan of the Canadian province of British Columbia, between Vernon and Enderby. It overlooks the Spallumcheen Valley, which forms a broad pass between the Okanagan Valley to the south and the Shuswap Country to the north, and is about 480 km (300 mi) from each of Vancouver, B.C., Calgary, Alberta, Spokane and Seattle, Washington. The town of Armstrong celebrated its centennial in 2013.
Contents
- Place victoria b b armstrong british columbia
- Map of Armstrong BC Canada
- Location and history
- Economy tourist attractions and activities
- Museums and places of interest
- Armstrong Cheese
- Education
- Notable people
- References
Map of Armstrong, BC, Canada
Location and history
Armstrong, BC located amidst the dairy and farmlands of the Spallumcheen Valley, a name derived from a Shuswap language word with multiple meanings: "beautiful valley","flat meadow,""meeting of the waters" and "prairie-banked river,[1] is a rural community and commercial center in the North Okanagan, with agriculture, grain farming of alfalfa and wheat,[2] logging, and ranching being traditional economic activities.[3]
Armstrong was named after E.C. Heaton Armstrong, a London banker who helped finance the Shuswap and Okanagan Railway in 1892 and local development at the turn of the century,[4] relocating the townsite originally at Landsdowne to the confluence of the Valley's rail lines, and the City's current site.
The influence of Dutch immigrants settling in the valley after the Second World War is represented by their cheese-making knowledge, allowing Armstrong to become well known for the cheese it produced.[5]
The city is also well known for hosting the Interior Provincial Exhibition and Stampede, which has been in annual operation since 1899. The "IPE" is not just a midway and popular retail show, but very much still a country fair, with contests being held to judge animals, cooking, sewing, hobbies and other items. Additionally, the exhibition offers a variety of entertainment options ranging from concerts, competitions, and the famous mini-chuckwagon races.
Armstrong is a corporation operated by a seven-member city council headed by the Mayor, with meetings being held the second and fourth Mondays of every month. The Mayor is Chris Pieper, currently in his second term as mayor.[6]
Armstrong has four public education facilities; two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. Armstrong Elementary School was initially known as the “Armstrong Spallumcheen Consolidated School”. When it was built in 1921, it was the first school in the Province to be constructed as a central school into which were consolidated approximately thirteen small country or one-room schools. Len Wood Middle school and Pleasant Valley Secondary were later added to suit the growing region, with Highland Park Elementary opening in 1983 to satisfy increasing demand and lack of suitable expansion capacity at Armstrong Elementary. There is also a store-front style facility, Gateway Continuing Education Centre, operated by School District 83.
Economy, tourist attractions, and activities
While agriculture, logging, and ranching remain a dominant portion of the economy of Armstrong and the Spallumcheen Valley, tourism increasingly plays a significant role in the economic activity of the area; particularly popular with long-distance cyclists as a desirable location for short-haul excursions.
Museums and places of interest
Armstrong and the surrounding area feature many attractions including museums, golf courses, water sports, snow sports including skiing and snowmobile riding, boating, fishing and hiking trails.
Armstrong Cheese
Armstrong Cheese is well known throughout Canada and in parts of the United States, and originated in Armstrong. Dairyworld purchased Armstrong Cheese in 1997. Saputo Inc. purchased Dairyworld in 2003, and in February 2004, after being in operation for more than 100 years, closed the Armstrong Cheese site down, laying off 73 workers. However, one of the main tourist attractions continues to be the Village Cheese Company. At the Village Cheese Company, one can watch master cheesemakers at their craft. Among the cheeses available are cheddar, Monterey Jack and "squeaky curds".[7]
Education
The public schools system is administered by School District 83 North Okanagan-Shuswap, headquartered in nearby Salmon Arm. Pleasant Valley Secondary School (PVSS) is the local high school and Len Wood Middle School is the middle school. There are two elementary schools; Highland Park Elementary, and Armstrong Elementary with students bussing in from nearby Falkland also making up a portion of the school population.