Moyie, British Columbia
| Moyie, British Columbia | |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated community | |
 Location of Moyie in British Columbia |
|
| Coordinates: 49°17′19″N 115°50′0″W / 49.28861°N 115.83333°WCoordinates: 49°17′19″N 115°50′0″W / 49.28861°N 115.83333°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Regional district | East Kootenay |
| Elevation | 1,080 m (3,543 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 450 |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| Postal code | V0B 2A0 |
| Area code(s) | 250 |
| Highway | Highway 3 |
| Waterway | Moyie Lake |
| Website | Moyie Lake website |
 |
|
Moyie is an unincorporated community in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada. It is located on Highway 3, 19 miles (30 km) south of Cranbrook on the eastern shore of Moyie Lake.
Once known as Grande Quete, the origin of Moyie's name is, via the river of the same name, thought to be the French word mouille, meaning wet.
In 1893, rich galena deposits were discovered near Moyie Lake by a Ktunaxa man by the name of Pielle or (Pierre). Pielle took the galena to Father Nicolas Coccola, then head of the St. Eugene Mission, who sent the samples to Spokane for analysis. Upon learning that the ore contained high percentages of silver, Coccola, Pielle and a Spokane developer by the name of James Cronin each staked a claim above Moyie Lake and registered them in Fort Steele on June 25.
Pielle and Father Coccola both sold their claims in 1895 for $12,000. Father Coccola used the profits to construct a hospital and the St. Eugene Church in the St. Eugene Mission. Miners and other fortune seekers began to rush to the area and throughout the next decade the St. Eugene Mine produced more than $10,000,000 in ore and was the catalyst for the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company, later known as Cominco.
Moyie was developed in 1897 by Glencairn Campbell, who purchased the property and subdivided it into lots. Lot sales were brisk as the Canadian Pacific Railway completed a tote road that allowed twice weekly stagecoach service from Fort Steele, while another tote road from Kootenay Lake was completed that November.
...
Wikipedia