Sparwood, British Columbia
| Sparwood | |
|---|---|
| District municipality | |
| District of Sparwood | |
 Sparwood
|
|
| Coordinates: 49°43′56″N 114°53′13″W / 49.73222°N 114.88694°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Cal McDougall |
| • Governing body | Sparwood council |
| • MP | Wayne Stetski |
| • MLA | Bill Bennett |
| Area | |
| • Total | 191.01 km2 (73.75 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,140 m (3,740 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 4,200 |
| Time zone | Mountain Standard (MST) (UTC-7) |
| Area code(s) | 250 / 778 / 236 |
| Highways |
 BC 3 BC 43
|
Sparwood is a district municipality in the Canadian Province of British Columbia. It is the second largest community on the Elk River.
Located approximately 30 kilometers from Fernie, the District Municipality of Sparwood has approximately 4200 residents. Sparwood is quite large for its population, taking up an area of 191.01 square kilometers and incorporating the local coal mines.
In the late 1800s, there was a railroad stop known as Sparwood, which was so named because of the trees from this area being shipped to the Coast for manufacturing SPARS for ocean vessels.
The barn scenes from Disney's 1985 film The Journey of Natty Gann were filmed here. Sparwood is also home to the 2011 B.C provincial champion boys snowboarding team.(http://www.thefreepress.ca/sports/121650634.html)
The local economy is heavily dependent on coal mining, one of British Columbia's primary industries. A large part of the population either works in the mines or as tradesmen and labourers in related support industries, such as trucking or as mechanics. Logging is another important industry.
Sparwood/Elk Valley Airport is the local airport for general aviation; airlines provide service to Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport.
Sparwood was formed on May 12, 1966 accepting people from the nearby towns of Michel, Natal and Middletown (an urban renewal). Since the beginning of Sparwood, it has experienced many ups and downs in the primary industry (coal mining).
Sparwood promotes itself extensively as the home of the Terex Titan, at one time the largest truck in the world. The green Titan, in service at Sparwood between 1978 and 1991, stands a few yards from the Crowsnest Highway where it can attract the attention of tourists and travelers. The adjacent tourist information centre serves visitors to the district municipality and the wider area.
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