| Radium Hot Springs is at the gateway to | | | | communities and has become a four season |
| the Kootenay National Park (KNP) which | | | | resort town.Not counted among the |
| has long been an east-west travel route. | | | | village's 750 residents are some 200 |
| It is believed that the area | | | | members of a Rocky Mountain bighorn |
| encompassed by the park, some 1406 sq. | | | | sheep band. Few other communities can |
| km., was traveled on a seasonal basis by | | | | match Radium for the numbers of sheep. |
| First Nations. The Ktunaxa regularly | | | | Built on part of the band's winter |
| crossed the Rockies via Whiteman Pass, | | | | range, Radium and valley residents have |
| Simpson Pass and Vermilion Pass to hunt | | | | learned to live and work side-by-side |
| buffalo on the plains.The first | | | | with the sheep and appreciate the |
| non-native people in the area were | | | | blue-listed species. The sheep are |
| trappers and fur traders with the first | | | | commonly seen in the village only from |
| recorded visit by Sir George Simpson in | | | | late autumn to mid-spring.Like most |
| 1841. Hard on Simpson's heels was James | | | | valley communities, Radium has an |
| Sinclair who came over Whiteman Pass | | | | interesting past. Human beings have |
| leading a cavalcade of Red River | | | | been making the most of the healing |
| settlers en route to Walla Walla, | | | | waters for hundreds of years, beginning |
| Washington. In 1858 geologist James | | | | with the First Nations people who used |
| Hector led a branch of the Palliser | | | | Sinclair Pass for access between the |
| expedition into the north end of the | | | | Columbia and Kootenay valleys. In 1920, |
| Kootenay area.By the early 1900s local | | | | when its population consisted of a |
| businessmen were lobbying for a road | | | | handful of construction workers and |
| linking Windermere to Banff. Eventually | | | | lumberjacks, accommodations neither so |
| the road was completed by the federal | | | | plentiful nor civilized as they are |
| government in exchange for title to a | | | | today. Two dollars a week bought you |
| strip of land on either side of the | | | | space shared with strangers in a tent |
| route. In 1920, this land was set aside | | | | with a bed made of clean hay, |
| as Kootenay National Park.The best known | | | | illuminated by candles stuck in empty |
| built up area in the region is Radium | | | | whisky bottles. Use of the hot pool |
| Hot Springs which is just at the south | | | | cost 50 cents or $1 a day for as many |
| entrance to the park through the narrow | | | | soaks as you wanted.In 1923 an analyst |
| gorge of the Sinclair Canyon. Although | | | | from the Canadian government did some |
| it has a reputation for being perhaps | | | | tests that showed the waters were |
| the petunia and bighorn sheep capital of | | | | radioactive, hence the name Radium. It |
| BC, Radium is most famous for which it | | | | is believed that the water is |
| was named, the healing, hot water | | | | therapeutic, particularly for arthritis |
| springing from the earth and captured in | | | | sufferers. Even for completely healthy |
| a huge soaking pool.Known | | | | people, the water is certainly relaxing |
| internationally as a resort town, it has | | | | and soothing and the view provided from |
| more than 30 motels and hotels, all | | | | the pools of the red walls of Sinclair |
| geared to providing accommodation for | | | | Canyon is sheer beauty. Geographical |
| the thousands of visitors who pass | | | | formations are the order of the area, as |
| through every year. They arrive on one | | | | witnessed by the redrock wall and the |
| of three highways, Hwy 95 south from | | | | dramatic crack which you pass through |
| Golden, Hwy 93 southwest of the | | | | upon entering Radium.The village of |
| TransCanada Highway between Lake Louise | | | | Radium is also now synonymous with golf |
| and Banff, or north on 93/95 coming in | | | | as it boasts two top-rated 18-hole golf |
| from Montana and Idaho. The Village of | | | | courses; the Springs at Radium and the |
| Radium Hot Springs with a current | | | | Radium Resort. Radium is also the |
| population of 750 year round residents, | | | | gateway to a will Purcell Mountain |
| was incorporated in 1992. It remains | | | | backcountry rife with recreational |
| one of the province's fastest growing | | | | opportunities. |