Village in British Columbia, Canada
Keremeos
(
) is a village in the
Southern Interior of British Columbia
, Canada.
[3]
The name originated from the Similkameen dialect of the
Okanagan language
word "Keremeyeus" meaning "creek which cuts its way through the flats" referring to Keremeos Creek which flows down from the Upper Benchlands to the
Similkameen River
that flows past the village.
[4]
History
[
edit
]
With K Mountain as a backdrop, Keremeos is a community whose "Wild West" looks date back to 1909 when the postmaster of the now-abandoned community of Upper Keremeos, Mr. George Kirby, purchased land alongside the Similkameen River in anticipation of the
V.V. & E. Railway
passing through the area.
[5]
Eventually the
Great Northern Railway from the US
built a branch line up to
Hedley
and other businesses soon followed. Keremeos was incorporated in 1956.
Geography
[
edit
]
The geography of the Keremeos area ranges from cottonwood groves along the river, to dense orchards and farms, to desert-like landscapes along the bases of the surrounding mountains, up to alpine peaks and plateaux on top.
[
citation needed
]
Demographics
[
edit
]
In the
2021 Census of Population
conducted by
Statistics Canada
, Keremeos had a population of 1,608 living in 809 of its 852 total private dwellings, a change of
7.1% from its 2016 population of 1,502. With a land area of 2.09 km
2
(0.81 sq mi), it had a population density of
769.4/km
2
(1,992.7/sq mi) in 2021.
[6]
Religion
[
edit
]
According to the
2021 census
, religious groups in Keremeos included:
[7]
Economy
[
edit
]
Keremeos' main industries are
horticulture
,
agriculture
,
ranching
, and
wine making
, among others.
Fruit stands
[8]
are also a major component of the local economy, making it the self-titled "fruit stand capital of
Canada
." All sorts of soft fruits, apples, cherries, peaches and vegetables are grown in the South Similkameen's dry warm climate, and vineyards and wineries are quickly being added as the valley's wine-growing potential is being recognized.
[
citation needed
]
Attractions
[
edit
]
Attractions include the
Keremeos Grist Mill
.
Climate
[
edit
]
Keremeos has a
semi-arid climate
(
Koppen
BSk
) with cool but short winters and hot, dry summers. Precipitation is low at 323 millimetres (13 in) and evenly distributed throughout the year.
Climate data for Keremeos
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °C (°F)
|
13.0
(55.4)
|
16.5
(61.7)
|
26.0
(78.8)
|
31.0
(87.8)
|
36.5
(97.7)
|
38.0
(100.4)
|
39.5
(103.1)
|
37.5
(99.5)
|
36.0
(96.8)
|
28.5
(83.3)
|
18.0
(64.4)
|
13.0
(55.4)
|
39.5
(103.1)
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
1.1
(34.0)
|
5.3
(41.5)
|
12.0
(53.6)
|
17.0
(62.6)
|
21.2
(70.2)
|
24.8
(76.6)
|
28.2
(82.8)
|
28.6
(83.5)
|
23.7
(74.7)
|
15.2
(59.4)
|
6.1
(43.0)
|
0.2
(32.4)
|
15.3
(59.5)
|
Daily mean °C (°F)
|
?2.0
(28.4)
|
1.0
(33.8)
|
6.1
(43.0)
|
10.3
(50.5)
|
14.4
(57.9)
|
18.0
(64.4)
|
20.9
(69.6)
|
20.9
(69.6)
|
16.2
(61.2)
|
9.3
(48.7)
|
2.5
(36.5)
|
?2.8
(27.0)
|
9.6
(49.3)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
?5.1
(22.8)
|
?3.4
(25.9)
|
0.2
(32.4)
|
3.5
(38.3)
|
7.5
(45.5)
|
11.1
(52.0)
|
13.5
(56.3)
|
13.1
(55.6)
|
8.6
(47.5)
|
3.4
(38.1)
|
?1.2
(29.8)
|
?5.7
(21.7)
|
3.8
(38.8)
|
Record low °C (°F)
|
?25.0
(?13.0)
|
?22.0
(?7.6)
|
?14.5
(5.9)
|
?4.5
(23.9)
|
?2.0
(28.4)
|
2.0
(35.6)
|
5.0
(41.0)
|
4.0
(39.2)
|
?2.5
(27.5)
|
?14.0
(6.8)
|
?24.5
(?12.1)
|
?26.0
(?14.8)
|
?26.0
(?14.8)
|
Average
precipitation
mm (inches)
|
31.8
(1.25)
|
22.8
(0.90)
|
19.5
(0.77)
|
21.8
(0.86)
|
33.8
(1.33)
|
39.5
(1.56)
|
29.7
(1.17)
|
24.8
(0.98)
|
14.6
(0.57)
|
19.0
(0.75)
|
31.8
(1.25)
|
36.5
(1.44)
|
325.4
(12.81)
|
Average rainfall mm (inches)
|
10.5
(0.41)
|
13.0
(0.51)
|
18.2
(0.72)
|
21.8
(0.86)
|
33.8
(1.33)
|
39.5
(1.56)
|
29.7
(1.17)
|
24.8
(0.98)
|
14.6
(0.57)
|
18.6
(0.73)
|
22.5
(0.89)
|
9.6
(0.38)
|
256.6
(10.10)
|
Average snowfall cm (inches)
|
21.3
(8.4)
|
9.8
(3.9)
|
1.3
(0.5)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.3
(0.1)
|
9.3
(3.7)
|
26.9
(10.6)
|
68.9
(27.1)
|
Average precipitation days
(≥ 0.2 mm)
|
9.3
|
8.5
|
8.8
|
8.6
|
10.3
|
10.5
|
8.3
|
7.3
|
5.7
|
7.7
|
11.1
|
10.8
|
106.7
|
Average rainy days
(≥ 0.2 mm)
|
4.5
|
6.2
|
8.3
|
8.6
|
10.3
|
10.5
|
8.3
|
7.3
|
5.7
|
7.6
|
9.2
|
3.9
|
90.4
|
Average snowy days
(≥ 0.2 cm)
|
5.2
|
2.5
|
0.9
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.2
|
2.6
|
7.6
|
18.9
|
Source:
Environment Canada
[9]
|
Infrastructure
[
edit
]
Transportation
[
edit
]
Keremeos is served by public transit in the
South Okanagan-Similkameen Transit System
along Route 50 thrice weekly year round. Buses go as far as
Coalmont, British Columbia
to the west and
Penticton
in the East, with connections on
BC Transit
to
Kelowna
and
Osoyoos
. The thrice-weekly public transit service is the only intercity transportation available to residents after
Greyhound
terminated their services along the
Hope, British Columbia
-Penticton corridor on June 1, 2019.
[10]
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is the
Penticton Regional Airport
41 km to the north. The nearest major airport with international flights is
Kelowna International Airport
. Keremeos historically had a train station, though no tracks remain in the Similkameen Valley with either the
Great Northern Railway
or the
Kettle Valley Railway
.
Education
[
edit
]
Schools in Keremeos' vicinity include Cawston primary school,
Penticton Secondary School
,
Princess Margaret Secondary School
, Osoyoos, Princeton, and
Similkameen Elementary Secondary School
.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
New Findings Fill in ‘Missing Link’ in Similkameen Prehistory
, Langara Archaeology Summer Field School 2003
Archived
May 16, 2006, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
"British Columbia Regional Districts, Municipalities, Corporate Name, Date of Incorporation and Postal Address"
(
XLS
). British Columbia Ministry of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development. Archived from
the original
on July 13, 2014
. Retrieved
November 2,
2014
.
- ^
"Keremeos"
.
BC Geographical Names
.
- ^
"Keremeos Creek"
.
BC Geographical Names
.
- ^
During the construction of the VV&E (a GN subsidiary) there was a fierce competition with the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) (a CPR subsidiary) and James Hill called a truce during the construction phase through the Coquihalla Valley.
http://www.canada-rail.com/quebec/railways/GN.html
- ^
"Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), British Columbia"
.
Statistics Canada
. February 9, 2022
. Retrieved
February 20,
2022
.
- ^
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (October 26, 2022).
"Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population"
.
www12.statcan.gc.ca
. Retrieved
March 12,
2023
.
- ^
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152075689198792.1073741857.582338791&type=1&l=3da87e76d4
Photo album on Facebook of fruitstands
[
user-generated source
]
- ^
"Calculation Information for 1981 to 2010 Canadian Normals Data"
. Environment Canada
. Retrieved
July 9,
2013
.
- ^
"Greyhound bus service to Osoyoos will continue, but will be eliminated in many small towns"
. Osoyoos Times. February 27, 2018
. Retrieved
September 20,
2019
.
External links
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edit
]
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Communities
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Education
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Transportation
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