Sparwood

District of Sparwood
District municipality
Welcome to Sparwood sign
Welcome to Sparwood sign
Sparwood is located in British Columbia
Sparwood
Sparwood
Where Sparwood is located in British Columbia
Sparwood is located in Canada
Sparwood
Sparwood
Sparwood (Canada)
Coordinates: 49°43′56″N 114°53′13″W / 49.73222°N 114.88694°W / 49.73222; -114.88694
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
RegionElk Valley/East Kootenay
Regional DistrictEast Kootenay
Founded1840
Incorporated1984
Government
 • Governing Body
Sparwood Municipal Council
  • Sam Atwal
  • John Baher
  • Amy Cardozo
  • Jason Christensen
  • Steve Kallies
  • Chris Nand
 • MayorDavid Wilks
 • MPRob Morrison
 • MLATom Shypitka
Area
 • Total191.60 km2 (73.98 sq mi)
Elevation
1,140 m (3,740 ft)
Population
 (2021)
 • Total3,990[1]
 • Density463.5/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
Area code250 / 778 / 236
WebsiteDistrict of Sparwood website

Sparwood is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is located in both the Elk Valley and East Kootenay and is also in East Kootenay regional district.

The population of Sparwood was 3,990 as reported by the 2021 Canadian census.[1] The mayor of Sparwood is David Wilks.[2] Sparwood is known for its important coal mining industry.[3] It is home to the Terex Titan, the largest haul truck in the world at one point.[4]

During the late 1800s-early 1900s, the coal industry was growing even more and because of this, three new communities were built: Michel, Natal and Sparwood. The area started as a stop for the railroad since before 1900. They named the area Sparwood because of the trees in the area were shipped and turned into spars for boats. By 1966, the Villages of Natal and Michel were contaminated by dust from coal and people abandoned the town to move to Sparwood.[5]

On October 17, 2017, an ammonia leak at the Fernie Memorial Arena in Fernie killed three workers. The Fernie Ghostriders of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) decided to relocate to Sparwood and played in the Elk Valley Leisure Centre for the rest of the 2017–18 season.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 "2021 Census Profile for Sparwood, British Columbia". Statistics Canada. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Your Councillors". District of Sparwood. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  3. ↑ "History - A recent history of mining". Fernie & Elk Valley Cultural Guide. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Terex 33-19 Hauler Form No. GMD 1946". Canada: Terex Division of General Motors Corporation. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Virtual Museum". District of Sparwood. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Riders' Playing in Sparwood". Fernie.com. Retrieved February 3, 2026.

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