Galena was a long-standing way point in the Windermere Valley, existing from about 1889, until it was abruptly replaced by Spillimacheen in 1946.
Other names: Kya knuqti?it (pronounced kya-k-nook-thi it), Copper City (1898-1899), Canterbury (1899-1910)
“Invermere… is going to be, when she grows up, …‘the last word in towns.’ … And then the unfortunate souls who are doomed to exist in Calgary and such like places will come in their thousands to Invermere and, for a brief season, live.” (The Columbia Valley Times, 1912)49
Other names: Columbia City (1898-1899), Peterborough/Peterboro (1899-1902), Klunwakaqlalali?it
“[Wilmer] remains a genuine native product, an epitome of the life of the Valley. Wilmer is not pushful. It is old enough to have acquired dignity, and if it ever adventures itself, it does so with becoming moderation.”
(Columbia Valley Times, 21 December 1912)
Other names:
Spallumacheen, Spallumcheen, Speylumacheen, Spillamachene, Spillemacheen, Spillemachene, Spillemachine, Spillemcheen, Spill-e-mu-chem, Spillimacheene, Spillimachine, Spillimachene, Spillimachin, Spillomochene, Spillumacheen
“[W]e had lunch and rested the horses after which we started out for ‘Spillimacheen.’ I have spelt the name as above but it is open to any one wishing to spell it any other way to do so if he likes, the only part of the work about which there is any agreement being ‘Spil.'” 4 I would disagree. From the list of spellings I’ve encountered, I would argue that the most anyone has agreed upon on is “Sp.”
“We… coast[ed] along the low rush-grown shore [of Columbia Lake] towards the south-western corner … We soon became aware that this marshy waste of rushes, grass, willows, and water swarmed with every sort of moisture-loving bird, from geese down to sand-pipers. … we began to paddle up what we guessed to be the arm leading to the landing. More than a mile we followed this delusive stream, remarkable for the numerous springs which everywhere gushed up from crater-like basins at the bottom, while round them grew the most beautiful and luxuriant water-weeds ever seen, their delicate filigree-work of many-hued leaves and tendrils all clearly defined in the limpid water.” (Lees and Clutterbuck, B.C. 1887: A Ramble in British Columbia, p 178-179.)
‘I like Athalmer. It has the air of a city, it carries itself well, with an assurance that sits well on it. … The town is planned on a generous scale, with wide streets and plenty of breathing space. … Who knows but some day the Canadian navy will ride at anchor in Lake Windermere.’
(The Columbia Valley Times, 7 December 1912)
” The story of Windermere is either very short and idealized, or a bit longer and far more complicated. I’ll share both, and you can decide whether you want to stick with the (extremely brief) somewhat romantic story, or if you want to carry on into some less cheerful corners of valley history. Your choice.”
In The Windermere 