January 2017 | Business View Magazine

128 129 In 1910, the mine was taken over by the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company Ltd. (Cominco). Later, Cominco was bought by Teck Resources and became Teck Cominco, and is now Teck Resources –Canada’s largest diversified energy and mining company. A global entity based in Vancouver, they have significant holdings in coal in southeastern BC, and are a major player in oil sands development and copper mining throughout the world. But it was Kimberley that fuelled Teck’s growth. Wilson explains, “The company still has strong presence in the community, largely because they have so much land. A third of our land base is former Teck mine proper- Kimberley, BRITISH COLUMBIA Kimberley Mayor Don McCormick Marketing itself as “A good place to be”, Kimberley is a historic min- ing town, a tourism resort and des- tination, an inspiring place to grow up and a beautiful place to retire. ty. They still own and manage it, but a lot of it isn’t suitable for other uses because of what went on historically. Back in the day, they weren’t using liners in the tailing ponds where the metals were refined, so there was a fair amount of ground con- tamination that we’re dealing with today.” In 1968, forward-thinking community leaders realized the mine would be depleted at some point, and started discussing options. Given Kimberley’s idyllic location, tourism was an ob- vious answer. Over the next decade, the town embarked on a total re-imagination. Invest- ment was made in an existing ski hill that still operates today, as the Kimberley Alpine Resort. The community successfully branded itself as “The Bavarian City of the Rockies” to capture the imagination of would-be tourists; a theme still evidenced in some community facades and businesses. Downtown Kimberley became a pedestrian-only shopping area called the Platzl, currently one of its most distinctive features. The Sullivan Mine closed in 2001– the end of an era, and the beginning of a new transi- tion. Kimberley is now promoted to tourists as a four-season recreation destination–with three golf courses in the city limits, river sports, and hundreds of kilometers of hiking trails. In 2010, a conference center was built to round out the low points between ski season and golf season. A great place to call home, the town