Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History

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Cranbrook, BC
Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History

We are a non-profit society dedicated to preserving and exhibiting the Columbia Basin's history.

08/20/2026

The Incredible Elephant Escape of 1926

A frantic six-week elephant hunt took place in and around Cranbrook, B.C., one fateful summer, involving approximately 500 enthusiastic hunters from Canada and the US. It all began on August 6, 1926, when the Sells-Floto Circus rolled into town with its majestic elephants, but things took an epic turn when they panicked because of nearby wildfires and a curious dog, as they fled in all directions. This memorable event is part of the region's legacy and is celebrated annually through Ed Fest. Collection No. 0469.0006 1926 - Image courtesy of Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History (CBIRH) https://basininstitute.org/collection/1/445/36756

08/14/2026

Ozeroff’s Water Wheel

Along the banks of the Columbia River near Robson, B.C., the Ozeroff family built and operated a water wheel, drawing energy from the river’s current to power their daily lives. This image, Collection No. 0145.0001, 1921, is part of the Columbia Basin Image Bank archive, hosted by the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History(CBIRH) and provided through our partnership with Kootenay Gallery of Art, History & Science. https://basininstitute.org/collection/7/123/22555

08/12/2026

Storm and Wreck

Severe weather has historically contributed to train wrecks, as documented in a 1907 article from The Fernie Free Press (Collection No. 0050.0992). The article details multiple incidents that disrupted C.P.R. service over The Crowsnest Pass, resulting in several wrecks and blocked trains: https://basininstitute.org/collection/1/463/14204/

“The C.P.R. are having their own troubles these days, contending with storms and accidents. Today the westbound express is cancelled altogether owing to the severe storms on the prairie. Traffic to the west is blockaded by a wreck which occurred at 6:30 a.m. this morning, three miles east of Wardner. A wrecking train which had been up to McGillivary clearing up a wreck there went through Fernie with running orders of 10 miles per hour. Three hours later a coal train went through on faster orders and the latter crashed into the slow train with great force, wrecking some cars and throwing the engine across the track. A brakeman named Chapman on the first train was instantly killed. Engineer Killins and Fireman McBirnie were injured.”

In 1960, similar chaotic conditions led to a train wreck at the Mt. Robson snowshed. This event is documented in our digital archive ‘The Columbia Basin Image Bank’ (Collection No. 0104.0001), with the image provided in partnership by the Valemount Historical Society and the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History.

08/11/2026

Sourdough Alley

Step back to 1895 and discover Sourdough Alley in Rossland, BC, where the aroma of fresh bread and the bustle of locals filled the air around Rossland Bakery, Kellem’s Short Order House, and Boss Bakery and Boarding House. Collection No. 2313.0088 1895 - https://basininstitute.org/collection/19/1710/78720: Image courtesy of Rossland Museum Discovery Centre and Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History

08/10/2026

Fire at the Norbury Hotel

As fires rage across the province, the CBIRH would like to recognize the hard work of local fire crews, as well as those who have travelled from other areas, both within and outside Canada, to assist in battling the blazes.
The image taken during the 1959 fire at the Norbury Hotel in Cranbrook shows the building poised to collapse. It marked a tragic end for one of Cranbrook's historic brick landmarks. Collection No. 0014.0004 1959 https://basininstitute.org/collection/1/19/229- Image courtesy of CBIRH

07/30/2026

Lost Highways

Construction of the Big Bend Highway began in the early 1930s and continued through World War II. The highway was never fully paved and was ultimately rerouted and closed in the 1960s following the development of the Trans-Canada Highway. Collection No. 1900.0012, 1932. Image courtesy of the Golden Museum and Archives and the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History https://basininstitute.org/collection/15/1501/43353

07/29/2026

Breaking The Glass Ceiling

Digital Museums Canada presents "Finding Their Voice: Mauricie Women Carve Out a Role in Regional Journalism
Appartenance Mauricie Société d’histoire régionale."
https://www.communitystories.ca/v2/mauriciennes-presse-regionale_mauricie-women-local-press/story/newspaper-publishers-editors-managers-and-owners-women-break-the-glass-ceiling/

07/28/2026

The Successful Fisherman

In 1930, a man in stylish trunks stands proudly near his fishing boat "Sinbad," a boat built on the Lower Arrow Lake and enjoyed for many years. Collection No. 0526.0004 1930 https://basininstitute.org/collection/1/1493/42542 - Image courtesy of Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History (CBIRH)

07/24/2026

Summer A'Blazing

As summer fires become increasingly intense in and around the Canadian Columbia Basin and across the country, the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History (CBIRH) reflects on past summers, even dating back to 1925, when bushfires swept through during the hottest months. As smoke drifts in from local fires, please take caution, as pollutant levels exceed safe limits. Collection No. 2491.0012 1912 - Image courtesy of partner Moyie High House Museum and CBIRH https://basininstitute.org/collection/1/1924/100431/

07/23/2026

Mt. Robson Ranch Staff and Lonesome Guitar, 1980

Mt. Robson Ranch staff from left to right: Art Allen, Harvey Crate, Chuck Chesser, and Ted Scheive gather around a lone guitar, ready to fill the mountain air with music after a long day’s work on the ranch. Collection No. 0081.0001, 1930 - Image courtesy of Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History and Valemount Museum and Archives https://basininstitute.org/collection/5/59/17898/

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Suite #105 105/9th Avenue South
Cranbrook, BC
V1C2M1

Telephone

2504899150

Website

http://basininstitute.org/

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