Brookmere, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Brookmere, British Columbia
is an unincorporated settlement in the Nicola Country
of British Columbia. It is reached by the recently paved Coldwater Road from Merritt
or from Exit 256 on the Coquihalla Highway. It can also be reached via gravel road from Aspen Grove
or Tulameen
.
on the Kettle Valley Railway
and the Great Northern controlled VV&E shortly after 1916 when the KVR
line was extended through the Coquihalla Pass
to Hope
. Because the Great Northern never operated trains as planned on the line, the VV&E facilities at Brookmere (besides the station) were never built. It was originally named Otter Summit. The settlement and the nearby lake and creek that feeds the settlement's water supply were named after Harry Brook, a rancher that worked the surrounding land before World War I
.
The town had many buildings from the KVR
and VV&E era, such as a water tower, turntable, three stall roundhouse (replaced with a 4 stall one when an engine's boiler exploded in 1947), section house and a unique Great Northern designed station that was situated between the KVR and planned VV&E yards. Unfortunately many buildings have been lost to fire, such as the roundhouse, which consisted of a turntable and several buildings for steam engines.
. There is no community septic system. There is a yearly Brookmere Community Meeting in the old schoolhouse where community topics are discussed. There are no services or stores in the village.
, which runs down the center of the town, is now a linear parkway and part of the Trans Canada Trail
section between Hope
and Princeton
.
The area is also popular with ATV and motorcycle enthusiasts in summer, and snowmobiles in winter. The Coldwater Rd has been used several times as a transit section for the Mountain Trials Rally, headquartered in Merritt
.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
is an unincorporated settlement in the Nicola Country
Nicola Country
The Nicola Country, also known as the Nicola Valley and often referred to simply as The Nicola, and originally Nicolas' Country or Nicholas' Country, adapted to Nicola's Country and simplified since, is a region in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada...
of British Columbia. It is reached by the recently paved Coldwater Road from Merritt
Merritt, British Columbia
Merritt is a city in the Nicola Valley of the south-central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Situated at the confluence of the Nicola and Coldwater rivers, it is the first major community encountered after travelling along Phase One of the Coquihalla Highway and acts as the gateway to all...
or from Exit 256 on the Coquihalla Highway. It can also be reached via gravel road from Aspen Grove
Aspen Grove, British Columbia
Aspen Grove is a settlement in British Columbia....
or Tulameen
Tulameen, British Columbia
Tulameen, originally known as Otter Flat, is a small community in British Columbia, Canada, about 26 kilometres northwest of the town of Princeton on the Crowsnest Highway , and about 185 kilometres east-northeast from the city of Vancouver, British Columbia...
.
History
Brookmere was founded as a divisional pointDivisional point
In Canada, a divisional point is a railway depot that includes more than just a basic siding or station.- Overview :In the coal and steam era, a divisional point would include such amenities as a substantial passenger station, freight and baggage sheds, a roundhouse, water tank, coaling and sanding...
on the Kettle Valley Railway
Kettle Valley Railway
The Kettle Valley Railroad was a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway that operated in the Thompson-Okanagan region of southern British Columbia....
and the Great Northern controlled VV&E shortly after 1916 when the KVR
Kettle Valley Railway
The Kettle Valley Railroad was a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway that operated in the Thompson-Okanagan region of southern British Columbia....
line was extended through the Coquihalla Pass
Coquihalla Pass
Coquihalla Summit is a highway summit along the Coquihalla Highway in British Columbia, Canada. It is the highest point on the highway between the cities of Hope and Merritt...
to Hope
Hope, British Columbia
Hope is a district municipality located at the confluence of the Fraser and Coquihalla rivers in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Hope is at the eastern end of both the Fraser Valley and the Lower Mainland region, and is at the southern end of the Fraser Canyon...
. Because the Great Northern never operated trains as planned on the line, the VV&E facilities at Brookmere (besides the station) were never built. It was originally named Otter Summit. The settlement and the nearby lake and creek that feeds the settlement's water supply were named after Harry Brook, a rancher that worked the surrounding land before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
The town had many buildings from the KVR
Kettle Valley Railway
The Kettle Valley Railroad was a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway that operated in the Thompson-Okanagan region of southern British Columbia....
and VV&E era, such as a water tower, turntable, three stall roundhouse (replaced with a 4 stall one when an engine's boiler exploded in 1947), section house and a unique Great Northern designed station that was situated between the KVR and planned VV&E yards. Unfortunately many buildings have been lost to fire, such as the roundhouse, which consisted of a turntable and several buildings for steam engines.
Community
The village has a few permanent residents, with the majority of the residencies used as vacation or summer homes. A community water supply was built in 1998? from a small dam on Brook Creek, but the water is not potable and must be boiled to prevent waterborne illnesses such as GiardiaGiardia
Giardia is a genus of anaerobic flagellated protozoan parasites of the phylum Metamonada in the supergroup "Excavata" that colonise and reproduce in the small intestines of several vertebrates, causing giardiasis, commonly known as Beaver fever...
. There is no community septic system. There is a yearly Brookmere Community Meeting in the old schoolhouse where community topics are discussed. There are no services or stores in the village.
Recreation
The railbed of the now defunct Kettle Valley RailwayKettle Valley Railway
The Kettle Valley Railroad was a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway that operated in the Thompson-Okanagan region of southern British Columbia....
, which runs down the center of the town, is now a linear parkway and part of the Trans Canada Trail
Trans Canada Trail
The Trans Canada Trail is a proposed corridor in Canada. The creation of the trail was announced as part of Canada's 125th anniversary celebrations in 1992. It is expected that when complete, it will be the longest recreational trail in the world...
section between Hope
Hope, British Columbia
Hope is a district municipality located at the confluence of the Fraser and Coquihalla rivers in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Hope is at the eastern end of both the Fraser Valley and the Lower Mainland region, and is at the southern end of the Fraser Canyon...
and Princeton
Princeton, British Columbia
Princeton is a small town in the Similkameen region of southern British Columbia, Canada. It lies just east of the Cascade Mountains, which continue south into Washington, Oregon and California. The Tulameen and Similkameen Rivers converge here...
.
The area is also popular with ATV and motorcycle enthusiasts in summer, and snowmobiles in winter. The Coldwater Rd has been used several times as a transit section for the Mountain Trials Rally, headquartered in Merritt
Merritt, British Columbia
Merritt is a city in the Nicola Valley of the south-central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Situated at the confluence of the Nicola and Coldwater rivers, it is the first major community encountered after travelling along Phase One of the Coquihalla Highway and acts as the gateway to all...
.