View allAll Photos Tagged Invermere
Some snaps from our Easter stay in the Columbia River Valley near Invermere, BC. We saw these birds on the hunt for fish, and make an actual dive into the river for one - like a bullet into the water, remarkable for such a big bird. Didn't get it on camera, however...
We visited Grouse Mountain today and had an amazing experience. We saw the two grizzlies, Grinder and Coola, and took in the Birds in Motion show, where we saw a great horned owl (who flew so close to us that he nearly brushed our heads with his wings), a hawk, a turkey vulture, and a gyrfalcon -- all up close and personal with a very well informed handler to explain the creatures to us.
Here's more on the bears:
Leading the way in education and wildlife conservation initiatives, the Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife, in North Vancouver, Canada, acts as a wilderness sanctuary for animals, while offering leading-edge interpretive programs for thousands of guests each year.
Grinder and Coola are the resident grizzly bears at the refuge. Grinder was found in 2001 in Invermere, BC, wandering alone on a logging road. He was dehydrated, weak and significantly underweight. Coola was also found in 2001, near Bella Coola, BC. His mother had been killed by a truck and, of the three cubs she left behind, Coola was the only one to survive.
Grouse Mountain’s large alpine refuge allows these bears to behave much like they would in the wild, and this gives researchers at the refuge a chance to observe and document their behaviour and development. This research goes a long way to contribute to the development of viable, sanctioned rehabilitation protocols for orphaned grizzlies, now and in the future.
I am back from the "Wings Over the Rockies" festival in Invermere, BC, with a lifer bird :)
We were very fortunate to find this male in full courtship display. There were a couple of males trying to claim territory and females. They were full of aggression and not about to give up their chosen spaces. This one let me get really close. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology says this about them:
"One of North America’s largest grouse, the Dusky Grouse used to be considered the paler, interior subspecies of the Blue Grouse. Recent DNA evidence supports the spilt of the Blue Grouse into two separate species, the Dusky Grouse and the Sooty Grouse. The male’s deep booming call is hard to locate."
The females were much more secretive, but I did get one in a partially open situation while she was scurrying through the underbrush.
"The Hoodoos" near Invermere, BC. May 09, 2013.
Member of the Flickr Bird Brigade
Activists for birds and wildlife
On a flight to Invermere BC, I found this helicopter at this tiny airport in the Canadian Rockies. Processed in HDR with Nik Software
Athalmer, British Columbia - The area was originally staked by James L. McKay as "The Salmon Beds. " In 1912 the Windermere District was in the midst of a boom. Athalmer was the hub and most important centre. 'There were two banks the Montreal and later the Imperial. Coronation and Windsor Hotels, Tom Barry's Livery and Rocky Mountain Livery, the lumber yard operated by Hugh Cameron, Columbia Valley Hardware & Supply operated by Lionel J. Peake, two general stores by Joe Lake and Frank Richardson, Richardson also had the Post-Office, Then all of a sudden World War One broke out on August 4th. After the war started and the Kootenay Central Railway was completed in January 1915 the boom was over and a small depression settled throughout the area. A great number of the able bodied men joined the Forces and moved away. A number of business establishments had to close. Athalmer has been absorbed into Invermere, and is about 2 miles from that town.
- from 1908 "Lovell's Gazetteer of the Dominion of Canada" - ATHALMER, a post office in West Kootenay District, B.C., on the Columbia River, between Windermere and Golden, the latter a station on the main line of the C.P.R., between Glacier and Field.
(from 1918 - Wrigley's British Columbia directory) - ATHALMER - a post office and village in Provincial Electoral District of Columbia, on the Columbia River, at foot of Windermere Lake, served by the C. P. R. (Kootenay Central Branch), between Wilmer and Windermere. Dominion Express and C. P, Telegraph. The population in 1918 was 160, Has Presbyterian Church. Stock-raising and mining.
Link to photos from Atmalmer - www.prairie-towns.com/athalmer-images.html
Link to - Richardson Home, Athalmer - search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/richardson-home-ath...
This building was bought by Frank Richardson in 1911, and then became Athalmer's general store and post office, he also serving as the public notary for the community.
The Post Office at Athalmer was established - 1 November 1889 and closed - ?
Distributing point - Cranbrook and Golden
/ ATHALMER / AU 16 / 41 / B.C. / - split ring cancel - this split ring hammer was proofed - 29 November 1912.
transit - / CRANBROOK / AU 16 / 41 / B.C. / - cds
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Czechoslovak army field post in Great Britain, 1940-1945. Vladimír J. Králíček. Nov/Dec/1994, p.14; Link - index.csphilately.org/1994_06_NovDec.pdf#page=14
The postal history of the Czechoslovak forces, both airmen and soldiers, who arrived in Great Britain in the summer of 1940 following the fall of France - the historical background and the military history during their time in Great Britain - about their escape from France, their were several military locations from July 1940 to August 1944.
CZECHOSLOVAK FIELD POST OFFICE IN GREAT BRITAIN DURING WORLD WAR II - The Czechoslovak Army emigrated to Great Britain during WWII and, like the Polish Army, had their own Field Post Office. At that time the Czechoslovak land army units consisted of five thousand soldiers and one thousand of their air force. Its creator and first chief of the Field Post Office was Captain Oldřích Večerek (1906-1987), hailing from Śląsk Cieszyński [Eastern Silesia]. Prior to the occupation of Czechoslovakia he was employed in the postal directorate in Opava, later in Brno. In danger of arrest by the Gestapo, he managed to escape in February 1940 over the Balkans and Middle East to join the Czechoslovak Army in Agde, France. In Great Britain the Czechoslovak FPO was located in Leamington Spa (near Stratford upon Avon), Shakespeare’s place of birth. Oldřích Večerek had artistic talent and was the author of a range of the FPO cachets.
The mail of the four Czechoslovak squadrons in the RAF (310-313) was treated in exactly the same way as any other RAF squadron operating in the UK. There were no special postmarks and mail can only be identified by sender’s or addressee’s name, or a reference to the Squadron number or inscriptions such as ‘Written in Czech’. Overseas mail had to be ‘anonymous’ for security reasons. Mail to a Czechoslovak member of the RAF from abroad had to be addressed to PO Box 281, London EC1, from where it was passed to the Czechoslovak Air Force depot and on to the addressee. Similarly, mail sent abroad had to use Box 281 as the sender’s address.
Exile forces in France and Britain - Many of the Czech soldiers (and civilians) that had managed to escape from Czechoslovakia when Germany invaded, decided not to stay in Poland and made their way to France instead. In October 1939, France and Czechoslovakia (through the government-in-exile in London) signed a Treaty of cooperation, and consequently the 1st Czechoslovak Infantry Division was formed and included in the French OOB on January 1st 1940. The Division had two infantry regiments, with a combined strength of 5,000 men. However, the Division had no artillery, only a handful of mortars (81mm) and only two anti-air guns (25mm), rendering its combat usefulness limited. During the campaign for France in 1940, the unit was involved in heavy fighting against the German 16th Panzer Division and steadily driven back, until most of its personnel were evacuated to Britain when France was collapsing in June 1940. The British reformed the approximately 3,300 remaining Czechs into the 1st Czechoslovak Mixed Brigade Group in July 1940. This brigade consisted of two infantry battalions, one artillery battalion, as well as smaller specialist units (communication, engineers etc). The British also organised the 200th Czechoslovak Light AA Regiment, with some 1,500 men.
Link to - Czechoslovak Exile Units of WWII - www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/articles/czechexiles.aspx
Message on the back was written by - H. Křivánková (Krivankova)?
Postcard sent from Athalmer, British Columbia, Canada on - 16 August 1941 to Great Britain (with CZECH ARMY UNDERCOVER ADDRESS / HQ Sqdn P.O. Box 226, London / E.C.1) it has a 28 September 1941 - Czechoslovak Field Post arrival stamp and a losenge Crown Passed P.117 British censor handstamp in violet ink. (44 days in transit)
The postcard was addressed to - Bartek Ondrej (Bártek Ondřej) / Serg. Maj A.378 / c/o P.O. Box 226 / London / E.C.1
Overseas mail had to be ‘anonymous’ for security reasons. Mail to a Czechoslovak member of the Army from abroad had to be addressed to PO Box 226, London EC1, from where it was passed to the Czechoslovak Field Post depot.
The Czechoslovak Field Post Offices cancelled all out-going mail with their own handstamp, and also used the same stamp as receiving marks on incoming mail.
- from 1908 "Lovell's Gazetteer of the Dominion of Canada" - GOLDEN, an incorporated village in East Kootenay District, B.C., situated at the confluence of the Columbia and Wapta Rivers, on the main line of the C.P.R. It is the distributing point of the Columbia River Valley for north and south, and is also the headquarters of the Columbia River Trans. Co. It contains 4 churches (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian and Methodist), 3 large and several small stores, 4 hotels 1 lumber mill. 1 smelter, 1 sash and door factory, agency for the Imperial Bank of Canada, 1 printing office issuing a newspaper, telegraph and express offices. 2 schools Government offices, court house and hospital. The population in 1908 was 750.
(from 1918 - Wrigley's British Columbia directory) - Golden - a town on the main line of the C. P. R. and terminal of the Cranbrook-Golden branch, on the Columbia River, in the Columbia Provincial Electoral District. C. P. R. telegraph, and Dominion Government telephones. Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian and R. C churches. The population in 1918 was about 900. Local resources: Lumbering, mining and farming.
The Post Office at Golden, B.C. was established - 1 April 1887.
/ GOLDEN / PM / JUN 7 / 15 / B.C. / - cds transit
- transit - MONTREAL / 12 Jun 1915 / - cds
- arrival - / VERNON / 12 / 26 - 6 / 15 / EURE / - registered letter arrived in Vernon, Eure, France on 26 June 1915.
Vernon is a commune in the department of Eure in the Normandy region in northern France. It lies on the banks of the Seine River, about midway between Paris and Rouen. The city is well known for its production of engines by the SNECMA group.
10 cents registered UPU letter rate to France - addressed to a WWI serviceman. Ex Tracy Coopper collection...
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Invermere is a community in eastern British Columbia, Canada, near the border of Alberta. It is the hub of the Columbia Valley between Golden to the north and Cranbrook to the south. Invermere sits on the northwest shore of Windermere Lake and is a popular summer destination for visitors and second home owners from Calgary. Population: 3,391 (2016)
In 1910, Avenue A was a General Store owned by Messrs. Pitts and Hankey. Hankey went away to WWI while J.C. Pitts along with his daughter Gladys, continued to operate the business that included the Invermere Post Office. Mr. Pitts died in 1935 and his daughter continued to run the store and post office until 1954. The building was eventually purchased by Pat Bavin along with the McKay house.
(from 1918 - Wrigley's British Columbia directory) - INVERMERE - a post office and village on Windermere Lake, Columbia Provincial Electoral District, about 2 miles from Athalmer on C. P. R. Has C. P. R. telegraph office, Anglican church at Spillimacheen and Presbyterian at Athalmer. Local resources: Mining, dairying, stock-raising and tourist trade.
The Post Office at Invermere was established - 1 December 1912.
Distributing point - Cranbrook and Golden
Mail route - Invermere and Railway Station (C.P.)
/ INVERMERE / JUN 7 / 15 / B.C / - split ring cancel - this split ring hammer was proofed - 16 December 1912.
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Link to - Veterans of the First World War in the Windermere Valley, B.C. - windermeredistricthistoricalsociety.files.wordpress.com/2...
Addressed to : Monsieur Georges et Marc
13th Battalion 3 Escadron du Train
6 Section / 40 Company
Vernon / France
Vernon is a commune in the department of Eure in the Normandy region in northern France. It lies on the banks of the Seine River, about midway between Paris and Rouen. The city is well known for its production of engines by the SNECMA group.
The community of Invermere on the Lake is the valley center conveniently surrounded by Radium Hot Springs, Panorama Mountain Village, and Fairmont Hot Springs and Columbia Lake to the south and a gateway to the entire Kootenay Rockies Tourism Region.
We were blessed with gorgeous sunshine for one of our days near Invermere, BC. We hiked the Old Coach Trail, then rented a kayak and explored the Columbia River north of Invermere.
We're taking a well-deserved break on the 'warm side' of the Rockies in British Columbia, near places like Invermere, Fairmont Hot Springs, and Radium Hot Springs. Couldn't resist a little hike, though... lots of wildflowers and wonderful views.
ChallengeGame - Lake - 2020-07-29
15Challenges - Sunset/Sunrise - 2020-09-13
ClickContest - 3555 - 2021-01-25
15Challenges - Sunrise/Sunset - 2021-06-08
It wasn't our initial plan to summit this stunning mountain. In fact, we only learned of it the day before we ventured out to it after finding out that the area around our first choice had been closed. What a lucky break for us! It was quite the adventure, with 12 km's of rough Forestry Service Road driven on our poor little vehicle, then 16.7 km's return distance walking and 1472 m's of total elevation gain. It was a very hot day, and it took 10 hours to complete, due to some steep scrambling, the time used to cross many snow patches, some precariously positioned, and the many stops to rehydrate.
We were in the Columbia Valley near Invermere BC for a week, and the weather outlook was generally not great. But we found a sunny day to summit Swansea Mt, which looms above the town Invermere.
An empty CP coal train heads east from Invermere British Columbia, Canada. Lake Windemere is in the background.
Mt Swansea rises above the Columbia Valley village of Invermere, BC in the Canadian Rockies. It is beautifully developed for hiking and mountain biking, and the summit is used for launching hang gliders as well. At the top is a strange structure which houses a weather station. While there was little snow in the valley, at the summit the snow was still quite deep, but it still early March after all.
The bluest lake in the mountains, known by a couple of names; Buster Lake or Azure Lake, surrounded by fading larch trees
...another view of Lake Windermere, Invermere, BC in the East Kootenays, where I spent my winter vacation!
It is still snowy and -20C there, I miss the snow, tho I love the spring flowers emerging in Victoria!
I love the reflection of the sky in the bit of lake that is not frozen over, due to the river running into the lake at this spot
Tuesday is for smiles and fun and giving and being the best friend!
The bluest lake in the mountains, known by a couple of names at least, Buster Lake or Azure Lake, surrounded by fading larch trees
We finally had the perfect wedding venue and some clear skies to take advantage of for some night wedding photography, at the Eagle Ranch Resort in Invermere British Columbia in the scenic Columbia River Valley.
I love taking night photos and have been waiting a long time for everything to line up just right. It's one of my favourite wedding photos we have taken.
You can see more photos from their wedding day on our Northern Pixel Photography Blog
Mt Swansea rises above the Columbia Valley village of Invermere, BC in the Canadian Rockies. It is beautifully developed for hiking and mountain biking, and the summit is used for launching hang gliders as well. At the top is a strange structure which houses a weather station. While there was little snow in the valley, at the summit the snow was still quite deep, but it still early March after all. The wind was howling, and some moisture got on the lens...
We were in the Columbia Valley near Invermere BC for a week, and the weather outlook was generally not great. But we found a sunny day to summit Swansea Mt, which looms above the town Invermere.
Amelie pauses to admire the Bugaboo Glacier near the Conrad Kain hut, Bugaboo Provincial Park, British Columbia.
Photos from Greg and Nicole's amazing wedding day at the Eagle Ridge Resort in Invermere BC.
Here are some from their First Look Session where they got to see each other before the wedding ceremony. They were so happy and excited - a beautiful start to their wedding day!
You can see more photos from their wedding day on our Northern Pixel Photography Blog
Photos from Greg and Nicole's amazing wedding day in Invermere BC in the beautiful Columbia River Valley. What a fantastic day it was.
You can see more photos from their wedding day on our Northern Pixel Photography Blog
Mt Swansea rises above the Columbia Valley village of Invermere, BC in the Canadian Rockies. It is beautifully developed for hiking and mountain biking, and the summit is used for launching hang gliders as well. At the top is a strange structure which houses a weather station. While there was little snow in the valley, at the summit the snow was still quite deep, but it still early March after all.
Beauty Weather, trips to Invermere, Lake Louise, Rock Game in Calgary and announcing baby Hellyer to come
If you find yourself in the Invermere/Fairmont region of the Columbia River in BC, it's definitely worth doing the short hike to and around the hoodoos - just don't go too close the edge.
I will be away from Flickr for the next week while attending "The Wings Over the Rockies Festival" in Invermere BC.
Glenn Parker and I went to Grandin Pond in St. Albert where there are great opportunities to catch close looks at Horned Grebes and several other waterfowl species.
I added an archive shot of an Eared Grebe for comparison in the comment box below. The golden-coloured feathers on the side of the head of the Eared Grebe are more wispy and do not form the "horns" as they do in the Horned Grebe. The black feathers on the forehead of the Eared Grebe are often raised forming a crest. The neck of the Eared grebe is black, while the neck of the Horned Grebe is the same rufous colour of the flanks of both species. The tip of the bill of the Horned Grebe is white. The bill of the Eared Grebe is all black.
Eared Grebes also tend to nest in large colonies. Horned Grebes are quite territorial and defend their nesting sites.
I have also added shots of a preening female Gadwall and Mallard. Female Mallards and Gadwalls look similar at first glance. The shots below show the difference in the wing speculum of each. Female Gadwalls do not have the iridescent blue that the female Mallard shows.
The bill colour of the female Gadwall is also consistently orange with a dark stripe on top and is thinner than a Mallard bill which can be more variable in terms of colour distribution.