Fairmont Hot Springs sits on the banks of the winding Columbia River, 20 minutes south of Invermere and moments away from the peaceful Columbia Lake. Fairmont is home to the world-renowned Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, and a community of seasonal and year-round residents who delight in its beautiful surroundings and friendly resort atmosphere.
The celebrated mineral hot pools which first drew settlers to Fairmont can be enjoyed at one of Canada’s largest hot springs complexes, with nearly 1,000 square metres of odourless pools. The 35 to 45 degree Celsius waters sooth aching bones throughout the year, with a view of the snow-capped Rockies and Purcell peaks as the backdrop.
For a more rustic hot spring experience, an old stone bath house sits on a knoll directly above the resort’s main parking lot. Inside are three individual bathing rooms, each with its own tub and bench.
Other facilities at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort include a 130-room lodge with fitness and convention facilities, full-service spa, 220-site RV park, shops, riding trails, tennis courts and eco-adventure programs for the whole family. Privately owned rental accommodations can be found throughout the village.
There are two 18-hole championship golf courses (Mountainside and Riverside) offering fun and challenges to players at all levels, and a nine-hole course (Creekside) for those seeking a shorter game. All three courses have lessons and rental packages. Another nine-hole course, Coy’s Par 3, is found a few minutes south of Fairmont, along Highway 93/95.
A stroll around the village’s business district will reveal a good mix of stores and services, including a grocery store, liquor store, car wash, gift shops, gas station, and coffee shop with internet facilities. All ages can enjoy a round of mini-golf, or a trip to the animal park and gardens at Funtasia Fun Park.
Fairmont also offers great dining opportunities, from family-friendly meals on the sunny decks at the resort and golf courses, to convenient take-out at Tony’s Greek Grill (summer months only), to delicious dining at the Hoodoo Grill — named after the adjacent Dutch Creek Hoodoos, a spectacular landform.
Visitors can take the easy climb to the top of the Hoodoos for amazing views across Columbia Lake. The lake’s eastern shore is easily accessible from Fairmont, with its pebble beaches and warm summer waters providing fantastic boating, swimming and walking opportunities. Ancient pictographs drawn by the Ktunaxa (the area’s indigenous people) can be reached on the lake’s east side, although some hiking is necessary and boat access is helpful.
Other nearby activities include cross-country skiing, snowboarding and downhill skiing at the family-friendly Fairmont ski hill, fishing, bird and wildlife watching at the Columbia Lake Wetlands, horseback riding, canoeing, kayaking, hiking and mountain biking, to name just a few.
For more information, visit www.FairmontHotSprings.com.
In 1887, George Geary homesteaded the land around the natural hot springs now known as Fairmont Hot Springs. He established a post office, a stagecoach depot, a horse ranch and a sawmill. Within three years, he sold the ranch and roadhouse to Sam and Helen Brewer, an adventurous couple from Indiana. In 1909, the Brewers retired and sold their holdings to John Barnard Hankey, who named it Fairmont Hotel Springs.
The resort changed owners several times in the 20th century. William Heap Holland, an eccentric cotton millionaire from Manchester, England, is credited with recognizing the springs’ international potential. Dazzled by the beauty of the entire region, the dapper entrepreneur drafted the Columbia Valley’s first promotional brochure — and drew scores of English tourists to the area.
Starting in 1912, Holland harnessed the springs, built a swimming pool, erected the Fairmont Hot Springs Ranch Barn (which still stands), started a restaurant, opened a campground and built bungalows. A putting green, and tennis, badminton and tetherball courts soon followed. Holland bequeathed the resort to his family.
In 1957, a group of investors that included Lloyd and Earl Wilder, brothers from Saskatchewan, bought the resort. Lloyd became its sole proprietor in 1965. He launched the resort’s first major expansion, a series of changes that realized William Holland’s vision of an international resort. Since 2007, the resort has been owned by Ken Fowler Enterprises.
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