Home »
Waldo Cove Regional Park officially opened
The fruits of collaboration, vision and passion for place resulted in the official grand opening of the Waldo Cove Regional Park August 20.
Long a site of local recreation, the establishment of the regional park at Waldo Cove is a working partnership between The Friends of Lake Koocanusa Society and Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) Electoral Area B.
The opening of the park and the CRT Uncovery Tour Waldo Cove Information Centre were celebrated and recognized Wednesday by elected officials, members of Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi‘it First Nation, The Friends of Lake Koocanusa Society, Columbia Basin Trust, Kootenay Rockies Tourism and RDEK staff.
Waldo Cove Area is located south of Baynes Lake on the east side of Lake Koocanusa with sandy beaches and a free public boat launch.
The CRT Uncovery Tour Waldo Cove Information Centre provides insight into the history of the town of Waldo that was lost after the construction of the Libby Dam that resulted in the flooding of the Kootenay River Valley and creation of the Koocanusa Reservoir.
The park area is the site of human habitation dating back about 15,000 years when ancestors of today’s Ktunaxa Nation citizens enjoyed the fertile and productive Kootenay River valley.
European settlement began in the late 19th century, with Waldo becoming a busy logging town and river crossing site until the 1970s when it was flooded after the construction of the Libby Dam in Montana.
Lead image: Pictured left to right: RDEK Board Chair Rob Gay, RDEK Electoral Area B Director Stan Doehle, Kootenay Rockies Tourism Director Chris McCurry, Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi‘it Nasuʔkin Heidi Gravelle, Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi‘it Councillor Avery Gravelle, Friends of Lake Koocanusa Society President Debbie Powell and Columbia Basin Trust Director Krista Turcasso. Ian Cobb/e-KNOW photos
e-KNOW
