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| Radium
Hot Springs, British Columbia, Canada
Julie
Register visited this hot springs spa in Kootenay National Park, Canada in
October 2001  Tucked
in the protective mountains of Kootenay National Park near the red-hued rocks
of Sinclair Canyon lies the largest hot springs pool in Canada at Radium Hot Springs.
I spent a relaxing afternoon soaking in the hot pool which has a spectacular
view of the surrounding mountains. The water is 44C at its source and flows at
a rate of 1375 l/min. It's filtered and chlorinated before it enters the pool
(required of all public hot springs pools). The water is tasteless and odorless
and has sulphate, calcium, bicarbonate, magnesium, and sodium as its major components.
The hot pool
is family-friendly with a shallow lounging area perfect for children достопримечательности Кирова. Next to
the hot pool is a new 8-person whirlpool tub that is kept cooler than the hot
pool in the summer and hotter in the winter. On the other side of the 1950's era
building is a 25 m cool pool with diving board.
 2001 marked
the 50th anniversary of the existing heritage buildings at Radium Hot Springs
Pools. The Aqua court was constructed from 1949-1951 for a cost of $958,653. In
1997, Radium Hot Springs began major renovations which included a new reception
area, information center and gift shop on the main level. The women's changing
room on the lower level was renovated with non-slip flooring, new change cubicles,
built-in benches, and 11 vanities with mirrors and electrical outlets.
The facility
is universally accessible and open year-round. At the time of my visit, the fees
were quite reasonable - just $6.00 CAD ($6.30 CAD in 2010) for an adult in high
season (Mid-May to Mid-October), $1.50 CAD ($1.90 CAD in 2010) for swimsuit rental
(1950's style), $1.25 CAD ($1.90 CAD in 2010) for towel rental, and $0.25 CAD
($1.00 CAD in 2010) for locker rental. 2003
Update  The
4000 square-foot Pleiades Massage and Spa opened in the summer of 2003 with five
treatment rooms overlooking the river that flows beneath the building, 2 Vichy
shower rooms, a steam room, a sauna, a plunge pool, and a waiting area that overlooks
the cool pool.
According to Tamara Nowakowsky, the hip décor
is akin to what you might find in the best European and North American spas, yet
doesn't seem out of place in the 52-year-old heritage building. The
revamped facility offers hot-stone massage therapy, salt rubs and more, using
all-natural, handmade scented oils and other products, in treatment rooms filled
with natural light. Wrap things up with a complimentary session
in the hot plunge pool or the aromatic steam room, and it's just about enough
to put you over the edge of relaxation.
On January 22, 2010 Olympic
fever came to Radium Hot Springs as visitors and residents cheered on the Olympic
Torch as it made its way through British Columbia to the 2010 Vancouver Olympic
Winter Games. The torchbearers ran from the Radium Hot Springs Pools, passed through
Sinclair Canyon and the village of Radium Hot Springs on what became a great start
to an Olympic year for Canada. Did you know? Open
daily, year-round, the Radium Hot Springs facility welcomes 270, 000 visitors
each year. The mineral water that emerges at the
spring source for Radium Hot Springs is odourless because the hydrogen sulfide
gas normally present in hot springs water has already dissipated. This occurs
when the spring encounters a cave or other underground opening where oxygen is
present. Hydrogen Sulfide gas gives off a "rotten egg" odour, which
dissipates quickly when exposed to Oxygen. Radium
Hot Spring was so named because of small traces of Radon in the water. The first
analysis of the water from the springs, undertaken by McGill University in 1914,
disclosed that it was radioactive, more so than the famous springs at Bath, England.
A scheme to bottle and sell the water from the Radium Hot Springs was almost carried
out in the early 1900s because it was thought to have therapeutic and medicinal
value. The amount of radioactivity is harmless and is much less than that given
off by an ordinary watch dial. A rare snake that
is seldom seen by humans and a tiny fern are known to live in the warm canyon
in and around Radium Hot Springs. Rubber Boas are listed as a species of concern
by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada and are near the
northern limit of their range in Kootenay National Park, and higher in elevation
than most Rubber Boa populations. The southern maidenhair fern is also a resident
of this area and may soon be listed as endangered. Visitors to the hot springs
have the unique opportunity to perhaps get a glimpse of these rare inhabitants
and to play a role in helping protect them through their actions.
Footnotes
Radium Hot Springs in Kootenay National Park is located 260 km
west of Calgary and 3 km northeast of the Town of Radium Hot Springs. It is a
day-use facility and offers no accommodations. However, there are plenty of places
to stay nearby. I stayed in a very nice room on the golf course at the Radium
Resort in Radium Hot Springs. Campers at the park's nearby Redstreak Campground
can walk a trail connecting the campground and the hot springs. If you visit Kootenay
National Park to camp, hike or ski or the lovely Columbia Valley to golf, be sure
to take time out to enjoy the Radium Hot Springs.
Photos are courtesy of Radium Hot Springs
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