| Feature Type: | Community - An unincorporated populated place, generally with a population of 50 or more, and having a recognized central area that might contain a post office, store and/or community hall, etc, intended for the use of the general public in the region. |
| Status: | Not official |
| Relative Location: | S side of West Arm Kootenay Lake, W of Nelson, Kootenay Land District |
| Latitude-Longitude: | 49°28'39"N, 117°24'34"W at the approximate population centre of this feature. |
| Datum: | WGS84 |
| NTS Map: | 82F/6 |
|
|
Origin Notes and History:
|
Belford (Settlement) adopted 7 October 1947 on Columbia River Basin manuscript 10; located on the west side of Eagle Creek as labelled on Geological Survey of Canada sheet 62A, Nelson, 1912, and on BC map 1EM, 1915, and as identified in the 1930 BC Gazetteer, and as labelled on Department of Interior sheet #19, Kootenay, 1924 & 1936. Form of name subsequently changed to Belford (community). Name rescinded 18 December 2001 on 82F/6. Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |
|
Belford Post Office was opened 1 October 1911, situated in Lot 5079; closed 31 December 1918 following the death of postmaster A.J. Laviolette. Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |
|
Origin/significance not known. "No one by that name lived there; probably named after a place by that name in Northumberland, England." (December 2001 advice from Castlegar historian G. Nesteroff) Source: included with note |
|
Area oldtimers advise that, once Blewett Post Office was opened in adjacent Lot 5550 in 1925, the names Belford and Blewett were used interchangeably for some years; "Belford" eventually fell into disuse and is no longer used by area residents according to December 2001 advice from district planning staff. Note that "Belford" text is positioned too far east on federal 1:50 000 map 82F/6, ed. 3 (1976) and ed. 4 (1981). Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office |
|
Belford School was renamed Blewett to avoid confusion with Balfour. Belford School burned down on 3 Jan 1960. According to the Nelson Daily News two days later, "Fire department and school officials rushed to Balfour instead of Belford. Chairman R.A. Phillips remarked that the two names could easily have been confused. By the time the fire department realized its mistake, and reached Belford, the school was a smouldering ruin." The school was rebuilt in 1962-63. The Nelson Daily News of 30 Jan 1965, under headline "No mix-ups now, former Belford School called Blewett Elementary" reiterated the above and added: "In September 1963, the school's name was officially changed to Blewett Elementary." After that, Belford fell out of use entirely... (August 2008 advice from Castlegar historian G. Nesteroff) Source: included with note |