Brilliant Regional District of Central Kootenay, British Columbia

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. N side of the junction of the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers, opposite Castlegar, Kootenay Land District

Mapped Location

Brilliant: The mapped location is an approximation and should not be used for navigation or wayfinding.

 

Information

General information on Brilliant

  • Feature Type: Place

 

Official, historical, colloquial and alternative toponyms for Brilliant

A brief list of names that this geographic feature has been named

Name Description
Brilliant Official

 

Origin Notes and History of Brilliant

References to Brilliant that document the origin of its place name

Brilliant (Post Office and Railway Station) adopted 6 December 1951 on Columbia River Basin manuscript 14, as labelled on BC map 1EM, 1915. Form of name changed to Brilliant (Community) 29 November 1984. May have previously appeared as "Haynes" (maps/dates not cited).

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office  |  Province of British Columbia

Named in 1908 by Peter Verigin, because of the brilliance of the water. Brilliant Post Office opened 1 November 1908; closed 8 September 1970. See also Doukhobor Genealogy Website: (http://www.doukhobor.org/settlements.html (January 2008)

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office  |  Province of British Columbia

According to A.M. Evalenko, when the Doukhobors came to the Kootenays they gave their first settlement "the name of the Valley of Consolation, Village of Brilliant, from a brilliant diamond of the first water, on account of the great river Columbia flowing through the land". Actually, though near the Columbia, Brilliant is on the Kootenay River, and a little piece in Cominco Magazine says it was "the bright racing waters" of the latter river that suggested this name to Mr. H.B. Landers who was working with the Doukhobour settlers.

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
Akrigg, Helen B. and Akrigg, G.P.V; British Columbia Place Names; Sono Nis Press, Victoria 1986 /or University of British Columbia Press 1997  |  Province of British Columbia

According to census data, in 1961 the population was 590. In 1966 the population was recorded as 89. In 1971 the population was recorded as being 1971. 1976 census data listed the population as 100.

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
BC place name cards & correspondence, and/or research by BC Chief Geographer & Geographical Names Office staff.  |  Province of British Columbia

 

Regional District of Central Kootenay

Political Boundaries

Last updated: 2023-09-27