Ymir, a small town located in the Salmo River Valley, deep in the Selkirk Mountain Range between the towns of Salmo and Nelson, was established as the result of early mining explorations in the mid-1860’s.

Ymir has a very colorful history and the roots of that mining history of hardiness and self-suficiency remains as a foremost characteristic of present day residents. At one point, Ymir’s population peaked at nearly 10,000 residents.

The earliest miners in the area arrived in 1860’s when mining claims were recorded on Quartz Creek. In 1885, the Hall brothers and their group prospected on Wild Horse Creek. The Nelson and Fort Sheppard Company laid track through the Salmo River Valley in 1893, linking the United States with the Kootenay goldfields. The Ymir mine was first staked in 1895 and by 1896, the Dundee, Tamarack, Porto Rico and others were staked as well. In 1897, three Rossland businessmen filed claim to 620 acres in the area surrounding Quartz Creek. Within two weeks, the land was surveyed, lots were sold and the roots of the town of Ymir were created.

Although the mining industry has long since declined along with the town population, Ymir nevertheless remains as an outdoor recreational paradise. Snowmobiling and Nordic sports reign in the winter and a myriad of recreational opportunites are present during the summer season.