What makes Golden great

Golden, B.C., is a welcoming and inclusive community

by Marie Milner — March 15, 2013

Two men—one holding a struggling fish—with three little boys on a dock on a sunny lake

1 of 3Two dads and their boys have some success at fishing near Golden, B.C. — Photo courtesy Joanne McCullough

Close-up of two little boys wearing lifejackets, in a boat on a lake; one boy holds the steering wheel

2 of 3These little boys can't wait to get out on the lake; this one is not far from Golden, B.C. — Photo courtesy Joanne McCullough

Distance shot of a lone skier, in red, on a ski trail among evergreens

3 of 3Golden, B.C., is renowned for its fantastic skiing. — Photo courtesy Joanne McCullough

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Kent Zalaski appreciates nature and solitude, and he enjoys the small-town pub in Golden, B.C., that he co-owns with Adam and Joanne McCullough. For Zalaski, the fact that Golden is a small town is one of its major attractions.

Beauty in every direction

“I walk to work every day,” Zalaski said. “I’m able to walk my dogs to the confluence of two major rivers—the Kicking Horse and the Columbia—twice a day. Within an hour’s drive there’s amazing beauty in every direction, and I take full advantage of that. I think I went camping 25 times last year—just for one night, but still. One of my favourite spots is just 20 minutes from here. It feels really remote, yet it’s close and it’s beautiful.”

Fly-fishing for rainbow trout, mostly blackwaters, is an essential summertime activity for Zalaski. When I asked him very nicely for some details about the location of his favourite fishing spots, he laughingly—and definitely—declined to share.

Finding a home

Zalaski’s business partners also appreciate the lifestyle available in Golden. The McCulloughs settled here nine years ago after some years spent in South Africa and Taiwan.

“We’d travel, come back to Jasper (Alberta) broke and homeless, and start all over again,” laughed Joanne.

In 2003, after researching a number of mountain communities, the partners opened The Golden Taps Restaurant & Pub in Golden.

“The Kicking Horse ski area was just taking off, but real estate was still affordable here,” said Joanne, “and people were friendly and optimistic and supportive of our business idea. The people at the economic development office were really encouraging. It felt like everything was possible here—more so than in other communities we’d researched.”

A deepening appreciation

Joanne is the co-ordinator for the Golden Early Childhood Development Coalition—a part-time position that she works at mostly from home. She said that in Golden, your employment doesn’t define you; the focus is more on what activities you’re interested in and what kind of person you are than on what you do for a living.

Adam agrees. “When I play hockey or golf, I’m with accountants, council members, bartenders, loggers—there’s no segregation according to income or education levels. In my experience, clubs in bigger centres have much less of a blend, and I prefer (the way it is in Golden).”

The McCulloughs are busy parents of two busy children, and Adam enjoys coaching his son’s hockey team.

“It’s fun,” he said. “Those five- to seven-year-olds are pretty cute.”

Joanne looks forward to Sunday afternoons with her friends.

“I love to ski,” she said. “Cross-country skiing with my girlfriends is my escape—my ‘me’ time.”

Stepping up

Joanne said that a sense of “Yes, we can do it” permeates the whole town of Golden. It’s a positive attitude that she hopes their children will absorb.

“When people want to get things done, they don’t just hope that someone else will take care of it—they step up and get started,” she said. “An attitude like that makes a community really attractive. Golden may not be perfect, but it’s pretty great.”