Riondel's rich history is tied directly to
mining. Like so many other towns in BC - when mining was good the
town boomed and when mining slumped so too did the town. When a
mine shuts down the employees usually move away creating a ghost
town with their departure. However after the the closure of
Bluebell mine in 1972 rather than moving away many of the older
mining employees retired and stayed on in Riondel. The next 30
years saw a slow but steady inflow of retirees looking for an
ideal place to retire and many found that in Riondel.
1882 American Robert Sproule stakes four
claims including the Bluebell
          When Sproule left to register his claim an Englishman Thomas
Hammill restakes Sproule's Bluebell claim
1885 Sproule shoots and kills Hammill
1886 Sproule is hanged for the murder
1905 Bluebell mine is aquired by the Canadian Metal Company
Mining silver-lead-zinc
1907 The settlement's name is changed from Hendryx to Riondel
after the president of the company
1929 The Bluebell mine operates from 1895 to 1929 when the mine
is shut down
1950 The mine reopens and the community becomes a thriving
mining town
1972 Mine is closed
1972 - present Retirees move into Riondel
A Pictorial history is available in the book Bluebell
Memories by A. Terry Turner. This book is available from The
Riondel Historical Society (250) 225-3483 or the Riondel
Library
Looking for a place to retire? Consider Riondel: