Kinsmen Park

Kinsmen Park & Beach

Kinsmen Park is a beautiful green space on the shores of Lake Windermere in Invermere. The park is not only the centerpiece of a great deal of what summer is all about for residents, but also a popular attraction for visitors to the area. Regardless of where you vacation in the Columbia Valley, you will, at some point, most likely find yourself heading to Kinsmen Park. Many community events take place there each year too – like the Snowflake Festival, Canada Day Celebrations and the Invermere Music Festival, to name a few.

Please note: There are no dogs allowed in the park or on the beach.

Park features

With tall trees to provide plenty of shade on a hot summer’s day and its breathtaking views of both the Canadian Rockies and the Purcell range, Kinsmen Park offers an abundance of reasons why you will want to put it on your places-to-visit list for the family vacation. Here are just a few:

sandy beach
kids’ play area
concession
clean, accessible washrooms
showers and change rooms
plenty of parking
picnic tables

beach volleyball
splash and spray park in the lake
Pynelogs Cultural Centre
botanical gardens
Columbia Valley Botanical Gardens trail
a linear trail around Dorothy Lake
Lake Windermere Whiteway

The Lake

Lake Windermere is home to every imaginable kind of water sport. In summer, there are fishing, boating, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, water skiing, tubing and more. In winter, 30+ km of looping trails are cleared on the frozen lake to create the Lake Windermere Whiteway which is the longest of its kind in the world. Individuals and families play on cross-country skis, skates, sleds or just enjoy a crisp winter walk. The renowned Bonspiel-on-the-Lake is held just off-shore in January.

Pieces of history

Kinsmen Park offers some special glimpses of the unique cultural history of the Invermere area.

Pynelogs Cultural Centre and Art Gallery

This wonderful log house on the Kinsmen Park property is home to the Columbia Valley Arts Council. From April to Thanksgiving each year, the arts council hosts artist shows, music concerts, Cinefest movies and the annual Wings Over the Rockies week. Overlooking the lake is a gravestone marking the resting place of Lady Elizabeth Bruce, beloved wife of Robert Randolph Bruce, an early Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia and the builder and original owner of the building.

Columbia Valley Botanical Gardens

This garden at Kinsmen Park, also known as the community garden, is part of a world-wide network of botanical gardens dedicated to plant conservation and education. The garden features heritage vegetables and flowers from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Old CPR Lodge

Also in the park is the re-located and refurbished old CPR Lodge, a historic building that was originally the main lodge of the CPR workers’ camp in Invermere.

Kinsmen Park Events

Here are some of the exciting events that occur at Kinsmen Park & Beach each year. Note that events with past dates have not yet been scheduled for the coming year, but there’s still lots of useful information on their pages.