Purcell Mountains and Rocky Mountains) and five national parks: Yoho National Park, Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, Glacier National Park, and Kootenay National Park. Golden is on Highway 1 (the Trans-Canada Highway), and it is the northern terminus of Highway 95, connecting it to the United States via the rest of the East Kootenay region and the city of Cranbrook, British Columbia (B.C. Highway 95 is a continuation of U.S. Route 95, which runs north-to-south through the U.S. and into Mexico). The Trans-Canada Highway east of Golden has numerous upgrade projects ongoing to greatly improve the roadway west of the Yoho National Park boundary. The Ten Mile Hill section of the project was recently completed and is a major upgrade to the old highway. Climate Golden has a climate with influences of the humid continental (Dfb) and semi-arid (BSk) varieties. Summers are warm but rarely hot, with winters being somewhat moderated in comparison to areas east of the Rockies. Annual snowfall is heavy, averaging . Demographics In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Golden had a population of 3,986 living in 1,734 of its 1,892 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 3,708. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. Religion According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Golden included: Irreligion (2,430 persons or 62.3%) Christianity (1,225 persons or 31.4%) Sikhism (115 persons or 2.9%) Hinduism (40 persons or 1.0%) Buddhism (15 persons or 0.4%) Other (55 persons or 1.4%) Economy Golden has a service-based economy, relying heavily on tourism and services for tourists. Unlike many other Canadian towns with similar population size, Golden boasts nine automobile repair shops that all offer a wide range of services and are open extended hours. Golden also features a large number of hotels with mountain views that provide accommodation to both tourists and stranded drivers. Education Public education is provided by School District 6 Rocky Mountain which operates 3 primary schools and one secondary school. Community College education is offered by the Golden Campus of the College of the Rockies. Sports Notable people Doug Barrault, retired hockey player Dillon Dubé, NHL player with the Calgary Flames David Duncan, freestyle skier Curtis McKenzie, NHL player with the Dallas Stars Patricia Owens, actress Sara Renner, Olympic medal-winning cross country skier References External links Towns in British Columbia Columbia Valley