Radon is a chemical element; it has symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive noble gas and is colorless and odorless. Of the three naturally occurring radon isotopes, only radon-222 has a sufficiently long half-life for it to be released from the soil and rock where it is generated. Radon isotopes are the immediate decay products of radium isotopes. The instability of radon-222, its most stable isotope, makes radon one of the rarest elements. Radon will be present on Earth for several billion more years, despite its short half-life, because it is constantly being produced as a step in the decay chain of uranium-238, and that of thorium-232, each of which is an extremely abundant radioactive nuclide with a half-life of several billion years. The decay of radon produces many other short-lived nuclides, known as "radon daughters", ending at stable isotopes of lead. Radon-222 occurs in significant quantities as a step in the normal radioactive decay chain of uranium-238, also known as the uranium series, which slowly decays into a variety of radioactive nuclides and eventually decays into lead-206, which is stable. Radon-220 occurs in minute quantities as an intermediate step in the decay chain of thorium-232, also known as the thorium series, which eventually decays into lead-208, which is stable.
Invermere is a community in eastern British Columbia, Canada, near the border of Alberta. It is the hub of the Columbia Valley between Golden to the north and Cranbrook to the south. Invermere sits on the northwest shore of Windermere Lake and is a popular summer destination for visitors and second home owners from Edmonton and Calgary.
Kootenay National Park is a national park of Canada in southeastern British Columbia. The park consists of 1,406 km2 (543 sq mi) of the Canadian Rockies, including parts of the Kootenay and Park mountain ranges, the Kootenay River and the entirety of the Vermilion River. While the Vermilion River is completely contained within the park, the Kootenay River has its headwaters just outside the park boundary, flowing through the park into the Rocky Mountain Trench and eventually joining the Columbia River. The park ranges in elevation from 918 m (3,012 ft) at the southwestern park entrance to 3,424 m (11,234 ft) at Deltaform Mountain.
The Kootenays or Kootenay is a region of southeastern British Columbia. It takes its name from the Kootenay River, which in turn was named for the Kutenai First Nations people.
Highway 95 is a north-south highway in the southeastern corner of British Columbia, opened in 1957. The highway connects with U.S. Route 95, from which the highway takes its number, at the Canada–U.S. border at Kingsgate, just north of Eastport, Idaho. The section between the Canada-U.S. border and the Crowsnest Highway is known as the Yahk–Kingsgate Highway while the section between the Crowsnest Highway and Golden is known as the Kootenay–Columbia Highway.
Highway 93 is a north–south route through the southeastern part of British Columbia, in the Regional District of East Kootenay and takes its number from U.S. Highway 93 that it connects with at the Canada–United States border. It follows the Crowsnest Highway (Highway 3) and Highway 95 through Radium Hot Springs and to where it crosses the Continental Divide into Alberta at Vermilion Pass, where it continues as Alberta Highway 93. The section between the Canada-U.S. border and the Crowsnest Highway is known as the Elko–Roosville Highway, the section between the Crowsnest Highway and Radium Hot Springs is known as the Kootenay–Columbia Highway, while the section east of Radium Hot Springs is known as the Banff–Windermere Parkway.
The Village of Nakusp is located south of the mouth of Kuskanax Creek, on the Upper Arrow Lake in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. Lying between the Selkirk and Monashee ranges, the village is known for its nearby hot springs and picturesque mountain lakeside setting.
Fairmont Hot Springs is an unincorporated resort community located in south-eastern British Columbia, Canada commonly referred to as Fairmont. The community had a reported population of 781 in the 2021 census, but the town receives frequent tourists. The local resort is centered around a soak pool and swimming pool fed by natural mineral hot springs. The original springs building, surrounded by hot spring water seeping out of the ground, still stands.
Canal Flats is a village municipality in the East Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. This Columbia Valley community lies between the southern end of Columbia Lake and the northwest shore of the Kootenay River. The locality, on Highway 93/95, is by road about 83 kilometres (52 mi) north of Cranbrook and 165 kilometres (103 mi) southeast of Golden.
Highway 93 is a north–south highway in Alberta, Canada. It is also known as the Banff-Windermere Parkway south of the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) and the Icefields Parkway north of the Trans-Canada Highway. It travels through Banff National Park and Jasper National Park and is maintained by Parks Canada for its entire length. It runs from the British Columbia border at Vermilion Pass in the south, where it becomes British Columbia Highway 93, to its terminus at the junction with the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16) at Jasper. The route takes its number from U.S. Route 93, which runs uninterrupted south to central Arizona, and was initially designated as '93' in 1959.
Kaslo is a village on the west shore of Kootenay Lake in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. A member municipality of the Central Kootenay Regional District, the name derives from the adjacent Kaslo River. The village is regarded as the "Little Switzerland of Canada."
Salmo is a village in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. It is mostly on the north side of Erie Creek at the confluence with the Salmo River. The place lies largely east of the junction of BC Highway 3, and BC Highway 6.
Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is home to the second largest natural hot springs in Canada, after Deer River Hot Springs 15 km to the north east. It is a natural river of hot water rather than a spring fed man made pool. The park is part of the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area. The community of Liard River, British Columbia is located nearby.
Montrose is in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. The village lies 7 kilometres (4 mi) east of the city of Trail along Highway 3B.
Warfield is a village at the bottom of the Rossland hill, immediately west of Trail, in the West Kootenay region of southern British Columbia.
Aldergrove is a community in the Township of Langley within British Columbia, Canada, approximately 59 km (37 mi) east of Vancouver. The community is urban in nature and, although not incorporated as a town, is often referred to as one. Aldergrove is located at the southeastern edge of both the Township of Langley and the Greater Vancouver metropolitan area, near the western edge of the Abbotsford metropolitan area. It is home to the Lynden–Aldergrove Border Crossing, one of the Lower Mainland's five land border crossings, connecting it with Lynden, Washington.
Radium and radon are important contributors to environmental radioactivity. Radon occurs naturally as a result of decay of radioactive elements in soil and it can accumulate in houses built on areas where such decay occurs. Radon is a major cause of cancer; it is estimated to contribute to ~2% of all cancer related deaths in Europe.
The Banff-Windermere Highway, also known as the Banff-Windermere Parkway, is a 105 km (65 mi) highway which runs through the Canadian Rockies in British Columbia and Alberta in Canada. It runs from Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia to Castle Junction, Alberta, passing through Kootenay National Park and Banff National Park. It is designated as part of British Columbia Highway 93 and Alberta Highway 93.
Halcyon Hot Springs, also known simply as Halcyon, is a hot springs resort and spa on the east side of Upper Arrow Lake, between Galena Bay and Nakusp, in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia. Nearby to the northeast, Halcyon Mountain derives its name from the springs.
Numa Falls is a waterfall of the Vermilion River located in Kootenay National Park, British Columbia, Canada.
