In 1919, CM&S bought a tract of land at Warfield to supply cheap produce for its workers, and show that pollution from the Trail smelter was not as significant as critics claimed, but the farm proved the converse. Following the installation of a pollution control device in 1925, the captured dust was taken to a plant built at the farm that converted the material into a variety of fertilizers. By 1931, the company produced hydrogen, nitrogen, ammonia, ammonia sulphate, phosphite and phosphoric acid-based products.[7]
By 1941, the Warfield plant output of ordinance-grade ammonium nitrate was directed to munitions during World War II. In addition, the US military needed heavy water for the Manhattan Project. The only two sources in the world were Vemork, Norway, under German occupation, and Trail, where electrolytic hydrogen was a by-product of the CM&S sulfur recovery process. CM&S was directed by the federal government to build a heavy water plant at Warfield, which was funded by the US, and operated from 1943 to 1956. A 14-storey concrete building in the midst of the fertilizer complex has evidenced the strategic project.[8]
Rossland CP line
In 1896, Warfield was one of two intermediate stations opened.[3] In 1966, Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) abandoned the Rossland spur west of Warfield.[9]
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Warfield had a population of 1,753 living in 798 of its 828 total private dwellings, a change of 4.3% from its 2016 population of 1,680. With a land area of 1.89 km2 (0.73 sq mi), it had a population density of 927.5/km2 (2,402.2/sq mi) in 2021.[10]
Religion
According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Warfield included:[11]
The current school district for Warfield is School District 20 Kootenay-Columbia.[12] Currently, Warfield offers one elementary school and one preschool.
Schools
School
Enrollment
Grades
Mascot
Principal
Offered sports
James L Webster Elementary School
295
K-7
Leo the Lion
Ms Shelly McKay
Volleyball (6–7), Basketball (6–7), Cross Country (1–7), and Track (4–7).
Warfield Preschool (Associated with Webster)
Not confirmed
Preschool (3–5 years old)
Not known
Ms Shelly McKay
N/A
Climate
Warfield has a humid continental climate (Dfb) with warm, sometimes hot summer days along with cool nights and moderately cold, snowy winters with annual snowfall averaging 179.1 cm (70.5 in).[13]