Salmon Arm City Map Poster

About Salmon Arm

The city is also home to a branch of Thompson Rivers University. Salmon Arm was named for the salmon that swim up the Shuswap River every year, although there are no longer any salmon runs on this river. The name "Salmon Arm" has been used since at least 1873 when it appeared on a map of British Columbia by Henry Hind and James O'Reilly. In 1884, Salmon Arm became a station stop along the Canadian Pacific Railway line from Vancouver to Calgary; in 1886 it became an incorporated village with its own municipal government under John McLean who served as mayor until 1912 when Salmon Arm separated from District Municipality status and formed into its own municipality (city). It remained so until 1958 when it once again rejoined as part of district municipality status before becoming independent again in 1970 whereupon once more joining district municipality status but now known simply as "District".