Athalmer is an unincorporated community in the East Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia.

This place is primarily on the western shore of the Columbia River south of the mouth of Toby Creek.

[8] From the 1890s, mined ore was hauled down from the mountains to Athalmer for shipping by barge to Golden.

Lake opened a large general store, and Athalmer House provided accommodation.

[13] McKay installed a 4,600-metre (15,000 ft) daily capacity sawmill which produced the building lumber.

[14][15] About 1900, the jail was built,[16] part of the law enforcement presence based in the community.

[21] In 1910, the Windsor Hotel lost its liquor licence for illegally serving a patron on a Sunday.

Soon after, James L. McKay moved his family from the ranch to temporary accommodation at the closed hotel, until their mansion by the river was ready.

[25] In 1912, McKay installed an electricity generating plant, which supplied street lighting and properties.

[26][27] That year, the Bank of Montreal established a branch,[28] four stores existed, a garage/public hall was under construction,[29] and the Columbia Valley Times newspaper was founded,[30] being published at least until 1914.

In 1975, the locomotive and two cars of a northbound coal train derailed on the railway crossing and smashed into the log station building.

[66] The area bounded by the railway track, the western approach roading for the Columbia bridge, and the foreshore, comprises James Chabot Provincial Park and the Lake Windermere Resort lands.

[67] The nearest BC Transit stops are the Petro-Canada for northward travel[68] and Sobeys (Invermere) for southward.

Housing and employment opportunities are comparable to Invermere, where area services are mainly located up on the bench.