Well, of course, it does. Just not in the Beaver Valley. This is an historical submission from Peter Ferguson, Kimberley resident.
Wikipedia cites 233 place names incorporating the word ‘Baldy.’ Old Baldies are found in Alaska, California, Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Dakota and Washington. So it’s kind of an American thing. British Columbia does have an Old Baldy, and there’s another in Somerset, England. Plus, oddly, at Wimberley, Texas (Just one letter different!)
[Skating on the Kimberley Pond]
I moved to The Valley’s 1911 Continuation School in 1990 – kids from the one-room schoolhouses of the district gathered there to continue their education up to Grade 10.
[Continuation School]
When we asked about ‘Old Baldy,’ long-time residents just laughed. All the older folk (they’re pretty much gone now) made it quite clear: Old Baldy is just a foolish government name; there are only 3 proper, interchangeable, names for the cliff:
The Rock, Kimberley Rock and Kimberley Rocks.
[Stuart House]
This is borne out by a photo we recovered. Taken in 1911, it shows the school in construction, finished halfway up the ground floor, with The Rock looming in the background. The photographer has written across the top of the print KIMBERLEY ROCKS. And then some wag from here added a note saying YES, IT CERTAINLY DOES. So, there’s documentary proof . . .
Where did ‘Old Baldy’ come from? As reported by longstanding residents, some interloping councilor from Oakville, on a visit, said in essence, ‘The Rock? That’s way too bush: you need a name with some class.’ And she somehow convinced the government to make the change.
[Proctor House]
Let’s draw back a bit. The Rock, like all natural phenomena, has to be seen in context.
Try this: the next time you’re driving down Bowles Bluff Road, take it slowly. Keep your eye on the east side of the valley, and look north toward and past The Rock. What do you see?
Taken together, these are The Three Sisters – The Rock and its two mimicking escarpment peaks. And that’s a good name.
[The Three Sisters]
To participate in a provincial government email campaign, in the interest of historical accuracy, by requesting a correction of the name of Kimberley’s cliff, in all applications, to ‘Kimberley Rock’, please email Peter Ferguson fergusonsend@gmail.comÂ
Related posts:
Kimberley Historic Walking Tour
John Muir: Early Years in the Beaver Valley Area
Osprey Historic Walking Tour
Osprey Township Historic Car Tour
Flesherton Historic Walking Tour
Markdale Historic Walking Tour
Eugenia Historic Walking Tour
The Geology of the Beaver Valley
The Wickens Family in Kimberley, 1857 and on
Citizen Scientists Monitor Plant Sales and Trails for Invasive Species