Riondel's rich history is tied directly to mining. Like so many other towns in BC - when mining was good the town boomed and when mining slumped so too did the town. When a mine shuts down the employees usually move away creating a ghost town with their departure. However after the the closure of Bluebell mine in 1972 rather than moving away many of the older mining employees retired and stayed on in Riondel. The next 30 years saw a slow but steady inflow of retirees looking for an ideal place to retire and many found that in Riondel. more... See more text