Nelson, British Columbia

History

Founding and Early History

Gold and silver were discovered in the area in 1867. The subsequent discovery of silver at Toad Mountain in 1886 led to a rapid expansion of the town's population, resulting in incorporation in 1897.

To support the growing community, two railways were constructed to pass through Nelson. The town was structured as a transportation and distribution hub. Due to its proximity to major transportation corridors, Nelson became a supply center for local mining activities and the region's primary transportation and distribution center soon afterwards.

Nelson was named in 1888 after Hugh Nelson, who was the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia at the time. A dock for steamboats was built in 1892.

Early 20th century

Francis Rattenbury, one of British Columbia's eminent architects, had designed the provincial Parliament Buildings and had become the western division architect for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Rattenbury designed Nelson's courthouse and other chateau-style civic buildings made of granite, which stand today. By the 1900s, Nelson had several hotels, a Hudson's Bay Company store, and an electric streetcar system. Local mining and later forestry industries also contributed to the town's economy.

The town built its own hydroelectric generating system. English immigrants planted lakeside orchards, and Doukhobors from Russia, sponsored by Tolstoy and the Quakers, tilled the valley benchlands. The Doukhobor museum is located nearby, close to the neighboring town of Castlegar.

From 1917 to 1920, Nelson used Single Transferable Vote (STV), a form of proportional representation, to elect its councilors. Councilors were elected in one at-large district. Each voter cast just a single vote using a ranked transferable ballot.

During the Vietnam War, many American draft evaders settled in Nelson and the surrounding area. The town took on the nickname "Resisterville." This is chronicled in the 2014 book Resisterville by Kathleen Rodgers. Those U.S. draft evaders organized several intentional communities in the Nelson area—Harmony's Gate; The Reds and the Blues; and New Family. As a successor to those intentional communities, in 1996, the Middle Road Community commune was founded in Nelson.

Nelson's mountainous geography kept growth confined to the narrow valley bottom, except for specific hillside structures such as the local high school and the former Notre Dame University College (NDU) campus. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, when more prosperous cities were demolishing and rebuilding their downtown areas to the design of the time, Nelson merchants 'modernized' their buildings with aluminum siding.

Baker Street===

In the early 1980s, Nelson faced a severe economic downturn when the local Kootenay Forest Products sawmill was closed. Downtown merchants had begun competing with a large, regional shopping center, the Chahko Mika Mall, on Nelson's central waterfront. At the time, larger cities such as Victoria and Vancouver were undergoing historical restorations of their oldest areas. Nelson began similar work, removing the aluminum exteriors and restoring buildings. Local American immigrant and designer Bob Inwood offered consulting services to the city.

In 1986, producer Steve Martin chose to produce his feature film, Roxanne, primarily in Nelson, using the local fire hall as a primary set. A walk down Baker Street through the Historic District is now one of Nelson's promoted visitor activities.

Geography

Climate

Nelson has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) with four distinct seasons. Winters are cold and snowy, while summers are warm and drier, with cool temperatures during the night. | Jan record high C = 10.0 | Feb record high C = 14.5 | Mar record high C = 22.5 | Apr record high C = 30.0 | May record high C = 35.5 | Jun record high C = 38.0 | Jul record high C = 41.0 | Aug record high C = 39.5 | Sep record high C = 36.1 | Oct record high C = 26.1 | Nov record high C = 17.2 | Dec record high C = 11.7 | year record high C = 41.0 | Jan record low C = -31.7 | Feb record low C = -30.6 | Mar record low C = -22.2 | Apr record low C = -7.8 | May record low C = -6.1 | Jun record low C = 0.0 | Jul record low C = 2.8 | Aug record low C = 2.2 | Sep record low C = -4.4 | Oct record low C = -11.0 | Nov record low C = -23.5 | Dec record low C = -35.0 | year record low C = -35.0 |archive-url = https://archive.today/20130219191141/http://www.climate.weatheroffice.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_e.html?stnID=1153&lang=e&dCode=0&province=BC&provBut=Search&month1=0&month2=12 |url-status = dead |archive-date = February 19, 2013 |access-date = January 26, 2013

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Nelson had a population of 11,198 people living in 4,948 of its 5,314 total private dwellings, an increase of from its 2016 population of 10,572. With a land area of 11.93 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

Nelson's poverty rate has been ascertained to be more than twice the provincial and national averages.

Ethnicity

Religion

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Nelson included:

• Irreligion (7,415 persons or 69.1%)
• Christianity (2,675 persons or 24.9%)
• Buddhism (150 persons or 1.4%)
• Judaism (115 persons or 1.1%)
• Sikhism (70 persons or 0.7%)
• Hinduism (65 persons or 0.6%)
• Islam (20 persons or 0.2%)
• Indigenous Spirituality (10 persons or 0.1%)

Economy

Nelson’s economy has traditionally been shaped by forestry and other extractive industries. Although these sectors play a smaller role than they once did, they remain part of the local economic base. Nelson also functions as an administrative center for the Kootenays, with regional offices of both provincial and federal governments located in the city. Tourism has grown in importance and is now a key contributor to the local economy.

The city has a long-standing arts and crafts community.

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Nelson and the surrounding region were widely reported as centers of illegal marijuana production. In 2010, The Guardian noted that wealth generated through marijuana cultivation contributed to the city’s shift from a forestry-based economy toward one associated with arts, culture, and outdoor recreation, and that the effects of the global economic downturn were less visible locally at that time.

Nelson has a notable concentration of retailers specializing in natural and organic foods. The Kootenay Co-op operates a year-round market and grocery store focused on natural foods, while the local Save-On-Foods includes an expanded selection of organic products. Local manufacturing includes the Nelson Brewing Company, a microbrewery based in the city.

Arts and culture

Nelson is designated as a cultural center.

For many decades, Nelson has benefited from art education opportunities. High-school-level art classes have always existed. An independent Nelson School of Fine Art, led by Yugoslavian immigrant Zeljko Kujundzic, began to offer two-week programs in a provisional fashion, in 1960. When NSFA progressed to offering an expanded program toward a diploma, it was renamed Kootenay School of Art; it was British Columbia's first art school and received support from the provincial government. In 1969, the school's studio training was relocated into the city's Notre Dame University campus. In 1972, direct support from the province for its programs ended. Soon thereafter, while remaining in Notre Dame's location, the school was steered into a "trial" merger with the regional Selkirk College. Once the school was fully merged into Selkirk College, it began offering graduate internships and became affiliated with Eastern Washington State College.

When Notre Dame University closed in 1977, so did the Kootenay School of Art. It was succeeded in 1979 by offerings of the University of Victoria-sponsored David Thompson University Centre in the former Notre Dame buildings. In 1991, an independent institution emphasizing fine crafts, Kootenay School of the Arts, was founded. A few years later, the school secured possession of a spacious stone heritage building in Nelson's central area. In 2006, the school was absorbed by Selkirk College as a department, remaining in its own building but renamed Kootenay Studio Arts. (In addition, since the 1990s Selkirk College has offered its School of Music & Media programs in the former Notre Dame buildings.)

In 2002, former writing and visual-art faculty from the Kootenay School of the Arts founded the independent, artist-run Nelson Fine Art Centre Society. In 2005, the Society opened the Oxygen Art Centre in downtown Nelson, offering classes, exhibitions, and residencies.

The stately 1902 building at 502 Vernon Street, home to the Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery (NMAG), provides gallery space for travelling exhibitions and work by some of the region's artists.

Attractions

In 1998, Nelson was highlighted as the "Number One Small Town Arts Community in Canada" by the publisher of The 100 Best Small Arts Towns in America, and is home to a large and diverse artisan community.

Artwalk, an event displaying local artwork, takes place annually. Exhibitions take place from July to September.

The Nelson Farmers Market, located at Cottonwood Falls Park takes place every Saturday from May through October. The Downtown Farmers Market happens on Baker Street every Wednesday from June through September. Market Night, a nighttime street market in the heart of Nelson's downtown, happens twice each summer.

Two local hiking trails are popular. The Pulpit Rock Trail offers a short hike that ends with a view of the city. After Pulpit Rock, the trail continues up the spine of Elephant Mountain (an informal local name for Mount Nelson) eventually to the radio towers visible everywhere in the city. Public access to the Pulpit Rock trail has been restored with the opening. In the spring of 2009, a new access point was established several hundred meters west of the old trailhead, which was on private land.

In the winter, skiing and snowboarding are Nelson's primary outdoor activities. Thirty minutes south of town is the Whitewater Ski Resort, which provides access (via one triple chairlift, one double chairlift, one quad chairlift, and a handle tow) to 396 m of beginner-to-advanced terrain. In 2012, Nelson and Rossland, a small city southwest of Nelson, were jointly voted the best ski locales in North America by the readers of California-based Powder magazine.

Mountain biking is part of the local culture, and Nelson offers mountain bike-oriented trails for a variety of experience levels.

Rock climbing is also a popular summer activity. Kootenay Crag, Hall Siding, Grohman Narrows, and CIC Bluffs are popular city crags. Slocan Bluffs and Kinnaird are in nearby Slocan City and Castlegar. The year 2003 saw bouldering take off in Nelson, with extensive new development of bouldering areas in Grohman Narrows and nearby Robson.

Nelson is also located close to Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park.

On January 13, 2007, Nelson was the broadcast location for the annual Hockey Day in Canada special.

Sports

Infrastructure

Transportation

Highways 3A and 6 pass through Nelson. Scheduled commercial airline service is available at the West Kootenay Regional Airport in Castlegar, approximately 43 km southwest of the city. Trail Airport is another nearby facility, while Nelson Airport is located several blocks from downtown. Public transit in Nelson is provided by the West Kootenay Transit System, which operates several routes within the city and to neighboring communities.

Both Level 2 and Level 3 (DC fast-charging) electric vehicle charging stations have been installed in the city. A carsharing service is available in the town through the Kootenay Carshare Co-operative.

Nelson Pier is a lake pier designed by Matthew Stanley in Nelson. The pier symbolizes the connection between the city and the lake.

Nelson is served by the freight-only Kootenay Valley Railway, an internal business unit of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Nelson is the historic headquarters of the CPR Kootenay Division, serving as the meeting point of the CPR Boundary subdivision running towards Castlegar, British Columbia, and the CPR Nelson subdivision running towards Cranbrook.

Education

School District 8 Kootenay Lake operates public schools in Nelson and surrounding communities.

Schools include Nelson Christian Community School (NCCS), K-Gr. 8, and St. Joseph's Catholic School.{{cite web | access-date = 7 September 2025

The Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique operates one French-language school: école des Sentiers-alpins.

Nelson is home to the Tenth Street and Silver King campuses of Selkirk College, which absorbed Kootenay School of the Arts as a department and was renamed Kootenay Studio Arts.{{cite web | access-date = 7 September 2025

Kootenay Columbia College of Integrative Health Sciences has three campuses on Baker Street in Nelson.{{cite web | access-date = 7 September 2025

Media

Radio

• CJLY-FM 93.5 (Kootenay Co-op Radio)
• CBYN-FM 98.7 (CBC Radio One; repeats CBTK-FM Kelowna)
• CHNV-FM 103.5 ("The Bridge")
• CKKC-FM 106.9 ("EZ Rock")

Print

The Nelson Daily News was a local newspaper that began publishing in 1902. In 2010, it was announced the paper would cease publication, with the final edition of the newspaper published on July 16, 2010. The closure occurred shortly after the ''Nelson Daily News''' acquisition by Black Press, which purchased the paper from Glacier Media Inc.

Black Press prioritized the publication and circulation of the Nelson Star, which is published twice-weekly, on Wednesdays and Fridays. It started being published twice-weekly in 2010. The Nelson Star now circulates to over 9,000 recipients.

Notable people

• Greg Adams — former professional hockey player
• Sarah Allen — actress
• Edward Applewhaite — politician
• Nancy Argenta — soprano singer
• Beth – drag queen
• Selwyn G. Blaylock — mining official
• Robbie Bourdon — freeride mountain biker
• Margaret Catley-Carlson — civil servant
• Anne DeGrace — writer and illustrator
• Alana DeLong — politician
• Syd Desireau — hockey player
• Benno Friesen — politician, professor
• Danny Gare — former professional hockey player and coach
• James E. Gill — geologist, engineer
• Ona Grauer — actress
• Robert Hampton Gray — naval officer and pilot
• John Greyson — director and writer
• Ted Hargreaves — professional hockey player and coach
• Lillian Hickey — All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
• John Houston — newspaper editor and politician
• Levi William Humphrey — politician
• Tim Hus — country and folk singer
• Martin Michael Johnson — bishop
• Lionel Kearns — poet and teacher
• Geoff Kinrade — professional hockey player
• Laurelee Kopeck — field hockey player
• Patrick Lane — poet
• Mike Laughton — professional hockey player
• Edna Malone — dancer
• Thomas Middleditch — actor, writer
• Kliph Nesteroff - writer
• John Newlove — poet
• Frederick Niven - writer
• Bri Price — musician
• Pat Price — professional hockey player
• Sandy Santori — politician
• Adham Shaikh — composer, sound designer
• Kurt Sorge — freeride mountain biker
• Norman Symonds — musician
• Daniel C. Van Norman — educator, clergyman, school founder
• Tom Velisek — snowboarder
• Padma Viswanathan — playwright
• Jack Wright — tennis player

Notes

References

References

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7. Hamilton, William. (1978). "The Macmillan Book of Canadian Place Names". Macmillan.
8. Harper, T. (2024, September 16). Four years after it was announced, nelson's hall street pier finally opens. Nelson Star. Retrieved May 6, 2025, from https://www.nelsonstar.com/local-news/four-years-after-it-was-announced-nelsons-hall-street-pier-finally-opens-7537940
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11. Bernstein, Fred A.. "Greetings From Resisterville".
12. The Edmonton Journal, July 12, 2025, p. B3
13. "Foundation for Intentional Community", https://www.ic.org/directory/middle-road-community-the/?srsltid=AfmBOopgkpSjKn-ougHS2vJe2Oo_w04xBu3PCR-TLy2EmZUCrLlf1h-T
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34. "Nelson, Rossland voted best ski locales in North America".
35. "Kokanee Glacier Park".
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37. "Why Carshare? » Kootenay Car Share".
38. Harper, T. (2024, September 16). Four years after it was announced, nelson’s hall street pier finally opens. Nelson Star. Retrieved May 6, 2025, from https://www.nelsonstar.com/local-news/four-years-after-it-was-announced-nelsons-hall-street-pier-finally-opens-7537940
39. "[http://www.csf.bc.ca/ecoles/en-colombie-britannique/carte-des-ecoles/ Carte des écoles] {{Webarchive. link. (2015-08-17 ." ''[[Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britanique]]''. Retrieved on 22 January 2015.)
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