About Nelson

The West Kootenay region of British Columbia, where the city of Nelson is situated, is the traditional territory of the Sinixt or Lakes First Nation. The area also has a significant Kutenai (Kutnaxa) presence. Gold and silver were found in the area in 1867. Following the discovery of silver at nearby Toad Mountain in 1886, the town boomed quickly, leading to incorporation in 1897. Two railways were built to pass through Nelson. Due to its location near transportation corridors, Nelson grew to supply the local mining activity and soon became a transportation and distribution centre for the region. The town soon matured from a false-fronted boom town to a sophisticated city. Francis Rattenbury, a noted architect, designed chateau-style civic buildings made of granite, which stand today; the quality of Rattenbury's work is suggested by the fact that he had previously designed the B.C. Legislature building in Victoria. By the 1900s, Nelson boasted several fine hotels, a Hudson's Bay Company store and an electric streetcar system. The local forestry and mining industries were well established. The town built its own hydroelectric generating system in 1910. English immigrants planted lakeside orchards, and Doukhobors from Russia, sponsored by Tolstoy and the Quakers, tilled the valley benchlands. During the Vietnam War, many American draft dodgers settled in Nelson and the surrounding area. This influx of liberal, mostly educated young people had a significant impact on the area's cultural and political demographics. More recently, servicemen deserting from America's war with Iraq have found their way to Nelson.