Southern British Columbia - Fabulous Western Canada: Capture the Excitement of the Great West! - page 89

by fi re and fl oods. Today, visitors can
admire what remains of a number
of old buildings, as well as the fi rst
hydroelectric power plant constructed
in the Canadian West, the Silversmith
Powerhouse, which still produces elec-
tricity.

Kokanee Glacier
Provincial Park

Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park has
some 85km of hiking trails of medium
diffi culty. The park is accessible from a
number of different places.

Nelson

Located at the southern end of the West
Arm of Kootenay Lake, Nelson lies on
the west fl ank of the Selkirk Mountains.
In 1867, during the silver boom, miners
set up camp here, working together to
build hotels, homes and public facilities.
Numerous buildings now bear witness
to the town's prosperous past. Nelson
has managed to continue its economic
growth, thanks to light industry, tour-
ism and the civil service.

The Visitor Info Centre distributes two
small pamphlets that guide visitors
through over 350 historic buildings.
The town's elegant architecture makes
walking here a real pleasure. Classical,
Queen Anne and Victorian buildings
proudly line the streets and provide elo-
quent reminders of the opulence of the
silver mining era. Among the city's must-
sees are the stained-glass windows of
the Nelson Congregational Church ,
the group of buildings on Baker Street,
the Italian-style Fire Station which
dominates the city and the Chateau-
style building that once housed the
city hall and the post offi ce and is
now home to the Touchstones Nelson

5 Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park.

© Kootenay Rockies Tourism

Museum of Art and History . The
museum has displays on the local First
Nations, explorers, miners, traders and
settlers who shaped the city's history, as
well as contemporary art exhibits.