On the first Saturday in September, the Balfour ferry landing is buzzing with anxious young fishermen. It’s the annual 15 & Under Squawfish Derby, and the excitement is building. The kids are registered in age categories at the Gill & Gift, where they receive free maggots, hooks, weights, etc., and there are even a few rods and reels lent out for the day. Off they go fishing off the docks, the shore and some in boats.
...
- Launch your boat at Balfour wharf
- Take a fishing or sailing charter
- Get some duck food at Lang's and wander down to the beach to feed the ducks and geese
- Watch the ferry coming in and going out
- Go for lunch and do some shopping
- Play nine or eighteen holes at the golf course
- Hit a bucket of balls at the driving range
- Rent a boat
- Rent a kayak
- Ride the free...
Let's Celebrate!
Be part of this exciting cultural event! Only $2. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and spend the day on Heritage Way.
Headliners
- Adham Shaikh
- Heavy Shtetl
- Aspen Switzer
- Mushanan Marimba
- and much more!
Shuttles, sponsored by Mountain Transport Institute, depart from the Station Museum and the Castlegar Recreation Complex...
Born at the turn of the twentieth century out of the promise of rich mineral discoveries, one of the smallest railways in the British Empire operated in Nelson. Originally built in 1906, its streetcars carried passengers up and down some of the steepest grades anywhere.
Car 23 first saw service in Cleveland, Ohio. It came to Nelson in 1924 and served the city until 1949. At that time the electric tramway service was replaced by buses....
Balfour sits on the west bank of beautiful Kootenay Lake with the Selkirk mountain range as its backdrop. Back in 1889 it was staked as a townsite by Charles Busk, an Englishman who envisioned Balfour becoming a centre for farming. It never did become an agricultural community but instead has survived through the years primarily as a popular resort for fishermen. Today, the area has a population of 1200 and more than 60 businesses operate...
Discover Kootenay’s best kept secret – 18 holes of spectacular golf! Designed by Les Furber, this prestigious course comes complete with a driving range, putting green, a full fleet of rental carts, and a new clubhouse.
Players will find the front nine carved neatly through a forested region with sand and water hazards strategically placed; the back nine uses the mountains to provide elevation from tee to green and has a...
We are lucky to share our forests with black and grizzly bears. Bear Aware is an organization that seeks to ensure that no harm comes to either bears or humans in our mutual habitat.
Try not to surprise a bear. If a bear hears you coming, it will usually avoid you. Warn bears of your presence by talking calmly and loudly, or sing, especially in dense bush where visibility may be limited or around rivers or streams...
The Brilliant Bridge was built in 1913 to cross the Columbia River, joining the Doukhobor community of Brilliant to the growing city of Castlegar. A piece of heroic construction, it nevertheless fell into disuse after a new bigger and better bridge was built to serve the community of Castlegar.
Discussion surrounding its inevitable deconstruction was halted when the Doukhobor Historical Society began raising awareness about the bridge'...
This is a great lookout point you can drive to. The access road is an active logging road and is rough and narrow. Turnoff is located about 12 km west of Kaslo and is approximately 8 km to the summit. It is worth the drive.
Buchanan Lookout (elevation 6263 feet/1909 metres) is a great day-use spot for family picnics, with spectacular views over Kootenay Lake and the mountains. In season, there are lovely alpine flowers gracing the...
Constructed in 1927 and renovated in 1988, this historical facility is a terrific place to absorb some local atmosphere during your visit. Over the years the theatre has served principally as a movie house, but interspersed in the movie schedule were live dramatic performances of travelling companies and local groups, including Nelson Little Theatre and Rossland Light Opera Players.
The beautifully restored Capitol Theatre provides...
Celebrate Castlegar’s annual Art Walk! What do water, oil, cloth, wood, paper, linen and fibre have in common? If you guessed that artists exhibiting in Castlegar’s Art Walk use all these materials, you’d be absolutely right.
This year, as always, there are many gallery venues open to the public and you are invited to view the show all summer. Your ‘art walking’ can begin uptown or downtown but make sure...
The Castlegar Farmers Market is in its third year of making, baking, growing and raising our own. Come to the market for fresh produce grown by neighbours, hand made crafts, plants and herbs, fresh bread and canned goodies galore!
This market is held in the parking lot of the United Church at 809 Merry Creek Road (just up from the Fireside Inn) and runs from Saturday July 17 to Saturday September 11 from 8 am until 12 noon.
The...
This 9 hole golf course is in a beautiful setting surrounded by mountains with an abundance of trees, a winding creek, rolling hills, 3 ponds and 41 strategically placed bunkers that will test your accuracy.
There is an excellent licensed restaurant and they also offer on-site overnight parking for self contained RVs. Green fees are $23 for 9 holes and $37 for 18. The course is located on Highway 3, 8 kms east of Fruitvale on the...
A canoeist’s dream! Champion Lakes Park consists of a series of three tranquil lakes. An ideal place for the whole family, with an adventure playground and a shallow sandy swimming area right next to the campground for the kids. Wether you're learning to swim or swimming laps across across the lake, this is a great lake that everyone can enjoy.
The weekend hosts great interpretive programs, and many...
Nelson has been named as the “best art town” in Canada by author John Villani in his book The 100 Best Art Towns in America,.It lives up to its reputation.
Nelson has been attracting artists for years. The natural beauty of the region, combined with the many heritage buildings and an already thriving arts community make it an ideal home for artists of every medium.
Performing arts, artists and artisans are part of...
