Nelson... a place where life is unhurried and people say “hello” to strangers. It’s a town where time has seemingly stood still. But, don’t let the quiet fool you. The appeal of this charming city, surrounded by the Selkirk Mountains and set on the shores of the West Arm of Kootenay Lake, is undeniable. Home to over 9700, Nelson offers both the splendour of past eras and the vibrancy of the present. Nelson began in the late 1880s as a rough camp which catered to the needs of miners drawn to the area by a silver rush. Settling at the foot of Toad Mountain, the town grew rapidly, and by the early 1900s boasted several fine hotels, a number of churches, substantial residences and elegant public buildings. Incorporated as a city in 1897, with a population of 1,000, Nelson owes many of its beautiful buildings to the civic pride of its citizens at the turn of the last century.

At the end of the 19th century mining began to take a reduced role in the city’s prosperity due to the decline in silver prices. In the early 1900s, fruit ranching became important in the Kootenay Lake valley to the north of Nelson. During that time, Nelson businesses provided the ranchers with supplies. Today, Nelson’s economy is very diverse. The ingenuity of the people who continue to migrate to Nelson (joining others whose families have already made that choice), coupled with the self-sufficiency that is a requirement for a town eight hours away from a major city, forge an altogether unique combination of enterprises. Turn-of-the-century ambiance lingers in every corner from the preserved heritage buildings to the fully restored streetcar. Nelson’s modern face is the energy of its people – an energy that comes across when you see the art hanging in the shops and restaurants, or when you notice the variety of the unique businesses that thrive in this well-supported local economy.