The night the Newmarket Hotel burned
When fire destroyed the Newmarket Hotel in October 1973, New Denver lost its greatest heritage building, constructed 80 years earlier.
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Greg Nesteroff
Jul 25, 20224 min read
A mystery monogram and an ancient arboreal autograph
In 1891, a man blazed his name onto a cedar tree. In 1899, someone scratched their initials on a rock face. Both remain to make us wonder.
620 views2 comments
Greg Nesteroff
Jun 27, 20223 min read
East Trail vs. Trail East
Here’s something that’s not confusing at all: the area across the Columbia River from Trail used to be split into East Trail and Trail East.
1,192 views2 comments
Greg Nesteroff
May 24, 20227 min read
Kokanees, Red Wings, Maple Leafs, and MRKs
From 1927 to 1934, Nelson’s senior men’s hockey team changed names four times. Why? Finding out is proving more challenging than I expected.
665 views6 comments
Judy Pollard and David Stevenson
Apr 17, 20226 min read
Seeking a different way of life
Seventy years ago this month, a group of American Quakers arrived in the Kootenays, looking for a new home.
2,064 views4 comments
Greg Nesteroff
Mar 31, 20225 min read
Little-known Nelson heritage buildings: The Nelson House annex
The last remaining portion of an early Nelson hotel is still standing in the middle of downtown.
1,515 views3 comments
Greg Nesteroff
Feb 20, 20229 min read
Fun with the 2021 census
It’s fascinating to see what changes the 2021 census captured compared to 2016, particularly in the West Kootenay/Boundary.
1,195 views5 comments
Greg Nesteroff
Feb 6, 20226 min read
Leonard Cheshire’s vet colony
Britain’s most celebrated bomber pilot planned to start a veterans commune at New Denver in 1947.
533 views2 comments
Greg Nesteroff
Jan 28, 20226 min read
Nelson’s smallest commercial block
In 1922, J.E. Annable built a store on Baker Street that was only six feet wide. What was in it and what happened to it?
1,411 views4 comments
Greg Nesteroff
Dec 12, 20217 min read
Fire alarm box No. 25
Fire alarm boxes were part of Nelson’s urban landscape from 1903-80, but they were frequently mistaken for mailboxes.
677 views4 comments
Greg Nesteroff
Dec 1, 20214 min read
Mysteries of the Chamber of Mines
When was the Chamber of Mines building in Nelson built? And what's up with the date on the tile in the sidewalk?
696 views1 comment
Greg Nesteroff
Oct 28, 20214 min read
Lost buildings: The Defeo home
You would never guess that there was once a good-size home and extensive gardens at 75 Government Road in Nelson.
1,433 views3 comments
Greg Nesteroff
Oct 25, 202113 min read
Letters from the End of Track
Five envelopes mailed in 1885 by a CPR camp cook working near present-day Revelstoke have sold at auction for nearly $7,000.
1,077 views0 comments
Greg Nesteroff
Oct 5, 20214 min read
Reminders of the Nelson Iron Works
Keep your head down and you might spot the handiwork of an iron foundry that went out of business 80 years ago.
725 views2 comments
Greg Nesteroff
Sep 28, 20212 min read
Lost buildings: The Yahk lock-up
Here are two photos of the old Yahk police station/lock-up that I took on Aug. 11, 2004. This building has long since disappeared.
666 views1 comment
Greg Nesteroff
Sep 22, 20214 min read
Architectural clones: British American service stations
A derelict gas station at Wynndel has a fully-restored twin in Newtonville, Ont.
4,958 views10 comments
Greg Nesteroff
Sep 20, 20213 min read
5 doctored West Kootenay postcards
Long before Photoshop, postcard publishers were using airbrushes and other tools to alter images.
1,836 views6 comments
Greg Nesteroff
Sep 14, 20218 min read
Fake news, 1890: The $10,000 wedding proposal
A Kootenay teacher was once offered a small fortune by a bride-to-be in Minnesota, sight unseen. Who was he and what happened?
484 views2 comments
Greg Nesteroff
Aug 27, 20217 min read
Architectural clones: The Nelson and Revelstoke courthouses
The first purpose-built courthouses in Nelson and Revelstoke looked nearly identical, a matter of some architectural intrigue.
932 views8 comments
Jonathan Kalmakoff and Greg Nesteroff
Aug 4, 202114 min read
Doukhobors at Procter and Sunshine Bay
The 1918 and 1919 civic directories listed a Doukhobor beekeeping colony at Procter. Who were they?
1,443 views2 comments
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