Why, you ask? Well, all the mining that took place in this area was hardrock mining, and one of the staples of this activity was dynamite, and that is what this building provided.
Originally built by the Hamilton Powder Co., whose main product was explosives, the building was sold to Canadian Explosives Ltd. in 1911 and again to CIL (Canadian Industries Ltd.), also a manufacturer of explosives.
One has to wonder about the nervous disposition of the neighbours through the years that the occupants of this building dispensed their wares.
From a Walking Tour of
Nelson’s Heritage Buildings, number 7.
This small structure is a well designed and preserved single–storey Queen Anne commercial building with its arched entranceway and windows, as well as a decorative cornice. The building was sold in 1911 to Canadian Explosives Ltd. and in 1927 to Canadian Industries
Ltd. (C.I.L.)