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 Crossroads - Castlegar, BC Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 49° 19.494 W 117° 39.989
11U E 451569 N 5463788
Spirit Square surrounds Castlegar's city hall on Columbia Avenue. Near the southeast corner of Spirit Square are eight informational signs which outline many aspects of the local history. This one tells us about The Crossroads .
Waymark Code: WMMHEP
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 09/22/2014
Views: 1
CROSSROADS
The Columbia served as part of a transcontinental highway before its role changed to that of a major north-south corridor for water based transportation. The tighter valley of the Kootenay provided a portion of the great east-west corridor that was tapped by the southern trans-provincial railway. Steam power was fundamental to both of these ambitious enterprises. Here, at Castlegar, the iron horse and the sternwheeler met, and the two great pathways crossed over.
Steamship service on the Columbia was launched in 1865 with the "Forty-Nine", built to service the Big Bend goldfields. After a lull of a dozen years, sternwheeler activity resumed as supplies were ferried north for the construction of the CPR mainline. After its completion in 1885, the flow of traffic on the river was reversed as prospectors and speculators rushed towards Nelson on the wave of the Silver King discovery. In August 1888 scheduled service commenced with the first run of the "Despatch" from Revelstoke to Sproat's Landing, across the river from today's North Castlegar. In 1890 the venture was recapitalized and expanded as the Columbia and Kootenay Steam Navigation Company. New sternwheelers were built to service the run from Revelstoke to Northport. Service was also provided on Kootenay Lake.
Late in 1896 the CPR started negotiations to purchase the C&KSN Co. in a bid to challenge the intrusion of the American railways and steamers. CPR management took over on February 1, 1897 and proceeded with plans to improve service. New vessels were launched, including the speedy "Rossland" (1897) and the "Minto" (1898). The culmination of expansion on the Arrow Lakes arrived in 1911 when the palatial "Bonnington" was launched in Nakusp. The economic downturn during World War I and competition from the Kettle Valley Line led to a diminution of service, and aging vessels were withdrawn and not replaced. Only the "Minto" was left on its lonely run along the Arrow Lakes and in April 1954 its whistle was silenced forever. An era marked by exemplary service had closed.
From the sign
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Group that erected the marker: City of Castlegar
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
460 Columbia Avenue
Castlegar, BC Canada
V1N 1G7
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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