Phoenix - Greenwood, British Columbia
Posted by: 
T0SHEA
N 49° 05.428 W 118° 40.615
11U E 377570 N 5438866
The Phoenix in Greenwood is at the corner Hwy. 3 and Deadwood Street, across the road from the Visitor's Centre and Museum. The Phoenix is on public display and can be visited at any time.
Waymark Code: WMMTB3
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 11/02/2014
Views: 3
You could say that Greenwood, like the Phoenix, Rises from the Ashes.
The Phoenix is a large wood carving mounted on a tall posts. He is approximately 15 feet tall. We were just there in October and decided to take another tour around the town. Generally we pass through Greenwood on our way to other places.
Greenwood is well worth a visit, as it has preserved many of their heritage sites and was one of the first Japanese internment camps in British Columbia after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Also of interest, Universal Studio's, "Snow Falling on Cedars" was partially filmed on location in Greenwood.
You can still see some of the ghost signs that were added for the filming. The Greenwood Library still has the Amity Harbor Library on their front window.
Oh, let us not forget that Greenwood is Canada's Smallest City.
Greenwood Rises from the Ashes
Greenwood boasts some of the best preserved heritage buildings in British Columbia. Step back in time and spend an hour or a day on the self-guided "Heritage Walk" through Greenwood's colorful downtown and nearby historic residences.
Suddenly, the fame and fortune of Greenwood went into a tailspin. In 1918 a downturn in the copper market forced the closure of the BC Copper Company smelter. People left in droves, businesses were boarded up, and by 1940 only 200 people remained. It looked like the City of Greenwood was to become a ghost town, the fate of so many communities of the era. During World War II a new group of citizens changed Greenwood's fate.
A traumatic experience it was, the forced internment of Japanese-Canadians. In 1942 they were required to abandon their coastal lifestyles and were displaced to this isolated little mountain town. Greenwood became the first internment camp for 1200 people of Japanese descent arriving by train over a course of several months.
The many empty hotels and businesses became one-room compartments for families. Communal kitchens, shared bathing and toilet facilities and the bitter cold winters were the harsh realities unheard of on the Pacific West Coast.
With the same undaunted spirit of the miners before them, Greenwood's new citizens transformed the town into a once-again bustling community, where culture, education, and sports became an important part of everyday life. Thus, when the war ended in 1945 and many city councils endorsed the deportation of Japanese Canadians, Greenwood stood fast in supporting its much appreciated community members.
Throughout the years, Greenwood citizens have always exhibited a strong will for survival. Today, Greenwood is once again going through a period of change. Drawing on the strength of past years, the city is evolving into a historic tourism destination.
