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Greenwood, BC
Step Back In Time

Heritage Walk

Lotzkar Park

Phoenix, BC

Trans Canada Trail

Boundary Creek Nature Walk

"Snow Falling On Cedars"

Greenwood, British Columbia

Step Back In time...

For the outdoor enthusiast and history buff, there is so much to do and see in and around historic Greenwood, BC. Located 30 minutes west of Grand Forks, BC and 60 minutes east of Osoyoos, BC on Highway 3.

Mountain-Biking, hiking, fishing, horseback riding and bird watching are popular past times. while in the winter take advantage of the excellent snowmobile terrain, groomed cross-country ski trails and downhill ski facilities.

TAKE PICTURES NOT ARTIFACTS!

Remnants of days gone by can be found throughout the region. Take pictures and the please leave your 'discoveries' for others to enjoy.

GREENWOOD, BC - A Trans Canada Trail Community

There is no shortage of exciting mountain-biking and hiking trail for all fitness and age levels. The Trail wanders near abandoned towns and mine sites as well as Boundary falls and the Historic Dewdney Trail. the Boundary Creek Nature walk is a new favourite for birdwatchers and fishermen.

Golf on a challenging 9 hole, 18-tee golf course.

Fishing, Boating and Camping at nearby Jewel Lake and a drive through the Phoenix Interpretive Forest. Maps are available at the Greenwood Museum.

Heritage Walk - 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 colourful downtown and historic residences. Enjoy the early 1900's architecture while perusing the shops or having a refreshment.

O'hairi Park - Our park dedicated to the Japanese-Canadian citizens of Greenwood.

Mining Display park - The "Granby Phoenix Bird" stands over the open air display of mining equipment.

Lotzkar Memorial Park - This unique industrial smelter ruin is one of a kind. the massive ridge of slag with the 36m high smokestack stands as a memorial to past prosperity. Named after Leon Lotzkar, park features building remnants and the unique "hell's bells"- Please use caution while exploring.

ACCOMMODATIONS - We have Motels, Bed & Breakfasts, Private and Public Campgrounds as well as Guest Ranches.

Greenwood Museum & Visitor Info Center

BC Copper Company Smelter Smokestack

36m (121 feet ) high

In just 2 short years a wealth of copper, gold and silver transformed a patch of rugged wilderness into a booming frontier city. the social and economic hub of the entire Boundary Region.

Overnight, 200 tents became houses, hotels and shops for the throng of transient miners, proprietors and missionaries that travelled the circuit between mining hotspots. It was 1897. They came from the copper fields of Washington and Montana on steamboats up the Columbia and by pack horse over the Dewdney trail hastily setting up camp even before land was properly cleared. Cleared it was, making way for more permanent settlements.

Numerous saloons quenched parched throats and elevated emotions of the hardy miners, loggers and businessmen the red light district, courthouse and jail were kept busy as were the short lived Grand opera house, dining rooms and a multitude of churches. the bustling area grew to a population of around 7000.

Three smelters operated within a 40km (25 mile) radius of Greenwood. Their mammoth furnaces pumped out molten ore 24 hours a day, earning this area fame as one of the biggest copper-producing regions of the world. the hydroelectric dams in the Kootenays that were built for the smelters created a whole new lifestyle and brought the region into the 20th Century.

By 1899, railways were completed to haul in coal and ship out copper opening new doors to the outside world. In 1900, Phoenix, BC emerged as the highest incorporated city in Canada at that time.

But by 1918, the fame and fortune of Greenwood and Region went into a tailspin caused by a downturn in copper prices forcing the closure of the BC Copper Company Smelter. People left in droves, businesses were boarded up and by 1940, it looked like the proud City of Greenwood was to become a ghost town, the fate of so many communities of the era with the population dropping to around 200.

Hotel Block built around 1897

A NEW BEGINNING

A new wave of pioneers came to Greenwood during World War ll. During the first 9 months of 1942, more than 22,000 people of Japanese descent were forced to leave their coastal homes, representing the largest mass movement of people in the history of Canada.

In 1942, by special request mayor W.E. McArthur and Council, Greenwood became the first internment camp that invited the presence of Japanese-Canadians. Their actions resulted in about 1200 people, mainly women and children, arriving by train over the course of a few months.

Greenwood Post Office built in 1913

A traumatic experience it was, abandoning the lifestyle of a large coastal city to live in this small mountain town, among strangers may not have ever seen Japanese people. Families lived in one-room compartments, sharing kitchen, bathing and toilet facilities with several families and experiencing bitterly cold winters unheard of on the Pacific West Coast.

With the same dauntless spirit of the miners before them, Greenwood's new citizens transformed the city into a once again bustling community, where culture, education, and sports became 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 an historic tourist destination. the Oscar-nominated movie, filmed in Greenwood, Universal Studio's "Snow Falling On Cedars" based on David Gutersen's Best Selling Novel, we were placed in the world spotlight. It was directed by Scott hicks, and starred Ethan Hawke, Youki Kudoh and Max Von Sydow.

GREENWOOD QUICK FACTS