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Messages in bottles, balloons, and bait cans
A list of messages sent or retrieved, by air or by water, by people in the West Kootenay, that beat the odds by being discovered.

Greg Nesteroff
May 26, 20258 min read


The Kokanee Detective Agency and other curiosities
A roundup of unusual stories, including a long-haired mail carrier, and a couple who married in their mid-80s.

Greg Nesteroff
May 22, 20253 min read


Chinese Canadians of Yahk
Documents released by Library and Archives Canada help put names and faces to people otherwise omitted from history books.

Greg Nesteroff
May 8, 20256 min read


Welcome to Rossland, Norway
The village has nothing to do with Rossland, BC. But how did it get its name?

Greg Nesteroff
Apr 29, 20253 min read


The Steve Fonyo monument on Highway 3A
Hundreds of people pass by it every day. Few know what it is.

Greg Nesteroff
Apr 22, 20255 min read


Louis Armstrong in Nelson and Duke Ellington in Trail
If the greatest name in jazz history performed at the Civic Arena, how many people would turn up?

Greg Nesteroff
Apr 2, 20259 min read


How many heritage sites does Nelson have?
Nelson is widely acknowledged as having many heritage buildings and sites. But how many exactly? The answer is complicated.

Greg Nesteroff
Mar 21, 20256 min read


What remains of the first Kaslo Hotel
Part of the original Kaslo Hotel is hiding in plain sight. This post explains why it has been obscured.

Greg Nesteroff
Mar 14, 20258 min read


Why Highway 23 isn’t (and other Nakusp navigation nuisances)
Several highways and streets in and around Nakusp have vexed mapmakers.
Kyle Kusch
Mar 9, 202514 min read


Johnny Cash and the Rockabillies in Trail
Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Wanda Jackson all performed in Trail as part of the same show in 1957.

Greg Nesteroff
Feb 12, 20259 min read


Mountains, man, myth: The story of Bill Drinnan
Visitors to Valhalla Provincial Park will be familiar with Drinnan Peak, Pass and Lake. Not many know the story of the man behind the name.
Anitra Minette Winje
Feb 4, 202516 min read


Maintaining the wire: The story of a forgotten telegraph line
Maintaining the telegraph service between Nelson and Kootenay Landing between 1898 and 1930 was not for the faint of heart.
Michael A. Cone
Feb 1, 202511 min read


17 endangered structures of West Kootenay/Boundary
Here are 16 buildings and one bridge that may not be around much longer.

Greg Nesteroff
Jan 15, 202515 min read


More lost West Kootenay/Boundary buildings of the last 25 years
Here are over 65 more buildings that were demolished, burned, or otherwise lost since 2000 that I failed to photograph.

Greg Nesteroff
Jan 8, 202533 min read


Lost West Kootenay/Boundary buildings of the last 25 years
An annotated gallery of photos I’ve taken since 2000 of buildings that no longer exist.

Greg Nesteroff
Jan 1, 202527 min read


The evolution of Trail hockey uniforms
The Trail Smoke Eaters’ famous logo has seen far more changes in the last 90 years than you think. So have their sweaters.

Greg Nesteroff
Dec 18, 202425 min read


Bridges of the Pend d’Oreille
Four bridges have crossed the Canadian side of the Pend d’Oreille River, two of which still stand. Others were proposed.

Greg Nesteroff
Dec 10, 202417 min read


Lost buildings: Silverton’s movie theatre
Silverton had its own moviehouse? Yes, indeed! Here is what I have been able to scrape together about it and the man who ran it.

Greg Nesteroff
Dec 1, 20244 min read


Slocan City Miners’ Union ribbon sells for $1,003
The Western Federation of Miners had at least 22 locals in the Kootenay-Boundary, whose ribbons are highly coveted by collectors.

Greg Nesteroff
Nov 14, 20244 min read


Lost buildings: Revisiting Trail’s Rio Theatre
Another look at East Trail’s short-lived moviehouse, its proprietor, and the disasters it faced.

Greg Nesteroff
Nov 8, 202410 min read
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