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| The Slocan Valley Rail Trail |
 The Trail:
The Slocan Valley Rail Trail covers approximately 50 kilometres between
the Village of Slocan, British Columbia and Slocan Junction, British
Columbia. It begins at the intersection of the beginning of Highway 3
and the end of the Slocan Subdivision. Tourism British Columbia owns the
the Slocan Valley Rail Trail.
Rail History:
There are many accounts of this railway's colourful evolution. The mileposts that still mark the trail could perhaps speak to the trail's history having witnessed more than a century of transportation evolution from steam motive power, on land and water, to diesel locomotion, modern highway traffic and air travel.
Massive railroad development flourished in the Slocan Valley region through the 1880s and 1890s as the drive to access huge deposits of gold, silver, lead and copper drove competing rail companies to jockey for the prime positions. Rivalries persisted along the rail routes and American Daniel Corbin - who built the Spokane Falls and Northern (SF&N) Railway in 1890, just 24 kilometres south of the Canada/US border at the Columbia River- intensified competition by building his railroad further north into Canada. In 1893, Corbin's trail was completed with the Nelson and Fort Sheppard (N&FS) Railway, created an uninterrupted rail line from Nelson to Spokane and allowed American interests to take the rich ore out of British Columbia. The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) reacted swiftly by obtaining charters for several railways, to enable ore to be taken out of the Kootenays to the main line of the CPR which lay to the north. One of these charters established the Columbia & Kootenay Railway which was designed to take the rich ore north from Nelson to Slocan city where it would be barged to Rosebery. From there, the Nakusp & Slocan Railway would carry the ore to a smelter in Revelstoke. Unfortunately, the smelter could not be maintained and was eventually closed. This made the railway ineffective in reversing the flow of ore to the United States and resulted in the CPR's acquisition of the Kootenays to Coast Railway via among others - the famed Kettle Valley Railway. The Columbia and Kootenay Railway soon became known as "a railroad from nowhere to nowhere". The last train travelled the Slocan Valley rail line on September 14, 1993. The CPR then abandoned the line. The corridor was gifted to the Trans Canada Trail Foundation, which in turn transferred ownership to Tourism British Columbia.
Communities:
The Slocan Valley Rail Trail provides an important link to the
communities of the Slocan Valley. This section of the Spirit of 2010 Trail
begins in South Slocan at the junction of Highway 3 and 6. The main southern
access point is at the Dam Inn and the rail trail travels from there north
through the communities of Crescent Valley, Slocan Park, Passmore and Winlaw
to its final destination in the Vilage of Slocan. The Slocan Subdivision is
located in Southeastern British Columbia in the Regional District of Central
Kootenay. This section of the trail comprises a total of 439.66 acres along
its 50 kilometre (31.3 mi) length.
Trail Highlights:
The Slocan Valley Rail Trail travels through a delicately beautiful area, in the environmentally sensitive Slocan River Valley. The
rail trail is relatively flat following the contours of the river for much of its length. The corridor bisects lands that are home to numerous species of wildlife, including grizzly and black bears, moose, elk, deer and cougar. The river bank along the Slocan River is particularly important to bald eagles, osprey and numerous waterfowl species including swans, geese, ducks and heron, which make it an ideal destination for avid birders. The Slocan Valley has a rich industrial history, told by the 261 documented mine sites still in existence throughout the region. Throughout the Slocan Valley there are abundant signs of Aboriginal occupation and ancient forests dating back thousands of years. For more information on the Slocan Valley region, visit www.HelloBC.com.
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