Nelson is a city located in the

Selkirk Mountains The Selkirk Mountains are a mountain range spanning the northern portion of the Idaho Panhandle, eastern Washington, and southeastern British Columbia which are part of a larger grouping of mountains, the Columbia Mountains. They begin at Mica Pe ...

on the West Arm of

Kootenay Lake Kootenay Lake is a lake located in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Kootenay River. The lake has been raised by the Corra Linn Dam and has a dike system at the southern end, which, along with industry in the 1950s–70s, has changed th ...

in the Southern Interior of

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada. Known as "The Queen City", and acknowledged for its impressive collection of restored heritage buildings from its glory days in a regional

silver rush A silver rush is the silver-mining equivalent of a gold rush, where the discovery of silver-bearing ore sparks a mass migration of individuals seeking wealth in the new mining region. Notable silver rushes have taken place in Mexico, Chile, the U ...

, Nelson is one of the three cities forming the commercial and population core of the

West Kootenay The Kootenays or Kootenay ( ) is a region of southeastern British Columbia. It takes its name from the Kootenay River, which in turn was named for the Kutenai First Nations people. Boundaries The Kootenays are more or less defined by the Kootenay ...

region, the others being Castlegar and

Trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. Th ...

. The city is the seat of the

Regional District of Central Kootenay The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) is a regional district in the province of British Columbia, Canada. As of the 2016 census, the population was 59,517. The area is 22,130.72 square kilometres. The administrative centre is locate ...

. It is represented in the provincial legislature by the riding of

Nelson-Creston Nelson-Creston is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada. It made its first appearance on the hustings in the general election of 1933 following a redistribution of the earlier Nelson riding. ...

, and in the

Parliament of Canada The Parliament of Canada (french: Parlement du Canada) is the federal legislature of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and is composed of three parts: the King, the Senate, and the House of Commons. By constitutional convention, the ...

by the riding of Kootenay—Columbia.

History

Founding

The western Kootenay region of British Columbia, where the city of Nelson is situated, is part of the traditional territories of the

Sinixt The Sinixt"Sinixt Nation…" (also known as the Sin-Aikst or Sin Aikst,Reyes 2002, ''passim.'' "Senjextee", "Arrow Lakes Band", or — less commonly in recent decades — simply as "The Lakes") are a First Nations People. The Sinixt are ...

(or Lakes) and

Ktunaxa The Kutenai ( ), also known as the Ktunaxa ( ; ), Ksanka ( ), Kootenay (in Canada) and Kootenai (in the United States), are an indigenous people of Canada and the United States. Kutenai bands live in southeastern British Columbia, northern ...

(Kutenai) peoples. Gold and silver were found in the area in 1867. Following the discovery of

silver Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

at nearby Toad Mountain in 1886, the town boomed quickly, leading to incorporation in 1897. Two railways were built to pass through Nelson. Due to its location near transportation corridors, Nelson grew to supply the local mining activity and soon became a transportation and distribution centre for the region. Nelson was named in 1888 after Hugh Nelson, then Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia.

Early 20th century

Francis Rattenbury Francis Mawson Rattenbury (11 October 1867 – 28 March 1935) was a British architect although most of his career was spent in British Columbia, Canada, where he designed the province's legislative building among other public commissions. Divorc ...

, an architect most noted in British Columbia for the Parliament Buildings in Victoria, the Vancouver Provincial Courthouse, and the second Hotel Vancouver, designed chateau-style civic buildings made of granite, which stand today. By the 1900s, Nelson boasted several fine hotels, a

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...

store and an electric

streetcar A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

system. The local

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

and

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...

industries were well established. The town built its own

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

generating system. English immigrants planted lakeside orchards, and

Doukhobor The Doukhobours or Dukhobors (russian: духоборы / духоборцы, dukhobory / dukhobortsy; ) are a Spiritual Christian ethnoreligious group of Russian origin. They are one of many non-Orthodox ethno-confessional faiths in Russia a ...

s from Russia, sponsored by

Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...

and the

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

, tilled the valley benchlands. The Doukhobor museum is located nearby, close to the neighbouring town of Castlegar. Nelson 1917-1920 used

Single transferable vote Single transferable vote (STV) is a multi-winner electoral system in which voters cast a single vote in the form of a ranked-choice ballot. Voters have the option to rank candidates, and their vote may be transferred according to alternate p ...

(STV), a form of proportional representation, to elect its councillors. Councillors were elected in one at-large district. Each voter cast just a single vote, using a ranked transferable ballot. During the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, many American draft evaders settled in Nelson and the surrounding area. This influx of liberal, mostly educated young people had a significant impact on the area's cultural and political demographics. Nelson's mountainous geography kept growth confined to the narrow valley bottom, except for certain hillside structures such as the local High School and the former

Notre Dame University College Notre Dame University College was a private university in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. It was established in 1950 by the Roman Catholic diocese of Nelson and opened with twelve students. In 1951 Notre Dame became affiliated as a junior college ...

(NDU) campus. Throughout the '60s and '70s, when more prosperous cities were tearing down and rebuilding their downtowns to the design of the time, Nelson merchants 'modernized' their buildings with covers of aluminum siding.

Baker Street

In the early 1980s, Nelson suffered a devastating economic downturn when the local Kootenay Forest Products sawmill was closed. Downtown merchants were already suffering from the opening of a large, regional shopping centre on Nelson's central waterfront, the Chahko Mika Mall. At the time, Victoria and Vancouver were experimenting with historical restorations of their oldest areas, with some success. To save downtown and Baker Street from blight, Nelson quickly followed suit, stripping aluminum facades and restoring the buildings to their original brilliance. Local designer Bob Inwood, one of Nelson's many American immigrants, played a major role as a consultant. By 1985, Baker Street was completely transformed. Affirmation of the street's success came in 1986 when

Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He has won five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2013. Additionally, he was nominated ...

chose to produce his feature film '' Roxanne'' largely in Nelson, using the local fire hall as a primary set and many historic locations for others. More broadly, the transformation marked the beginning of Nelson's ongoing transition from a resource-based town to an arts and tourism town. A walk down Baker Street through the Historic District is now one of Nelson's promoted visitor activities.

Geography

Climate

Nelson has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Dfb'') with four distinct seasons. Winters are cold and snowy while summers are warm and drier with cool temperatures during the night.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...

, Nelson had a population of 11,106 living in 4,948 of its 5,314 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 10,572. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. Nelson's poverty rate to over twice the provincial and national averages.

Ethnicity

Religion

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Nelson included: *

Irreligion Irreligion or nonreligion is the absence or rejection of religion, or indifference to it. Irreligion takes many forms, ranging from the casual and unaware to full-fledged philosophies such as atheism and agnosticism, secular humanism and a ...

(7,415 persons or 69.1%) *

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

(2,675 persons or 24.9%) *

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

(150 persons or 1.4%) *

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...

(115 persons or 1.1%) *

Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...

(70 persons or 0.7%) *

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

(65 persons or 0.6%) *

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

(20 persons or 0.2%) * Indigenous Spirituality (10 persons or 0.1%)

Economy

Historically Nelson had been noted for its illegal marijuana production, with ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' reporting in 2010 that: Nelson has several retail outlets for natural foods, including a year-round market specializing in these products. A local news source claimed the Kootenay Country Co-op is "the largest independent member-owned natural food store in Canada and a respected player nationally in organic retail circles." The

Save-On-Foods Save-On-Foods is a chain of supermarkets located across Western Canada, owned by the Pattison Food Group. Stores carry both standard brands and private label brands, such as Western Family. Many stores have a pharmacy, and some locations prov ...

in Nelson is that company's leading store for organic and natural foods. The

Nelson Brewing Company The Nelson Brewing Company is a brewery in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada, not to be confused with The Nelson Brewing Company in Chatham, Kent, England. The original Nelson Brewing and Ice Company was founded in 1892 by Robert Reisterer. In 195 ...

is a

microbrewery Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...

in Nelson.

Arts and culture

Nelson is noted as a cultural centre.

Attractions

Set in the Selkirks, nearly twenty five artists and writers make Nelson their home. In 1998, Nelson was highlighted as the "Number One Small Town Arts Community in Canada" by the publisher of The 100 Best Small Arts Towns in America,Villani, John 1998 100 Best Small Art Towns In America. Emeryville, Calif: Avalon Travel Publishers. and is home to a large and diverse artisan community. The annua
Artwalk
a display of artwork at various venues around town, features local talent where trippers and artwalkers (as the locals call them) can get an up close and personal look at the studios and creative processes of local artisans. July, August and September mark three months of exhibitions throughout the downtown core in variety of galleries and local businesses. Each month has a separate grand opening, (usually the first Friday evening of the month), which includes refreshments, musicians, pan-handlers and artwork for locals and visitors to enjoy as they stroll through downtown Nelson.

The Cottonwood Community Market, located at Cottonwood Falls Park, takes place every Saturday from May through October. The Downtown Local Market happens on Baker Street every Wednesday from June through September. Marketfest, a lively nighttime street market in the heart of Nelson's downtown, happens on the last Friday of the month in June, July, and August. The markets all offer regional farm produce, delicious foods, and a variety of locally hand-crafted products. Two local

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

trails are popular. The Pulpit Rock Trail offers a short but somewhat challenging hike that ends with a view of the city. After Pulpit Rock the trail continues up the spine of Elephant Mountain (as the locals call it) to more postcard views, and eventually to the radio towers which are visible from everywhere in the city. Hikers venturing beyond Pulpit Rock should have basic wilderness gear and exercise common sense. Public access to the Pulpit Rock trail has been restored with the opening, in the spring of 2009, of a new access point several hundred metres west of the old trail head, which was on private land. In the winter,

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...

and

snowboarding Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympi ...

are Nelson's primary outdoor activities. Thirty minutes south of town is the

Whitewater Ski Resort Whitewater Ski Resort is a ski resort in western Canada, located a 25-minute drive from Nelson in southern British Columbia. In the Selkirk Mountains, the resort is situated in Ymir bowl, beneath the Ymir Mountain. The Selkirks receive plentiful, ...

, which provides access, (via one triple chairlift, one double chairlift, one quad chairlift, and a handle tow), to of beginner to advanced terrain. The resort also provides access to hundreds of kilometres of off-piste skiing and back country touring. In 2012 Nelson and Rossland, a small city southwest of Nelson, were jointly voted the best ski locales in North America by the readers of California-based ''Powder'' magazine.

Mountain biking Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...

is part of the local culture, and Nelson offers a wide variety of MTB-oriented trails for all experience levels.

Rock climbing Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...

is also a popular summer activity. Kootenay Crag, Hall Siding, Grohman Narrows and CIC Bluffs are popular city crags. Slocan Bluffs and Kinnaird are in nearby Slocan City and Castlegar. 2003 saw

bouldering Bouldering is a form of free climbing that is performed on small rock formations or artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or harnesses. While bouldering can be done without any equipment, most climbers use climbing shoes to help sec ...

take off in Nelson, with extensive new development of bouldering areas in Grohman Narrows and nearby Robson. Nelson is also located close to

Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park is one of the oldest provincial parks in British Columbia, established in 1922. The park has an area of and is located in the Selkirk Mountains in the West Kootenays region of BC. The park has three glaciers (Kok ...

. On January 13, 2007, Nelson was the broadcast location for the annual ''

Hockey Day in Canada CBC Television has aired National Hockey League (NHL) broadcasts under the ''Hockey Night in Canada'' (often abbreviated ''Hockey Night'' or ''HNiC'') brand that is primarily associated with its Saturday night NHL broadcasts throughout its his ...

'' special.

Sports

Infrastructure

Transportation

The Big Orange Bridge in Nelson, British Columbia

Highways 3A and 6 pass through Nelson, while a scheduled commercial airline service is available at the

West Kootenay Regional Airport The West Kootenay Regional Airport (Castlegar Airport) is a small regional airport located south southeast of Castlegar, British Columbia, Canada. It serves the West Kootenay region, including Castlegar, Nelson and Trail. It is owned and operate ...

, approximately southwest of the city.

Trail Airport Trail Airport is located southeast of Trail, British Columbia, Canada and is situated in a valley beside the Columbia River. The airport serves both Trail and nearby Nelson and Castlegar. The airport consists of one asphalt runway and provid ...

is another airport which is also nearby, while Nelson Airport is several blocks away from downtown Nelson. Public transit in Nelson is provided by the

West Kootenay Transit System West Kootenay Transit System (formerly known as Kootenay Boundary Transit System) is the public transit system in Trail, Castlegar, Nelson, British Columbia and surrounding area. The transit services are operated from Trail, Castlegar, Nelson and ...

, which runs several routes within the city and to neighbouring communities. Both Level 2 and Level 3 (DC fast-charging)

electric vehicle An electric vehicle (EV) is a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors for propulsion. It can be powered by a collector system, with electricity from extravehicular sources, or it can be powered autonomously by a battery (sometimes cha ...

charging stations A charging station, also known as a charge point or electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), is a piece of equipment that supplies electrical power for charging plug-in electric vehicles (including electric cars, electric trucks, electric b ...

have been installed in the city. A

carsharing Carsharing or car sharing (AU, NZ, CA, TH, & US) or car clubs (UK) is a model of car rental where people rent cars for short periods of time, often by the hour. It differs from traditional car rental in that the owners of the cars are often pri ...

service is available in the city through the Kootenay Carshare Co-operative Nelson is served by the freight-only Kootenay Valley Railway, an internal business unit of the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

. Nelson is the historic headquarters of the CPR Kootenay Division, serving as the meeting point of the CPR Boundary subdivision running towards Castlegar, BC, and the CPR Nelson subdivision running towards Cranbrook.

Education

School District 8 Kootenay Lake School District 8 Kootenay Lake is a school district in British Columbia. This includes the major centres of Nelson, Creston and Kaslo. History School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake) was created with the amalgamation of School District No. 86 (C ...

operates public schools in Nelson and surrounding communities. Nelson Christian Community School. NCCS. K-Gr.8 Saint Joseph's Catholic School The ''

Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique The ''Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique'' (also known as Francophone Education Authority or School District No 93) is the French-language school board for all French schools located in British Columbia. Its headquarters are i ...

'' operates one French-language school: ''école des Sentiers-alpins''.Carte des écoles
." ''

Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britanique The ''Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique'' (also known as Francophone Education Authority or School District No 93) is the Canadian French, French-language school board for all French schools located in British Columbia. Its h ...

''. Retrieved on 22 January 2015. Nelson is home to the Tenth Street, and Silver King campuses of

Selkirk College Campuses Selkirk College has eight campuses and learning centres across the West Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary regions: * Castlegar Campus * Grand Forks Campus * Kaslo Learning Centre * Nakusp Learning Centre * Silver King Campus * Tenth Str ...

, as well as Kootenay School of the Arts. Kootenay Columbia College of Integrative Health Sciences has three campus locations on Baker Street in Nelson.

Media

Radio

CJLY-FM CJLY-FM, known on-air as Kootenay Co-op Radio, is a Canadian community radio station, which broadcasts at 93.5 FM in Nelson, British Columbia. The station also has rebroadcasters on 96.5 FM in Crawford Bay and 107.5 FM in New Denver, and 101 ...

93.5 (Kootenay Co-op Radio) * CBYN-FM 98.7 (

CBC Radio One CBC Radio One is the English-language news and information radio network of the publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial-free and offers local and national programming. It is available on AM and FM to 98 percent of Ca ...

; repeats

CBTK-FM CBTK-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts the programming of the CBC Radio One network in Kelowna, British Columbia. The station broadcasts at 88.9 FM in Kelowna. History The station was launched in 1987. Prior to its launch, CBC Ra ...

Kelowna) *

CHNV-FM CHNV-FM is an alternative rock radio station broadcasting at 103.5 FM in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada and is also heard at 91.9 FM in Crawford Bay with the call sign CHNV-FM-1. The station is branded as ''103.5 The Bridge'' and is owned by ...

103.5 ("The Bridge") *

CKKC-FM CKKC-FM is a Canadian radio station that broadcasts an adult hits format at 106.9 FM in Nelson, British Columbia. The station is owned by Bell Media and is branded as ''Bounce Radio Nelson''. The station's programming is produced partly from it ...

106.9 ("

EZ Rock EZ Rock was a brand of adult contemporary radio stations heard primarily in Canada. The branding was originally created by Telemedia in the mid-1990s for its AC stations, and based on the call sign of its former Toronto flagship CJEZ-FM (now ...

Print

The ''

Nelson Daily News The ''Nelson Daily News'' was a daily newspaper in Nelson, British Columbia, closed in 2010. Its last owner was Black Press, the largest publisher of weekly newspapers in British Columbia, which owns the competing weekly ''Nelson Star''. The ''Da ...

'' was a local newspaper which began publishing in 1902. In 2010, it was announced the paper would shut down following a final edition to be published July 16, 2010. The closure occurred shortly after the ''Nelson Daily News acquisition by

Black Press Black Press Group Ltd. is a Canadian publisher of prominent daily newspapers in Hawaii and Alaska and numerous non-daily newspapers in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada, and (via Sound Publishing) the U.S. state of Washington. Black Press M ...

, which purchased the paper from

Glacier Media Glacier Media is a Canadian business information and media products company. It provides news, market information and sector-specific data within North America and internationally. Glacier is headquartered in Vancouver. Its primary operations a ...

Inc. Black Press owns the ''Nelson Star'', now published weekly.

Notable people

* Greg Adams — former professional hockey player *

Sarah Allen Sarah Allen is a Canadian actress. She studied acting at the National Theatre School of Canada and graduated in 2002. ''Being Human'' Allen is perhaps best known for playing vampire Rebecca Flynt on SyFy's '' Being Human''. For the role ...

— actress *

Edward Applewhaite Edward Turney Applewhaite (November 23, 1898 in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada – September 12, 1964) was a Canadian politician and life insurance agent. He was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in 1949 and re-elected in 1953 as ...

— politician *

Nancy Argenta Nancy Argenta is a Canadian soprano singer, best known for performing music from the pre-classical era. She has won international acclaim, and is considered one of the leading Handel sopranos of her time. Life She was born in Nelson, British Col ...

— soprano singer * Selwyn G. Blaylock — mining official *

Robbie Bourdon Robbie Bourdon is a freeride mountain biker from Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. He is sponsored by Intense Cycles, Red Bull and Oakley. Career A former member of the Kona Clump Team, he has appeared in all the New World Disorder videos. In 2 ...

— freeride mountain biker *

Margaret Catley-Carlson Margaret Catley-Carlson, (born 6 October 1942) is a Canadian civil servant. She was Chair and is now a Patron of the Global Water Partnership, a working partnership among all those involved in water management formed in 1996 by the World Bank, th ...

— civil servant *

Anne DeGrace Anne DeGrace is a Canadian fiction writer and illustrator who lives near Nelson, British Columbia. She has published four novels Alana DeLong Alana Suzanne DeLong (born c. 1949) is a Canadian politician who was the candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada in the Cowichan-Malahat-Langford federal riding in the 2019 general election. She is a former member of the Legislative Assem ...

— politician *

Benno Friesen Benno Friesen (27 June 1929 – 29 September 2021) was a Canadian administrator, professor and politician. Friesen served as a Progressive Conservative party member of the House of Commons of Canada. Born in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada, F ...

— politician, professor *

Danny Gare Daniel Mirl Gare (born May 14, 1954) is a Canadian broadcaster, ice hockey coach and former National Hockey League (NHL) player, most notably of the Buffalo Sabres. During a 13-year professional career, Gare also played for the Detroit Red Wings ...

— former professional hockey player and coach * James E. Gill — geologist, engineer *

Ona Grauer Ona Grauer is a Canadian-Mexican actress best known for her portrayal of the Ancient Ayiana and later Emily Young in the science fiction television series ''Stargate Universe'', part of the ''Stargate'' franchise. In the FX show ''Archer ...

— actress *

Robert Hampton Gray Robert Hampton "Hammy" Gray, , RCNVR (November 2, 1917 – August 9, 1945) was a Canadian naval officer, pilot, and recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC) during World War II, one of only two members of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm to have been t ...

— naval officer and pilot *

John Greyson John Greyson (born March 13, 1960) is a Canadian director, writer, video artist, producer, and political activist, whose work frequently deals with queer characters and themes. He was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge in ...

— director and writer *

Ted Hargreaves Norman Edward Hargreaves (November 4, 1943 – November 3, 2005) was an amateur and professional hockey player, coach and teacher. He played for the bronze-medal winning Canadian men's hockey team at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, Franc ...

— professional hockey player and coach *

Lillian Hickey Lillian Margaret Jean Hickey (8 September 1922 – 25 September 1965) was a Canadian outfielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She batted and threw right handed. Born in 1922 in Nelson, British Columbia,

— All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player * John Houston — newspaper editor and politician * Levi William Humphrey — politician *

Tim Hus Tim Hus (born in Nelson, British Columbia) is a Canadian country/folk singer, based out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Tim Hus and his Travelin' Band, which includes bull fiddler Riley Tubbs, Billy MacInnis on lead guitar and fiddle, and occasion ...

— country and folk singer * Martin Michael Johnson — bishop * Lionel Kearns — poet and teacher *

Geoff Kinrade Geoffrey Kenneth Kinrade (born July 29, 1985) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is currently an unrestricted free agent who most recently played under contract with Severstal Cherepovets of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He i ...

— professional hockey player *

Laurelee Kopeck Laurelee Kopeck (born July 17, 1969 in Nelson, British Columbia) is a former field hockey defender from Canada, who earned a total number of 163 international caps for the Canadian National Team during her career. Nicknamed "Jumbo", she graduate ...

— field hockey player * Patrick Lane — poet *

Mike Laughton Michael Frederick Laughton (born February 21, 1944) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 189 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) and 203 games in the World Hockey Association (WHA). He played for the NHL Oakland S ...

— professional hockey player * Edna Malone — dancer *

Thomas Middleditch Thomas Steven Middleditch (born March 10, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian and screenwriter. He is known for his role as Richard Hendricks in the HBO series '' Silicon Valley'' (2014–2019), earning a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award ...

— actor, writer *

Kliph Nesteroff Kliph Nesteroff is a best-selling author regarded for his vast knowledge of show business. '' Vice Magazine'' called him "The Human Encyclopedia of Comedy," and ''Los Angeles Magazine'' profiled him as "The King of Comedy Lore." ''The New York T ...

- writer * John Newlove — poet *

Frederick Niven Frederick John Niven, (March 31, 1878 – January 30, 1944) was a Canadian novelist of Scottish heritage. A prolific author, he produced over thirty works of fiction, an autobiography, poetry, essays, and pieces of journalism.Wagner 1985, p. 4. B ...

- writer * Bri Price — musician * Pat Price — professional hockey player *

Sandy Santori Sandy Santori (born 1954 or 1955) is a Canadian former politician. Santori served as a BC Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 2001 to 2005. He had previously served as the Mayor of Trail, British Columbia and in ...

— politician * Adham Shaikh — composer, sound designer *

Kurt Sorge Kurt Sorge is a freeride mountain biker from Nelson, British Columbia, Canada, born on 28 November 1988. Career His major results include first place in the 2012, 2015, and 2017 Red Bull Rampage in Virgin, Utah, and placed second in 2008 and ...

— freeride mountain biker *

Norman Symonds Norman Alec Symonds (23 December 1920Clifford Ford. Canada's music: an historical survey'. GLC Publishers; 1982. p. 233. – 21 August 1998) was a Canadians, Canadian composer, clarinetist, and saxophonist who lived and worked in Toronto, Ontari ...

— musician *

Daniel C. Van Norman Daniel C. Van Norman (August 17, 1815 - June 24, 1886) was a Canadian-born American educator, clergyman, and school founder. Early life and education Daniel Cummings Van Norman was born in Nelson, Canada West, August 17, 1815. After a thoro ...

— educator, clergyman, school founder * Tom Velisek — snowboarder *

Padma Viswanathan Padma Viswanathan (born 1968 Nelson, British Columbia) is a Canadian playwright and fiction writer. Life She graduated from University of Alberta, and received an MA from the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University in 2004 and an MFA from the ...

— playwright * Jack Wright — tennis player

References

External links

* * {{authority control Cities in British Columbia Mining communities in British Columbia