Kootenay Bay is an unincorporated community on the east shore 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

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 of southeastern

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, ...

. The ferry terminal and former steamboat landing, on BC Highway 3A, is by road about north of Creston and west of Crawford Bay.

Name origin

Formerly called Lynchville, John Lynch built a house on the lakeshore in the early 1900s. When fire destroyed the property, Lynch left, and the bay and shore location became Kootenay Bay. However, the name change did not become official until 1908. An 1897 reference to the Pilot Bay Smelting company's plant at Kootenay Bay appears a misprint. During this era, the landing was a

flag stop In public transport, a request stop, flag stop, or whistle stop is a stop or station at which buses or trains, respectively, stop only on request; that is, only if there are passengers or freight to be picked up or dropped off. In this way, st ...

for

sternwheelers A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were w ...

Early community

A good Crawford Bay–Kootenay Bay trail was constructed in 1908, improving the steep trail over the ridge separating the two places. The ridge trail upgraded to a wagon road in 1912. Arriving that year, the Fraser family became significant landowners, starting the first commercial and agricultural development in the 1920s. The population of about 25 permanent residents at the time were largely ranchers and fruit growers. In 1947, the eastern terminal for the

British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is the British Columbia government ministry responsible for transport infrastructure and law in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is currently led by Rob Fleming. The ministry is respon ...

Kootenay Lake Ferry The Kootenay Lake ferry is a ferry across Kootenay Lake in southeastern British Columbia, which operates between Balfour, British Columbia, Balfour, on the west side of the lake, and Kootenay Bay, British Columbia, Kootenay Bay, on the east side. T ...

relocated from Gray Creek. The next year, the K'niksu Lodge was built, but this two-storey log building burned to the ground in 1962.

Later community

With a population of about 100, the location is a base for hiking trails to nearby Pilot Bay Lighthouse (1907) and

Pilot Bay Provincial Park Pilot Bay Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. The park is located on 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 ...

. A small motel/cabin/restaurant complex caters to visitors.

References

Unincorporated settlements in British Columbia Populated places in the West Kootenay {{CentralKootenay-geo-stub