South Slocan is an unincorporated community in rural

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

with a population of approximately 100 people, many of whom are followers of the

Doukhobors The Doukhobors ( Canadian spelling) or Dukhobors (; ) are a Spiritual Christian ethnoreligious group of Russian origin. They are known for their pacifism and tradition of oral history, hymn-singing, and verse. They reject the Russian Ortho ...

religion. It is located on the northwest shore of the

Kootenay River The Kootenay River or Kootenai River is a major river of the Northwest Plateau in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, and northern Montana and Idaho in the United States. It is one of the uppermost major tributaries of the Columbia River, ...

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 Kootena ...

region of southeastern British Columbia. The village comprises 51 households. A former railway junction on BC Highway 6, it is approximately northeast of Castlegar, and southwest of

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

. Its postal category is Rural Route One.

Early settlement

South Slocan was originally called Ward's Ferry, Ward's Crossing, and Ward's Bay. In 1888, Thomas Martindale Ward received the government ferry contract across the

at Slocan Pool, about south. This crossing was a critical link on the trail between Nelson and Sproat's Landing. The rough hotel he erected was called the Rustle House, because the provisions were so meagre that guests needed to rustle the deficiency for sustenance. The earliest reference to Ward's Ferry was 1890, and Ward's Bay was 1891.

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , 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 Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

(CP) renamed the place as Slocan Junction in 1897, and South Slocan in 1912. Slocan Junction remained in popular use into the 1920s, and the school name did not change until 1931.

Railway

In 1897, CP opened the

Columbia and Kootenay Railway The Columbia and Kootenay Railway (C&KR) was a historic railway operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia. This route, beside the unnavigable Kootenay River, linked Nelson on the west arm of Koo ...

(C&KR) branch line from South Slocan up to

Slocan City The Village of Slocan is in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. The former steamboat landing and ferry terminal is at the mouth of Springer Creek, at the foot of Slocan Lake. The locality, on BC Highway 6 is about by road ...

. The station was northeast of Crescent Valley on the branch line, and northeast of Fraine, and southwest of

Bonnington Falls Bonnington Falls were waterfalls submerged by dams on the Kootenay River between the cities of Castlegar and Nelson, in the West Kootenay region of southern British Columbia, Canada. The upper falls was named after the Falls of Clyde upper fall ...

, on the southern main line. On the C&KR branch, passenger service ended around 1957 and the final freight run was in 1993, the rail bed since becoming the

Slocan Valley Rail Trail The Slocan Valley Rail Trail is a multi-use recreational rail trail in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. Overview The trail uses the former Columbia and Kootenay Railway rail corridor along the section of the Slocan Valley ...

. On the southern main line, passenger service ended around 1964.

Industry & later community

The 1928 opening of the South Slocan dam grew the settlement that became known as South Slocan Village. Although never incorporated, its commission of management functions like a council. The blurred boundaries now include parts of what might formerly have been considered Crescent Valley or Shoreacres. South Slocan is on the Kootenay, and not the Slocan, so is not generally regarded as being in the

Slocan Valley The Slocan Valley is a valley in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. Geographical boundaries The Slocan Valley is about long, but its width is undefined. The Valhalla Range provides the steep western boundary and the Sloc ...

. The Highway 3A/6 intersection is called Playmor Junction, but is virtually synonymous with South Slocan. In 1976, the

Kootenay Canal The Kootenay Canal is a hydroelectric power station, located 19 km downstream of Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. Where the Kootenay River flows out of the reservoir formed by the Corra Linn Dam on Kootenay Lake., a canal diverts water to B ...

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

power station opened. In 2019, Kalesnikoff Lumber erected a multi species mass timber manufacturing facility. Reaching full production the next year, the state-of-the-art processing plant created around 50 new technology-centered jobs. When the former school building (1929), which has been used for various community activities, came to the end of its useful life, demolition in 2021 was unavoidable. Although the stores and hotels are long gone, St. Mathew's Anglican Church (1914), with its pseudo Gothic windows, alcove entrance and small bell tower atop the steeply pitched roof, still clings to the hillside along Slocan Village Road at the eastern edge.

Notable People

Kliph Nesteroff Kliph Nesteroff is a Canadian author, best known for his 2015 history of American comedy, ''The Comedians''. After eight years as a stand-up comedian, Nesteroff became a frequent contributor to WFMU and a national, on-air contributor for CBC Ra ...

, best-selling author and television personality. * Shawn Hook, musician.

Early settlement

Railway

Industry & later community

Notable People

References

See also