New Denver

New Denver was founded as a mining town in 1892, and briefly known as Eldorado City before being renamed after Denver, Colorado.
During World War II, New Denver became a Japanese Canadian internment camp. Not long after the outbreak of hostilities and Japan's attack on Canadian troops in Hong Kong in December 1941, men of Japanese descent between the ages of 18 to 45 were sent to labour camps in the Interior of British Columbia or farther into Eastern Canada. Also, approximately 1,500 women, children, and elderly men were sent to the "Orchard", a small section of New Denver set up to house them. New Denver's Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre is dedicated to the history of the 27,000 Japanese Canadians who were interned by the Canadian government and is a National Historic Site.
In the 1950s, children of Freedomites, a Doukhobor extremist group, were removed from their parents and sent to residential school in New Denver. The Freedomites refused to send their children to school because of their religious beliefs.

The only really practical way of getting to New Denver (and most other places in the West Kootenays) is by private vehicle of some kind. There is very limited public transit in the region and only one major airport, which is in Castlegar.

• By car: it's about a 2-hour drive south of Revelstoke which includes a free ferry ride across Arrow Lake (Columbia River) between Shelter Bay on the north shore and Galena Bay on the south. Take Hwy 23 south to the ferry and on to Nakusp where it's Hwy 6 to New Denver.

Since New Denver is a small village, there is no need to drive anywhere. Park your vehicle somewhere and wander around. The village is divided by Carpenter Creek with most of the business district on the north side and some of the parks and gardens on the south. Other than adding to your pleasant walk, this shouldn't be a problem.

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• Kohan Reflection Garden, commemorating the many Canadians of Japanese descent who were interned in the area during World War II. It's at the end of 1st Ave. No admission charge.

• Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre

  phone: +1 250-358-7288
  address: 306 Josephine St
  A National Historic Site dedicated to telling the story of over 22,000 Japanese Canadians who were forcibly relocated during World War II on the site of “The Orchard” internment camp. The centre contains original buildings, period artifacts, interpretive displays, and the Heiwa Teien Peace Garden, designed by the renowned Japanese Canadian gardener, Tomomichi (Roy) Sumi.

• The Apple Tree Sandwich Shop

  phone: +1 250-358-2691
  address: 210 6th St
  Sandwiches, soup, bakery.

• Sanderella

  phone: +1 250-358-7702
  address: 302 6th Avenue
  Cafe and art studio with handmade gifts, souvenirs and jewellery. Fresh sandwiches.

• Nuru Coffee Bar

  address: 513 6 Ave

• Valhalla Inn

  phone: +1 250 358-2228
  address: 509 Slocan Avenue
  On-site restaurant and bar. Free Wi-Fi, a coffee maker and a work desk is in each guest room. Non-smoking rooms are available. Free parking

• Glacier View Cabins

  phone: +1 250-551-6940
  address: Corner of 8th Ave and Hwy 6
  All of the cabins are equipped with a full kitchen including all pots, pans and cutlery.

• The Domes

  phone: +1 250-358-7242
  address: 620 6th Ave
  Eco-friendly cottages in the village of New Denver a short walk from Slocan Lake.

• Centennial Park and Campground

  phone: +1 250-358-2361
  All reservations must be for a minimum of 3 nights. Open May 1st to September 30th.

• Sweet Dreams Guesthouse

  phone: +1 250 358-2415
  address: 702 Eldorado Street
• Rosebery Provincial Park - 5 km north of New Denver and 40 km south of Nakusp on Hwy 6.

There are also several B&Bs in New Denver and several cabins on Bigelow Bay.

The Galena Trail follows Carpenter Creek from New Denver to Three Forks (where Hwy 31a passes the road to Sandon. The trail is mostly on an old railbed and can be hiked or biked. One interesting option is to leave your bikes locked up at Three Forks, start hiking from New Denver and ride the bikes back to town on the highway. The ride will be mostly downhill and the 10 km will go by very quickly.
The old mining town of Sandon, about 15 minutes east of town on Hwy 31a.
Idaho Peak, accessed from Sandon, is the site of an old fire lookout with great views out over Slocan Lake and the Valhallas. The Forest Service Road to the peak starts in Sandon. The road is steep and a bit rough in places, but it seems most people can drive there in regular 2wd cars. In the right season, alpine flowers are well worth the visit.