Local History

This photo taken by the Hughes Brothers circa 1925 is titled, “Generator in course of erection W.K.P. & L. Co., Bonnington, B.C.” This generator was key to the upgraded #1 plant in Lower Bonnington owed then by the West Kootenay Power and Light Company (W.K.P. & L. Co.) Photo: Trail Historical Society

Origins of West Kootenay hydropower

View the Trail Historical Society’s first curated online photo exhibit at trailhistory.com

 

Back in the day, the City of Trail held municipal elections annually every January. In 1931, Bruno LeRose won the mayoral seat over A.G. Harvey. Another interesting fact, is that the city’s population was 8,037 in 1931. According to the last census (2016) the population of Trail is now 7,709. Photo: Trail Historical Society

Trail Blazers: Looking at the civic election 90 years later

Trail Blazers is a weekly historical feature in partnership with the Trail Museum and Archives

 

The Trail Boys Naval Brigade awaiting the inspection party, 1924. Photo: Trail Museum and Archives

Trail Blazers: The Trail Boys’ Naval Brigade, 1920-1926

Trail Blazers is a weekly historical feature in partnership with the Trail archives and others

 

St. Andrew’s United Church in Kaslo has a new look. Photo: John Whitehead

Historic Kaslo church receives 21st century makeover

Saint Andrews United Church, originally named Robertson Presbyterian Church, was constructed in 1893

St. Andrew’s United Church in Kaslo has a new look. Photo: John Whitehead
New Year’s Eve in Trail, circa the 1950s. Photo: Trail Historical Society

Trail Blazers: Dosey Doe-ing in a New Year

Trail Blazers is a weekly feature in partnership with the Trail Museum and Archives

New Year’s Eve in Trail, circa the 1950s. Photo: Trail Historical Society
Photo: Trail Historical Society

Trail Blazers: Remembering Christmas past

Trail Blazers is a weekly feature in partnership with the Trail Museum & Archives

Photo: Trail Historical Society
Rossland Ladies Hockey Team circa 1900. Photo: Rossland Museum and Discovery Centre as digitized by the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History.

Canadian Pioneers of Women’s Hockey

The Rossland ladies remained virtually undefeated in organized play until disbanding in 1918

Rossland Ladies Hockey Team circa 1900. Photo: Rossland Museum and Discovery Centre as digitized by the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History.
Garth Ukrainetz feeding a chickadee in Blackmud Creek; “They uplift my soul when they land on my finger.” Photo: Cassandra Ukrainetz

With a smile and a wink Canadian poet pens ‘Hero Trail’

Garth Paul Ukrainetz, Poet Laureate of the Blackmud Creek, wrote ‘Hero Trail’ for the people of Trail

Garth Ukrainetz feeding a chickadee in Blackmud Creek; “They uplift my soul when they land on my finger.” Photo: Cassandra Ukrainetz
Downtown Trail in winter almost a century ago. Photo: Trail Historical Society

Trail Blazers: A picture is worth a thousand words

Trail Blazers is a weekly feature in partnership with the Trail Museum and Archives

Downtown Trail in winter almost a century ago. Photo: Trail Historical Society
The Rossland Miners’ Hall is a key historic structure in the city. Photo: File

Interested in being part of Rossland’s heritage conservation?

Elements of the city’s heritage conservation plan are being worked on

The Rossland Miners’ Hall is a key historic structure in the city. Photo: File
Close up of the inscription on murdered Nurse Mildred Neilson’s monument that has been standing in a Burnaby cemetery for 95 years. She was shot to death in Trail on Feb. 6, 1925. Trail citizens were so upset they raised over $1,200 (around $18,000 in today’s world) to send to her parents for burial and this granite monument. Photo: Trail Historical Society

Trail Blazers: The story of unrequited love and murder, 95 years later

Check out the Trail Times every Thursday for another historical story featured in Trail Blazers

Close up of the inscription on murdered Nurse Mildred Neilson’s monument that has been standing in a Burnaby cemetery for 95 years. She was shot to death in Trail on Feb. 6, 1925. Trail citizens were so upset they raised over $1,200 (around $18,000 in today’s world) to send to her parents for burial and this granite monument. Photo: Trail Historical Society
Close up of the inscription on murdered Nurse Mildred Neilson’s monument that has been standing in a Burnaby cemetery for 95 years. She was shot to death in Trail on Feb. 6, 1925. Trail citizens were so upset they raised over $1,200 (around $18,000 in today’s world) to send to her parents for burial and this granite monument. Photo: Trail Historical Society

The story of unrequited love and murder in the Kootenays, 95 years later

Check out the Trail Times every Thursday for another historical story featured in Trail Blazers

Close up of the inscription on murdered Nurse Mildred Neilson’s monument that has been standing in a Burnaby cemetery for 95 years. She was shot to death in Trail on Feb. 6, 1925. Trail citizens were so upset they raised over $1,200 (around $18,000 in today’s world) to send to her parents for burial and this granite monument. Photo: Trail Historical Society
Photo: Trail Historical Society

Trail Navy Cadets of Yore …

Check out the Thursday editions of the Trail Times for our historical feature called Trail Blazers

Photo: Trail Historical Society
Back row L-R: Chow John, owner of the Trail Café, his wife Mabel holding their son, Richard Tem Dick Chow; family matriarch Rose Lee holding Penny Chong (née Lee), and her sister Pearl with the bow in her hair. Front row L-R: Helen Pang (married and became Helen Lee, mother of Gordon Lee of Rock Island in downtown Trail), little girl unknown, and Bill Lee (standing). Photo: Trail Historical Society

Trail Blazers; Setting the record straight

Trail Blazers is a weekly historical feature in partnership with the Trail Museum and Archives

Back row L-R: Chow John, owner of the Trail Café, his wife Mabel holding their son, Richard Tem Dick Chow; family matriarch Rose Lee holding Penny Chong (née Lee), and her sister Pearl with the bow in her hair. Front row L-R: Helen Pang (married and became Helen Lee, mother of Gordon Lee of Rock Island in downtown Trail), little girl unknown, and Bill Lee (standing). Photo: Trail Historical Society
Photo: Trail Historical Society circa Aug. 1, 1924.

Trail Navy Cadets of yore

Check out our Trail Blazers historical feature every Thursday in the Trail Times newspaper

Photo: Trail Historical Society circa Aug. 1, 1924.
The Company Store, circa 1926. Photo: Trail Historical Society

Trail Blazers: The Company Store was part of the community

Trail Blazers is a weekly feature in partnership with the Trail Museum and Archives

The Company Store, circa 1926. Photo: Trail Historical Society
Seabiscuit, a CM&S truck converted into a wartime armoured car. Photo: Trail Historical Society

Trail Blazers: Remembering wartime years in the city

Trail Blazers is a weekly feature in partnership with the Trail Museum and Archives

Seabiscuit, a CM&S truck converted into a wartime armoured car. Photo: Trail Historical Society
Vera Maloff shares her family’s history, the struggles of living a pacifist, agrarian life in a world with opposing values. Photo: Submitted

Kootenay author releases first-hand account of Doukhobor community

Vera Maloff is also publishing never-before-seen-photographs

  • Nov 10, 2020
Vera Maloff shares her family’s history, the struggles of living a pacifist, agrarian life in a world with opposing values. Photo: Submitted
Trail’s first city council. L-R front: Ald. James Dawson, Mayor E.S. Topping, D.J. Jelly, Ald. Noble Binns, City Treasurer F.W. Warren. Middle: J.H. Schofield. L-R third row sitting: Ald. Alexander Steele, R.H. Coleman, W.J. Devitt, Rev. Irvine, T.W. Coleman, R. E. Strong. L-R back: Ald. J.P. Byres, Dr.R.M. Perdue, Ald. W.J. Furnell. Charles McAnally (not pictured) Photo: Trail Historical Society

Trail Blazers: The moustache, from fashion statement to fundraiser for men

Trail Blazers is a weekly historical feature in partnership with the Trail Museum and Archives

Trail’s first city council. L-R front: Ald. James Dawson, Mayor E.S. Topping, D.J. Jelly, Ald. Noble Binns, City Treasurer F.W. Warren. Middle: J.H. Schofield. L-R third row sitting: Ald. Alexander Steele, R.H. Coleman, W.J. Devitt, Rev. Irvine, T.W. Coleman, R. E. Strong. L-R back: Ald. J.P. Byres, Dr.R.M. Perdue, Ald. W.J. Furnell. Charles McAnally (not pictured) Photo: Trail Historical Society
Doukhobor communal enterprise at Brilliant, c. 1918. Photo: BC Archives

History of the Doukhobor Grain Elevator at Brilliant

Grain was hauled from the Prairies to fill the elevator each year.

  • Nov 3, 2020
Doukhobor communal enterprise at Brilliant, c. 1918. Photo: BC Archives