Revelstoke: The Little Village at the End of the Railway

	Aerial View of Revelstoke 1

Home to the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the first North American ski jump and a gold rush that was worth about 3 million dollars, the community of Revelstoke is a place that celebrates its diverse past and present. Surrounded by mountains and the world's only temperate inland rainforest, Revelstoke is also an all season destination that offers a multitude of summer and wintertime activities.

Travellers typically enjoy outdoor activities such as backcountry skiing, river canoeing and kayaking, golfing and mountain biking. Visitors to this mountain town will find Mount Revelstoke National Park to the northeast, the Revelstoke Hydro Dam in the north, countless museums within and a wide range of sights and attractions scattered throughout.

HISTORY AND ECONOMY

Originally known as Farwell, this Interior BC community was used as a transportation and supply centre for the mining industry. When construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway began in this area, the CPR decided to establish one of the main offices and maintenance facilities here. Thus in 1886, the CPR requested the community's name be changed to Revelstoke in honour of Lord Revelstoke, a prominent man whose banking firm had provided needed funds for the completion of the railway. It was not until 1899 that Revelstoke became incorporated as a city.

With the completion of the railway and the new CPR station, Revelstoke became a major town and a magnet for new businesses, tourism and several industries, including the timber industry. Immigration also began to pick up, with many Scandinavian families choosing to settle here. With this came a popularity in skiing and winter sports resulting in the construction of North America's first ski-jump, the Nels Nelsen ski jump. It was built in 1915 and has been home to an array of ski jumping records.

	Constructing the Railway 2

In 1965, construction for three hydroelectric dams began in the area. Completion of these dams helped feed the agriculture industry in Revelstoke. Today, the city's economy is a diverse one with forestry, tourism, transportation and mineral excavation being the most prominent.

TRANSPORTATION AND GEOGRAPHY

Bordered by the Columbia River and Mount Revelstoke National Park, Revelstoke is located within the Monashee and Selkirk Mountains of Interior BC. It is about 641 km (398 mi) east of Vancouver and 415 km (258 mi) west of Calgary.

East and west access is easily available via the Trans-Canada Highway, while access from the north and south is provided via Highway 23. While no commercial airline service is available, the Revelstoke Airport offers charter aircrafts as well as helicopter services. The nearest commercial airports can be found in Vancouver and Calgary. When in the city, visitors may opt to rent a car, take a taxi or use Revelstoke Transit, the community's public transportation system. The system offers fixed route bus service as well as door-to-door transit for those with disabilities.

CLIMATE

Fairly isolated and bordered by high peaks, Revelstoke offers a temperate climate characterized by warm Pacific air and heavy rain during the winter and spring months. On average, the town sees about 1,278 mm (50 in) of rain per year. Snow is expected from October to January, with heavy snow occurring during December and January. Summers are warm and sunny with August usually being the driest month. However, due to the town's location within the Columbia Mountains, weather can be unpredictable and visitors should prepare for the unexpected.

	Revelstoke Hydro Dam 3

FEATURED ATTRACTIONS

Grizzly Plaza
With countless summertime events and free live concerts, downtown Revelstoke's Grizzly Plaza is the cultural and entertainment hub of the community. Summertime in the plaza is filled with free nightly entertainment events such as live performances, theatre productions and acts for kids. Festivals and special events are also held here, including Revelstoke's celebration of the railway during Railway Days in August as well as the annual Mountain Arts Festival held in September.

Specialty shops, boutiques, restaurants and bars also line the streets of Grizzly Plaza. Many are even housed within historic buildings that date as far back as the Victorian Era. Guests may find anything from art galleries and gift shops to florists and sporting gear. A special farmer's market and bazaar is also held on Saturday mornings during the summer.

Revelstoke Hydro Dam
A few minutes north of town, travellers will find the Revelstoke Hydro Dam, one of Canada's largest hydroelectric projects. The dam, which serves to regulate the Columbia River and provide power to several areas in BC's interior, is made up of a few stages. These include a 175-metre-high (574 ft) concrete gravity dam, a 122-metre-tall (400 ft) earthfill dam and a powerhouse that contains four generating units.

Guests to the Revelstoke Hydro Dam will find a Visitor Centre complete with gift shop and theatre. Exhibits also demonstrate the history and production of the dam. Visitors are encouraged to take self-guided tours along with an audio information system that offers direction through the dam.

Museums
Revelstoke is home to several museums that celebrate the community's diverse past. Visitors looking to learn about how the community came to be may stop by the Revelstoke Museum and Archives. This museum focuses on the history and collection of artifacts from Revelstoke and the surrounding area. Located in a 1926 building, the museum holds an array of unique items in its collection including a fur press from the early 1900s, a 15-kg (33-lb) buffalo coat and gold scales used during the gold rush of the 1860s.

The Revelstoke Railway Museum offers a glimpse into Canada's railway past. Here, visitors can view the restored CPR locomotive #5468, a large steam train originally built in 1948. Numerous other locomotives are also on display, as well as railway gear and tools, CPR china and silverware, and worker uniforms. In strolling through the various galleries, guests will learn what it took to build and operate the railway. The museum also operates the Last Spike Historic Site, located 45 km (28 mi) west of Revelstoke.

	Lake Revelstoke 4

Other museums include the Forestry Museum, which offers a historical look at the forestry industry in the area, the Firefighters Museum, which is home to Revelstoke's first fire truck, and the Revelstoke Nickelodeon Museum, which honours the history of mechanical music.

Mount Revelstoke National Park
Found just across the highway from the community of Revelstoke is Mount Revelstoke National Park, a unique area that is unlike any other in the world. The land protected by the park is known as a temperate inland rainforest -- the only one of its kind. Visitors to this area will find an array of geographical zones including ancient rainforest growth, arid tundra and vibrant wildflower meadows.

With the help from citizens of Revelstoke, Mount Revelstoke National Park was founded as a national park in 1914 due to its many possibilities for recreation as well as for the land's distinct geology. This 260-square-kilometre (100 sq mi) park offers an abundance of trails filled with spectacular scenery, including ancient cedar trees that are more than 1,000 years old. Home to grizzlies, mountain goats and caribou, travellers also have the chance to view a few of these creatures in their natural habitat.

Summertime in the park is known for its natural displays of wild mountain flowers. These vibrant flowers begin to bloom in the spring and are visible until about mid-August. The fields are accessible via the aptly named Meadows in the Sky Parkway, a paved road that begins just off the Trans-Canada Highway and rises to an elevation of 1,500 m (4,921 ft). This scenic drive ends at Balsam Lake where visitors may enjoy a picnic lunch, take in the vistas and hike the mountain. Other summer activities in Mount Revelstoke National Park include fishing, backcountry camping and bicycling.

Originally brought to Revelstoke by Scandinavian immigrants, ski sports in Mount Revelstoke National Park have been popular since the beginning. The Nels Nelsen ski jump is also found on Mount Revelstoke. This popular and internationally renowned jump has been home to some of the world's greatest ski jumping records ever set. Winter guests of the park have plenty of opportunities to enjoy activities such as cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ski touring, as well as visiting the Nels Nelsen Historic Area, which is located at the base of Mount Revelstoke.