Silverton

• Lodging in this community
• Camping in this community 

History

The Slocan Lake region was first settled in 1892 by miners working the south face of Idaho Mountain, extracting the rich deposits of lead and silver.

By the late 1890s, Silverton had six hotels, three general stores, a newspaper (the Silvertonian), a school, and telephone connections to the mines, New Denver, and Sandon.

When the gold rush ended, many of the miners left, causing a steep decline in Silverton's population. Today, Silverton is BC's smallest municipality, with a population of only 250.

Location

Silverton is located on Highway 6 in the Slocan Valley, on the eastern shore of Slocan Lake in the Kootenays. It is just 5 km (3 mi) south of New Denver and 27 km (17 mi) north of Slocan.

Places to See

• Silverton Gallery

Located next to the Village Office in the Municipal Block, the Silverton Gallery was originally built as a schoolhouse in the early 1900s. It now houses an art gallery; a performance room with theatre lights and a sound system; workshops; dressing rooms; and a kitchen. The Gallery operates year-round, thanks to a host of volunteers and a small paid staff during the summer months.

• Historical Interpretive Centre, Fingland Cabin and Outdoor Mining Museum

Silverton is proud of its history and heritage ~ it has an active Historical Society which runs these three facilities. The Interpretive Centre is housed in the Silverton Gallery building; the Outdoor Mining Museum is located in front of the Gallery; and Fingland Cabin is across the street.

• Silverton Day Park

The Day Park overlooks the lake and includes a large, open landscaped area, with picnic tables in a semi-wild area by the lake. 

Nearby Communities

Contact Information

Silverton Village Office
Box 14 - 421 Lake Avenue
Silverton, BC V0G 2B0
Tel: 250-358-2472
Fax: 250-358-2321
E-mail village@silverton.ca
Web: www.silverton.ca

Silverton Historical Society
408 4th St. Box 17A
Silverton, BC V0G 2B0
E-mail: miningmuseum@yahoo.ca
Web: www.silvertonhistoricalsociety.ca