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 kilometres south of New Denver and 27 kilometres 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.
- Memorial Hall
Silverton's grand dame community hall was built in 1919 through a combination of public subscription, donations, and volunteer labour. Memorial Hall, the only community hall for 30 miles in any direction, recently underwent a major upgrade and renovations. It is one of the finest acoustic halls of its size in Canada, and is ideal for concerts, meetings, receptions, dances, weddings, etc.
- 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. Perfect for outdoor weddings! Day use only.
Things to Do
- Camping
Silverton has a lakeshore campground with 15 treed sites. There are picnic tables and fire pits; a washroom building (no showers, no hot water!); and several water taps to serve the campsites. Firewood can be purchased from the Campground Attendant. Open May 1st - October 15th; the fees are $15 per party per night and $18 for lake front sites.
Events
- New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim
A chance to display your hardiness by taking a swim in freezing waters! Takes place at the Silverton Resort beach, across the highway from Silverton Country Inn. Warm up afterwards near the bonfire and enjoy the available treats.
- July 1st Canada Day Celebration
Each year, Silverton marks Canada Day with a family-oriented community celebration that includes a pancake breakfast at Memorial Hall, a Bocce Tournament, a Bavarian Garden, a Children's Parade, a Birthday Cake, Youth Awards, Fireworks and more! Put together by citizens, Village staff, the Historical Society , the Gallery Society, and the Volunteer Fire Department, this event brings together residents and visitors alike. Takes place all over town. Don't miss it!
Contact Information
Silverton Village Office
Box 14 - 421 Lake Avenue
Silverton, BC V0G 2B0
Telephone: 250-358-2472
Fax: 250-358-2321
E-mail village@silverton.ca
Website: www.silverton.ca
Silverton Historical Society
408 4th St.
Box 17A
Silverton, BC V0G 2B0
E-mail: miningmuseum@yahoo.ca
Website: www.silvertonhistoricalsociety.ca
