Revelstoke

Revelstoke is a year-round adventure playground for the whole family, offering the outdoor enthusiast a taste of everything through all seasons. Located at the north end of the Arrow Lakes & Slocan Valley region in the British Columbia’s Kootenay Rockies and nestled between the Monashee and Selkirk mountain ranges, this region is the gateway to nearby Mt. Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks with giant old-growth forests, glaciers and stunning views. Skiing, mountain biking, hiking, golf, attractions, paddle boarding, white water rafting, cat and heli skiing are all here to create lasting memories.

Downtown Revelstoke | Sarah Mickel

Location

On the Trans-Canada Highway between Calgary and Vancouver, 410 km (255 mi) west of Calgary on Hwy 1, and 565 km (351 mi) northeast of Vancouver via Highways 1 & 5. The community of Sicamous is 73 km (45 mi) west of Revelstoke on Hwy 1. South via Hwy 23 is Nakusp at 105 km (65 mi) which includes a short ferry ride.

A Step Back in Time

In 1871, British Columbia agreed to join the Canadian Federation, based on the promise of a trans-continental railway to connect Western and Eastern Canada. The project proved to be extremely dangerous and expensive. In the summer of 1885, as the project was nearing completion, the banking firm Baring and Glyn saved the Canadian Pacific Railway from bankruptcy by buying the company’s bonds. Consequently, the community of Farwell was renamed by the CPR to honour Lord Revelstoke, the head of Baring and Glyn.

Revelstoke had become a prominent transportation and supply town serving the gold rush companies in the early 1880s and when the railway arrived in 1885 the town flourished becoming an important part of the trade route getting supplies in and out of the region. With the advent of the CPR, a lucrative forestry industry also developed. Revelstoke was officially incorporated as a city in 1899.

Craigellachie, just east of Revelstoke, is where The Last Spike on the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven on November 7, 1885. This was the point where the railway, which was built from both ends of the country, met.