New Denver, British Columbia

During World War 2, New Denver was the site of an internment camp that housed some 2,000 Japanese-Canadians displaced from their West Coast homes.

Population: 556

Location: New Denver is located on the eastern shore of Slocan Lake at the junction of Highway 6 and Highway 31A, 5 miles (8 km) north of Silverton and 29 miles (46 km) southeast of Nakusp.

• Explore the 13-km Galena Trail from Rosebery, through New Denver, Denver Canyon and Alamo Siding to Three Forks. The Nakusp & Slocan railway is no more, yet the smoke from the wood-fired boilers and the howl of the steam whistle still linger in the air. The beautiful Galena Trail, with its natural wonders, wildlife, and rare and delicate plants, is for non-motorized use only.

• Look for the tiny little houses on the south side of town - even with additions they are still small. These homes were originally built to accommodate the relocated Japanese Canadians.

• Silvery Slocan Museum, New Denver, BC

  Catch the spirit of the Pioneers and discover the treasures of the past at the Silvery Slocan Museum, western gateway to the grand old days of silver mining. This designated Heritage Site houses a fascinating collection which tells the story of mining, transportation, logging and bustling village life. Located in the newly restored former Bank of Montreal building (1897), showing techniques and finishes used one hundred years ago.

• Travel back into the history of this region, to the Ghost Town of Sandon, once the Capital of the Silvery Slocan. Located 8 km east of New Denver, Sandon was an incorporated city of 5,000 people at the height of the mining boom in 1892. Two railroads once served this Monte Carlo of Canada, with its twenty nine hotels, twenty eight saloons, an opera house, two newspapers, five men's clothing stores, a bank, and several other gambling halls, brothels, offices, stores and businesses. Now a renowned and restored historic site, Sandon lures thousands of visitors each summer.

• Valhalla Provincial Park is a magnificent world-class wilderness, encompassing 49,600 hectares of natural landscape and 30 kilometres of pristine shoreline along Slocan Lake. The park is located high in the mountains to the east of New Denver, directly across Slocan Lake.

• Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre, New Denver

  This shameful period of history has been commemorated with the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre, on Josephine Street, where visitors can enrich their understanding of internment history. In 1942, about 22,000 Nikkei (people of Japanese descent), 75% of whom were Canadian citizens, were stripped of their civil rights and labelled "enemy aliens". The federal government ordered men to road camps, while families were placed in animal stalls awaiting forced removal to interior BC relocation camps, or to sugar beet farms in Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario. More information on Internment Camps in British Columbia and Canada.

• Fishing: If you're here to fish, head to Slocan Lake and try for kokanee salmon, rainbow trout and dolly varden. Fishing in British Columbia.

• Hiking: Take the trail to the Idaho Peak Lookout for a wonderful vista of the Slocan Valley, Slocan Lake and the Valhalla Mountain Range.

• Golf: On the northern outskirts of New Denver is the delightful 9-hole Slocan Lake Golf Course on Golf Course Road. Perched on a benchland above Slocan Lake, the course parallels Highway 6 between New Denver and Rosebery. Golf Vacations in the BC Rockies.

• There's plenty to do in these parts once Old Man Winter checks in. Located smack in the middle of the Selkirk Mountains to the east and the Monashees to the west, this area is a veritable playground for skiers, snowmobilers and even ice fishermen on Box and Trout Lakes. For the day skier, there's the Summit Lake Ski Area just 20 km south of Nakusp on Hwy 6 to New Denver, and for those seeking more of a challenge, local helicopter skiing companies will whisk you and your guide high into the backcountry, where the finest virgin powder snow lies. Most communities in the area offer cross-country skiing; Barnes Creek between Fauquier and Edgewood, Wensley Creek Ski Trails closer to Nakusp, and the Upper Brouse Road area southeast of Nakusp are but a few that offer trails. Snowcat skiing and snowmobiling also await visitors who are ready for an adventure to happen. Skiing and Winter Recreation in the Kootenays.

• See the best of the area on The Okanagan and BC Rockies Circle Tour. Travel the sunny interior of British Columbia, north through the Okanagan to Sicamous, following Highway 1 into the mountains of the BC Rockies. From Golden, head south through the Columbia Valley to Creston, and west through Boundary Country and the Southern Okanagan to complete the loop. Circle Tours in BC.