New Denver
{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=February 2015}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = New Denver
| official_name = The Corporation of the Village of New Denver{{cite web | url=http://www.cscd.gov.bc.ca/lgd/infra/library/Name%20Incorp%202011.xls | title=British Columbia Regional Districts, Municipalities, Corporate Name, Date of Incorporation and Postal Address | publisher=British Columbia Ministry of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development | type=XLS | access-date=2 November 2014}}
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| settlement_type = Village
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| image_skyline = File:Riverbank Scene - New Denver - BC - Canada (17269483765) (2).jpg| imagesize =
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| pushpin_map = Canada British Columbia
| pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of New Denver in British Columbia
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| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = Canada
| subdivision_type1 = Province
| subdivision_name1 = British Columbia
| subdivision_type2 = Region
| subdivision_name2 = Slocan Valley, West Kootenay
| subdivision_type3 = Regional district
| subdivision_name3 = Central Kootenay
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| leader_title = Governing body
| leader_name = New Denver Village Council
| leader_title1 = Mayor
| leader_name1 = Leonard Casley
| leader_title2 = CAO
| leader_name2 = Md. Ashraf Alam
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| established_title = Founded
| established_date = 1892
| established_title2 = Incorporated
| established_date2 = 1929
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| area_total_km2 = 0.87
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| population_as_of = 2016
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| population_total = 473
| population_density_km2 = 543.7
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| timezone = PST
| utc_offset = -8
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| coordinates = {{coord|49|59|29|N|117|22|19|W|region:CA-BC|display=inline}}
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m = 560
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| area_code = 250, 778, 236, & 672
| blank_name = Highways
| blank_info = {{jct|state=BC|Hwy|6}}
{{jct|state=BC|Hwy|31A}}
| blank1_name = Waterways
| blank1_info = Slocan Lake
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| website = {{Official URL}}
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New Denver is a village in the Central Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada at the mouth of Carpenter Creek, on the east shore of Slocan Lake, in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. The village is {{convert|47|km|mi|0}} west of Kaslo on Highway 31A, and {{convert|47|km|mi|0}} southeast of Nakusp and {{convert|32|km|mi|0}} northeast of Slocan on Highway 6.{{Cite web | url=http://www.ourbc.com/travel_bc/bc_cities/bc_rockies/new_denver.htm | title=New Denver | website=www.ourbc.com}}
Name origin
In 1892, the town was mostly called Slocan City or Slocan for about a month, Eldorado City or Eldorado for about seven months, and New Denver since. However, these names were used interchangeably for months.{{Cite web | url=https://www.nelsonstar.com/community/place-names-new-denver | title=Nelson Star, 26 Mar 2016 | website=www.nelsonstar.com}} Furthermore, the place may have been known as Carpenter Creek townsite after its founding in 1891.{{Cite web | url=https://www.nelsonstar.com/community/place-names-new-denver-part-2 | title=Nelson Star, 2 Apr 2016 | website=www.nelsonstar.com}}
Appearing about the same time as the Slocan community at the foot of the lake, it is unclear why the latter prevailed in keeping the name. Until the government survey in mid 1892, the place was a squatters camp for miners. Named for El Dorado, the legendary city of gold, the surrounding mines were hoped to bring comparable prosperity. On discovering the mines were silver deposits, the name changed to reflect the famed silver mines of Denver, Colorado.{{ Cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/britishcolumbiap0000akri_w1q9 | last1=Akrigg | first1=G.P.V. | last2=Akrigg | first2=Helen B. | title=British Columbia Place Names | place=Vancouver | publisher=UBC Press | year=1986 | edition=3rd, 1997 | isbn=0-7748-0636-2}}{{rp|187}}
History
New Denver was an early service center for mines and the nearby mining towns. It could be reached by boat, and a stagecoach ran every two days to Nakusp, and every four days to Nelson.{{Cite web |title=1894 BC Directory |url=https://bccd.vpl.ca/index.php/browse/title/1894/Williams%27_Official_BC_Directory |website=www.bccd.vpl.ca}} In 1895, Denver Canyon became a stop on the former Nakusp and Slocan Railway. The settlement was incorporated as a village in 1929.{{BCGNIS|13574|New Denver (village)}} After the decline in mining, forestry became the economic base, and tourism in more recent times.
= Japanese internment during World War II =
One of nine West Kootenay internment centres for Japanese Canadians during World War II (following removal from the BC Coast), by 1942 the camp held 1,505 Japanese Canadians, who built 275 shacks in a fruit grove known as the "Orchard."{{Cite web | url=https://heritagebc.ca/japanese-canadian-location/new-denver-and-area-internment-camps | title=New Denver Internment Camp | website=www.heritagebc.ca}} Other internment centres in the Slocan region were nearby at Slocan City, Lemon Creek, Rosebery, Kaslo and Sandon.
New Denver's Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre is dedicated to the history of the 27,000 interned Japanese Canadians, and is a National Historic Site.{{CRHP|15382|Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre}}
= Doukhobor residential school =
For decades Freedomites refused to send their Doukhobor children to school. After multiple warnings, the government forcibly removed such children from their families. Operating 1953–1959, about 170 children, aged 7–15, passed through the New Denver facility but attended the public school. Although parents were allowed twice-monthly visits, most chose instead to speak to their children through the wire fence.{{Cite web|url=http://www.doukhobor.org/Forced-Schooling.html|title=Forced Doukhobor Schooling |website=www.doukhobor.org}}
= Zincton resort controversy =
In May 2020, New Denver resident David Harley, owner of Valhalla Pure Outfitters, proposed building a 55-acre "world-class, all-season, backcountry-oriented" resort called Zincton between New Denver and Kaslo.{{cite web |last1=Harley |first1=David |title=Zincton: Expression of Interest |url=https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/natural-resource-use/all-seasons-resorts/zincton/zincton_eoi_exec_summary_may_13_2020.pdf |access-date=8 December 2021 |website=ww2.gov.bc}} Those promoting Zincton claim the resort will create jobs and do much to remedy economic and social decline in the area.{{cite news |last1=Zincton Farms |date=November 14, 2021 |title=Op-Ed: Zincton Balances the Past with the Future |agency=The Nelson Daily |url=http://thenelsondaily.com/news/op-ed-zincton-balances-past-future |access-date=8 December 2021}} The proposed site is in a critical wildlife corridor connecting Goat Range and Kokanee Provincial Parks and is also prime grizzly bear habitat; opponents fear the resort's negative ecological impact.{{cite web |last1=Blackshaw |first1=Nikki |title=Press Pause, Let’s Plan: Provincial petition launches in response to Zincton |url=https://thewildconnection.ca/press-pause-lets-plan-provincial-petition-launches-in-response-to-zincton/ |access-date=8 December 2021 |website=thewildconnection.ca}} Of the 3000 emailed comments received by British Columbia's Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development regarding Zincton, 2300 opposed building the resort.{{cite news |last1=McMurray |first1=Jan |date=30 July 2020 |title=About 3000 comments received on Zincton proposal |url=http://www.valleyvoice.ca/_PDF_2016/ValleyVoice200730web.pdf |access-date=8 December 2021}}
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, New Denver had a population of 487 living in 248 of its 304 total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:487-473}}|473|1}} from its 2016 population of 473. With a land area of {{cvt|0.87|km2}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|487|0.87|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.{{cite web | url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000202&geocode=A000259 | title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), British Columbia | publisher=Statistics Canada | date=February 9, 2022 | accessdate=February 20, 2022}}
Communications
The town is notable for its resistance to mobile phones. In a 2008 referendum, many citizens voted against the introduction of cellular telephone service.Metcalfe, Bill. [https://thetyee.ca/News/2008/03/13/NewDenver/ "Why a Little BC Town Wants to Banish Cell Phones"], "The Tyee", 2008-03-13. Despite this, on 20 July 2010, Telus Canada began installation of a cell phone facility in the heart of the village, with many citizens peacefully protesting the installation.{{Cite news|url=https://mobilesyrup.com/2010/09/03/telus-going-live-with-3g-network-in-new-denver-bc-on-september-7th/|title=TELUS going live with 3G+ network in New Denver, BC on September 7th|date=3 September 2010|work=MobileSyrup|language=en-US}}
Climate
{{Weather box
|location = New Denver
|metric first = 1
|single line = 1
|collapsed = 1
|Jan record high C = 10.6
|Feb record high C = 14
|Mar record high C = 21
|Apr record high C = 27.2
|May record high C = 33.5
|Jun record high C = 35.5
|Jul record high C = 38.5
|Aug record high C = 37.2
|Sep record high C = 35.5
|Oct record high C = 24
|Nov record high C = 18.3
|Dec record high C = 11.5
|year record high C = 38.5
|Jan high C = 0.5
|Feb high C = 2.9
|Mar high C = 8.1
|Apr high C = 13.9
|May high C = 18.9
|Jun high C = 22.4
|Jul high C = 26.1
|Aug high C = 25.9
|Sep high C = 19.8
|Oct high C = 11.5
|Nov high C = 4.3
|Dec high C = 0.2
|year high C = 12.9
|Jan mean C = -1.7
|Feb mean C = -0.3
|Mar mean C = 3.6
|Apr mean C = 8
|May mean C = 12.5
|Jun mean C = 16.1
|Jul mean C = 19.1
|Aug mean C = 18.9
|Sep mean C = 13.9
|Oct mean C = 7.5
|Nov mean C = 2
|Dec mean C = -1.9
|year mean C = 8.1
|Jan low C = -4
|Feb low C = -3.5
|Mar low C = -1.1
|Apr low C = 2
|May low C = 6
|Jun low C = 9.6
|Jul low C = 12
|Aug low C = 11.8
|Sep low C = 7.8
|Oct low C = 3.5
|Nov low C = -0.4
|Dec low C = -4
|year low C = 3.3
|Jan record low C = −23.5
|Feb record low C = −21
|Mar record low C = -15.6
|Apr record low C = −7.2
|May record low C = -2
|Jun record low C = 2.2
|Jul record low C = 1.1
|Aug record low C = 1.7
|Sep record low C = -1.5
|Oct record low C = −11
|Nov record low C = −23.5
|Dec record low C = −28.9
|year record low C = -28.9
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 100.8
|Feb precipitation mm = 57.1
|Mar precipitation mm = 62.7
|Apr precipitation mm = 61.6
|May precipitation mm = 66.1
|Jun precipitation mm = 84.2
|Jul precipitation mm = 60.8
|Aug precipitation mm = 54.9
|Sep precipitation mm = 55
|Oct precipitation mm = 70.1
|Nov precipitation mm = 105.2
|Dec precipitation mm = 94.2
|year precipitation mm = 872.6
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 43.1
|Feb rain mm = 36.8
|Mar rain mm = 54.8
|Apr rain mm = 60.8
|May rain mm = 66
|Jun rain mm = 84.2
|Jul rain mm = 60.8
|Aug rain mm = 54.9
|Sep rain mm = 55
|Oct rain mm = 69.8
|Nov rain mm = 86.1
|Dec rain mm = 39
|year rain mm = 711.5
|snow colour = green
|Jan snow cm = 57.6
|Feb snow cm = 20.3
|Mar snow cm = 7.9
|Apr snow cm = 0.7
|May snow cm = 0.1
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0.3
|Nov snow cm = 19.1
|Dec snow cm = 55.2
|year snow cm = 161.1
|date=9 March 2013
}}
Flora and fauna
2019 saw a drastic increase in New Denver's native roof rat population. The Norwegian rat was introduced to the area the same year and is thought to have arrived by transport truck from other regions.{{cite news |last1=Shafer |first1=Timothy |title=Rat problem potentially plagues Slocan Valley village; could be sign of bigger problem |url=http://thenelsondaily.com/news/rat-problem-potentially-plagues-slocan-valley-village-could-be-sign-bigger-problem |access-date=4 January 2021 |date=7 October 2019}} Council members blamed the infestation on local gardening and composting practices.{{cite news |title=New Denver battling influx of rats |url=https://www.bclocalnews.com/news/new-denver-battling-influx-of-rats/ |access-date=4 January 2021 |date=26 November 2019}}
Notable people
- Aubrey Nealon (born 1971), film and television director, producer and writer
- David Suzuki, Canadian geneticist, broadcaster and author, was among those interned here during the Second World War.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|New Denver, British Columbia}}
- {{official website}}
- {{Wikivoyage-inline}}
{{Subdivisions of British Columbia|village=yes}}
{{coord|49|59|30|N|117|22|17|W|scale:60000|display=title}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Mining communities in British Columbia
Category:Populated places in the Slocan