The Columbia and Kootenay Railway was a historic railway in the Interior of British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

 between Nelson

Nelson, British Columbia

Nelson is a city located in the Selkirk Mountains on the extreme West Arm of Kootenay Lake in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Known as "The Queen City", and acknowledged for its impressive collection of restored heritage buildings from its glory days in a regional silver rush,...

 on Kootenay Lake

Kootenay Lake

Kootenay Lake is a lake located in British Columbia, Canada and is part of theKootenay River. The lake has been raised by the Corra Linn Dam and has a dike system at the southern end, which, along with industry in the 1950s-70s, has changed the ecosystem in and around the water...

 and Robson

Robson, British Columbia

Robson is an unincorporated settlement in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada. It is immediately north across the Columbia River from the city of Castlegar, on the west bank of the mouth of Pass Creek. Across Pass Creek on the same side of the Columbia is Raspberry, which was...

 at the confluence of the Kootenay River

Kootenay River

The Kootenay is a major river in southeastern British Columbia, Canada and the northern part of the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho. It is one of the uppermost major tributaries of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...

 and the Columbia River

Columbia River

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...

 near Castlegar

Castlegar, British Columbia

Castlegar is the second largest city in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada. It is located within the Selkirk Mountains at the confluence of the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers. It is a regional trade and transportation centre, with a local economy fueled by forestry, mining and tourism...

 operated as part of the Canadian Pacific Railway

Canadian Pacific Railway

The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...

(CPR).

History pre-1900

The railway was chartered by a senior officer of the CPR and immediately leased for 999 years to the CPR. The CPR built the line to obtain mining traffic that was then being sent by boat along Kootenay Lake and south to the United States. By building along the 25-mile unnavigable Kootenay River

Kootenay River

The Kootenay is a major river in southeastern British Columbia, Canada and the northern part of the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho. It is one of the uppermost major tributaries of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...

 between Kootenay Lake and the Columbia River, the CPR used steamers to connect with its mainline at Revelstoke

Revelstoke, British Columbia

Revelstoke is a city in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. It is located east of Vancouver, and west of Calgary, Alberta. The city is situated on the banks of the Columbia River just south of the Revelstoke Dam and near its confluence with the Illecillewaet River...

 up the Arrow Lakes

Arrow Lakes

The Arrow Lakes in British Columbia, Canada, divided into Upper Arrow Lake and Lower Arrow Lake, are widenings of the Columbia River. The lakes are situated between the Selkirk Mountains to the east and the Monashee Mountains to the west. Beachland is fairly rare, and is interspersed with rocky...

 and the Columbia River

Columbia River

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...

. In 1891, the first train travelled between Nelson and Robson.

Low water and ice on the Arrow Lakes made connecting route unreliable so in 1897, the CPR extended the railway up the Slocan Valley to Slocan City on the shore of Slocan Lake

Slocan Lake

Slocan Lake is a lake in the Slocan Country of the West Kootenay region of the Southeastern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. it is drained by the Slocan River, which flows south from the lake's foot at Slocan City through the Slocan Valley to South Slocan, British Columbia, where that river...

. Boats and barges moved railway cars and goods to the north end of the lake which connected with its Nakusp and Slocan Railway

Nakusp and Slocan Railway

The Nakusp and Slocan Railway is a historic Canadian railway that operated in southeastern British Columbia.Its line ran between Nakusp, New Denver, British Columbia and Sandon, British Columbia in the Kootenay region of British Columbia....

 which continued to Nakusp on the Arrow Lake much closer to its mainline at Revelstoke. This branch also provided a connection to the rich mining region around Sandon

Sandon, British Columbia

Sandon is a ghost town in British Columbia, Canada. It is also the birthplace of hockey Hall of Fame member Cecil "Tiny" Thompson.-Location:Sandon is located in the Selkirk Mountains, about ten kilometers east of the town of New Denver.-History:...

.

History post-1900

The section of railway was later connected both east (along Kootenay Lake) and west, (via the Columbia and Western Railway

Columbia and Western Railway

The Columbia and Western Railway was a historic Canadian narrow gauge railway located in southern British Columbia.Constructed in 1896, its route connected silver and gold mines at Red Mountain and Rossland and a smelter at Trail...

) to become part of the CPR's southern mainline through British Columbia. After numerous abandonments in the region, this section of railway is active as a branch line connected at Cranbrook

Cranbrook, British Columbia

Cranbrook, British Columbia is a city in southeast British Columbia, located on the west side of the Kootenay River at its confluence with the St. Mary's River, It is the largest urban centre in the region known as the East Kootenay. As of 2006, Cranbrook's population is 18,267, and the...

 and terminating in Trail

Trail, British Columbia

Trail is a city in the West Kootenay region of the Interior of British Columbia, Canada.-Geography:Trail has an area of . The city is located on both banks of the Columbia River, approximately 10 km north of the United States border. This section of the Columbia River valley is located between the...

. The branch up the Slocan Valley was abandoned in 1993 and has been converted into a multiuse trail.