Look in any direction and see reminders of the copper mining and smelting wealth that led to the founding of Canada's "smallest city." Look a little deeper and see the remnants of one of the most shameful episodes in this country's history, and one of its best stories of healing and redemption.
Greenwood hosts an astonishingly good museum for a place with just 625 inhabitants. Locals cherish their history and volunteers work hard to make it accessible to visitors.
Duck beneath the timber beams of a "mine entrance" to see a display of artifacts. Learn about the Mother Lode and Phoenix claims from historic photos. Understand the scope of operations at the BC Copper Smelter from a scale model and panoramic image. And get a sense of the boom and optimism of a community that mushroomed to 3,000 people then "busted" to just 200.
Windsor Hotel & Military Memorabilia
See exhibits of military memorabilia, musical instruments and the barber pole of Mrs. Trounson, the area's first lady barber. Check into Room 28 at the Windsor Hotel and check out the replica of the bar in the Deadwood.
Japanese Internment
Trace the sudden collapse of the Greenwood economy when the mines and smelter shut down and find out how, in 1942, the mayor sought to bolster the city's meager population of 200 souls with 1,000 Japanese-Canadian internees. Most poignantly, step into the unbelievably cramped space allotted to an entire family of four during this World War Two internment. Then learn how both communities ultimately accepted and benefited one another.
Movie Set
Ironically, Greenwood was chosen for the 1998 filming of the Oscar-nominated film Snow Falling on Cedars, a story that revolves around the internment period in the US, because many of its Japanese-featured residents made perfect extras. Browse the display of photos that shows how the whole community participated in the movie making.
Heritage Walking Tour
Pick up a Greenwood Heritage Walk map and guide at the Visitor Centre, located in the Greenwood Museum at 214 S Copper Ave. It details 31 historic buildings and structures of note within a short walk of the museum.
Take the self-guided walking tour and trace Greenwood's history from mining boom and bust town, through its unlikely rejuvenation as a wartime internment camp, to its role as a turn-of-the-millennium movie set.
Look for descriptive signage on many of Greenwood's historic buildings and try to spot the ones that played a role in the Oscar-nominated Snow Falling on Cedars, filmed here in 1998.
Drive the Heritage Route
Note that Greenwood is built on a steep hillside and some streets could be difficult for people with mobility issues who may prefer to drive the route.
Mining History
Visible from nearly everywhere in town, the 36m/118ft brick smokestack of the BC Copper Company smelter that operated from 1901 to 1918, is a tangible reminder of Greenwood's glory days as economic hub of the Boundary mining district. This is the last remaining structure of its kind in BC.
Phoenix Mountain Driving Tour
Track more mining history on the Phoenix Mountain Driving Tour. Pick up a map and printed guide at the Visitor Centre. The 44km/27mi loop, via Phoenix Road and Highway 3, explores social and mining historic sites preserved in the Phoenix Interpretive Forest.
Phoenix Relics
Points of interest include the Forshaw Homestead, built around 1900; the Phoenix Cemetery, where huge Douglas fir trees have grown up since the town was abandoned in 1919; a mine tailing dam; Marshall Lake, with 17km/10.6mi of hiking/cross-country ski trails; the Phoenix Cenotaph; and the Phoenix mine site at 1450m/4700ft elevation, which once boasted 16 hotels, a brewery, professional hockey team and population of 4,000. The site is now closed.
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