Nakusp

---

title: "Nakusp" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["arrow-lakes", "columbia-country", "hot-springs-of-british-columbia", "populated-places-in-the-west-kootenay", "british-columbia-populated-places-on-the-columbia-river", "villages-in-british-columbia"] description: "Village in British Columbia, Canada" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakusp" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Village in British Columbia, Canada ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
	name
official_name	Village of Nakusp
settlement_type	Village
motto
pushpin_map	Canada British Columbia
pushpin_label_position
pushpin_map_caption	Location of Nakusp in British Columbia
pushpin_mapsize
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	Canada
subdivision_type1	Province
subdivision_name1	British Columbia
subdivision_type2	Region
subdivision_name2	Arrow Lakes, West Kootenay
subdivision_type3	Regional district
subdivision_name3	Central Kootenay
subdivision_name4
government_footnotes
leader_title	Governing body
leader_name	Nakusp Village Council
leader_title1	Mayor
leader_name1	Tom Zeleznik
established_title	Founded
established_date	1892
established_title2	Incorporated
established_date2	1964
established_title3
established_date3
area_total_km2	8.04
area_land_km2
area_blank1_sq_mi
population_as_of	2021
population_total	1,589
population_density_km2	195.2
population_density_blank1_sq_mi
timezone	PST
utc_offset	-8
coordinates
elevation_footnotes	tags--
elevation_m	457.2
elevation_ft
postal_code	V0G 1R0
area_codes	250, 778, 236, 672
blank_name	Highways
blank_info

| | website | | ::

| name = Nakusp | official_name = Village of Nakusp | other_name = | native_name = | nickname = | settlement_type = Village | motto = | image_skyline = | imagesize = | image_caption = | image_flag = | flag_size = | image_seal = | seal_size = | image_shield = | shield_size = | city_logo = | citylogo_size = | image_map = | mapsize = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Canada British Columbia | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_caption = Location of Nakusp in British Columbia | pushpin_mapsize = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Canada | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = British Columbia | subdivision_type2 = Region | subdivision_name2 = Arrow Lakes, West Kootenay | subdivision_type3 = Regional district | subdivision_name3 = Central Kootenay | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | government_footnotes = | government_type = | leader_title = Governing body | leader_name = Nakusp Village Council | leader_title1 = Mayor | leader_name1 = Tom Zeleznik | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | leader_title3 = | leader_name3 = | leader_title4 = | leader_name4 = | established_title = Founded | established_date = 1892 | established_title2 = Incorporated | established_date2 = 1964 | established_title3 = | established_date3 = | area_magnitude = | unit_pref = | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 8.04 | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_total_sq_mi = | area_land_sq_mi = | area_water_sq_mi = | area_water_percent = | area_urban_km2 = | area_urban_sq_mi = | area_metro_km2 = | area_metro_sq_mi = | area_blank1_title = | area_blank1_km2 = | area_blank1_sq_mi = | population_as_of = 2021 | population_footnotes = | population_note = | population_total = 1,589 | population_density_km2 = 195.2 | population_density_sq_mi = | population_metro = | population_density_metro_km2 = | population_density_metro_sq_mi = | population_urban = | population_density_urban_km2 = | population_density_urban_sq_mi = | population_blank1_title = | population_blank1 = | population_density_blank1_km2 = | population_density_blank1_sq_mi = | timezone = PST | utc_offset = -8 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = | coordinates = | elevation_footnotes = tags-- | elevation_m = 457.2 | elevation_ft = | postal_code_type = | postal_code = V0G 1R0 | area_codes = 250, 778, 236, 672 | blank_name = Highways | blank_info =

| blank1_name = | blank1_info = | website = | footnotes =

The Village of Nakusp () is located south of the mouth of Kuskanax Creek, on the Upper Arrow Lake in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. Lying between the Selkirk and Monashee ranges, the village is known for its nearby hot springs and picturesque mountain lakeside setting.

Early history

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Nakusp_BC_Waterfront_walkway.jpg" caption="The waterfront walkway"] ::

The Secwepemc, Sinixt, and Ktunaxa peoples occupied the region for thousands of years. In 1811, Finan McDonald, a member of David Thompson's party, was the first reported European explorer on the Arrow Lakes.

The settlement name came from the Nakusp Creek to the south. As to the word meaning, suggestions have included an eddy, safe place (sheltered bay), a coming together (of the lake, which narrowed at this point prior to the dam), a private body part, and having buffalo, despite no evidence buffalo ever roamed the area.

Demographics

| title = Census population: Nakusp | type = Canada | align = right | width = | state = | shading = | percentages = |1966|1282 |1971|1163 |1976|1416 |1981|1495 |1986|1410 |1991|1374 |1996|1736 |2001|1698 |2006|1524 |2011|1569 |2016|1605 |2021|1589 | footnote = | source = Statistics Canada

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Nakusp had a population of 1,589 living in 760 of its 831 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 1,605. With a land area of 8.04 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

Religion

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Nakusp included:

• Irreligion (1,000 persons or 64.7%)
• Christianity (490 persons or 31.7%)
• Buddhism (10 persons or 0.6%)
• Other (30 persons or 1.9%)

Transportation

In the early 1890s, most passengers and freight would travel by steamboat connecting either south with the US landings, or north with the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) main line at Revelstoke. However, low water and ice on the Arrow Lakes made the water route unreliable for several months of the year, which favoured Revelstoke for non-mining traffic. Shallow-draft sternwheelers frequented this important hub. From 1895, the Nakusp and Slocan Railway brought ore northwestward to Nakusp from the inland mines. From 1897, the Columbia and Kootenay Railway helped divert US bound traffic from the foot of the lake to the Nakusp landing. From 1913, CP operated a Nakusp–Kaslo link, after acquiring and rehabilitating the former Kaslo and Slocan Railway. Around 1930, the opening of the Summit Lake–Rosebery link completed the Nelson–Nakusp highway. Nakusp was the mid-way point for the Nelson–Vernon stage. During the late 1940s, Celgar built a forest service road to Galena Bay. After the eastern terminal for the Upper Arrow Lake Ferry moved to Galena Bay in 1957, road traffic along the east shore of the lake superseded the former lake route. The upgrade of this road to highway status was completed in 1967.

Community

In 1892, a post office, general store and sawmill opened, but building lots were not for sale in the townsite subdivision, developed by A.E. Hodgins and Frank Fletcher, until the following year. A school came in 1895 and church in 1898. Electric power arrived in 1920.

In the early 1930s, the settlement included a hospital, elementary and high schools, four churches, movie theatre, community halls, post office, bank, police station, restaurant, three grocery stores, hardware store, menswear store, drug store, candy store, novelty store, bakery, barbershop, newspaper/printing office, and two garages, to serve the population of 800, the largest on the lake.

Nakusp was incorporated as a village in 1964. The reservoir for the Keenleyside Dam submerged the former waterfront area in 1968, necessitating some reconstruction. In the 1980s and early 2000s, a lobby group wanted to add "Hot Springs" to the name, as other communities had done to boost tourism. Residents overwhelmingly rejected the idea.

The census population was 1,605 in 2016, 1,569 in 2011, and 1,524 in 2006.

Industry

Mining used to be the most important industry in the area. By the early 1930s, a CP shipyard, forestry headquarters, and two sawmills operated. Surrounding lands were farmed. Forestry has formed the major economic base for the village since the 1950s.

The mining operations in Nakusp were focused primarily on the extraction of galena and gold.

Nakusp Hot Springs Resort

About 9 mi northeast of the village up the Kuskanax Valley are the springs. In 1931, the access route was 3 mi by car, and the remainder by packhorse or on foot, to the concrete swimming pool and hotter pool for relaxation. Cabins and tents were available for overnight stays.

Nowadays on a former logging road, the amphitheatre-shaped resort is built of rock and red cedar. The main building houses the 40 ft diameter hot springs pools on the banks of the Kuskanax Creek, next to a serviced campsite. The resort, designed by Saskatchewan architect Clifford Wiens, includes four cedar chalets in a narrow A-frame design. The pool's water is piped in from the source of the springs half a mile away. Premier Dave Barrett, who opened the resort officially in 1974, allegedly called it the Taj Mahal at the end of the Burma Road.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Nakusp_Hot_Springs_(19980393672).jpg" caption="C}} in the summer, on a two-hour recycling schedule."] ::

The resort was built for $700,000 and paid for by the federal and provincial governments in the form of grants for the benefit of the municipality, which owns it. Wiens, referred to only as "the architect from Saskatchewan", was the only "outsider" involved the development. Not everyone in Nakusp was pleased with the development, and continued to hike a half mile to the site of original hot springs, until one night when the old pool was "mysteriously dynamited."

The resort made a profit for the first time in 2010. Halcyon Hot Springs, another privately owned hot springs resort, is 35 km north of Nakusp.

Services

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Nakusp_beach.jpg" caption="Nakusp beach"] ::

The Nakusp recreational centre comprises an ice rink, squash court, curling rink, auditorium, outdoor tennis courts, and a soccer field around a five-hectare park. Arrow Lakes Hospital serves the village and surrounding communities. There is an elementary school, a high school, and a campus of Selkirk College. The schools are part of School District 10 Arrow Lakes which has its board office in Nakusp. The area also provides many opportunities for recreation, including the Summit Lake Ski Hill, a short drive out of town towards New Denver. Nakusp Airport (TC LID: CAQ5), with an asphalt runway 2983 ft in length, is northwest of the village on the hot springs road.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Nakusp's_welcome_sign.JPG" caption="Nakusp's welcome sign"] ::

Culture

Nakusp is home to a community radio station, CJHQ-FM, and a small library and museum containing numerous local historical artifacts of the indigenous and settler communities of the region.

In 2004 the village held its first Nakusp Music Fest, which proved to be a popular attraction. It was known as the Interior's largest classic rock festival, although classic rock isn't the only genre being played. The Nakusp Music Festival is no longer running, having come to an end in 2011.

Notable people

• Parzival Copes (1924–2017), economist, was born in Nakusp.
• Paul Cyr (1963–2012), professional ice hockey player, was a resident 2007–2012.
• Herbert Wilfred Herridge (1895–1973), politician and WWI veteran.
• Brad Larsen (1977–), professional ice hockey player, was born in Nakusp.
• Graham Lea (1934–2013), broadcaster, politician and corporate leader, was born in Nakusp.
• George Makinson (1903–1986), politician, was born in Nakusp.
• Mitch Zorn, country singer and songwriter, was born and raised in Nakusp

Climate

Nakusp has a humid continental climate (Dfb) or an inland oceanic climate (Cfb) depending on the isotherm used. The town experiences pleasantly warm summer days coupled with cool nights and moderately cold, snowy winters with annual snowfall averaging 66 inches (168 cm). |location = Nakusp |metric first = 1 |single line = 1 |collapsed = 1 |Jan record high C = 13.3 |Feb record high C = 13 |Mar record high C = 17.5 |Apr record high C = 24.4 |May record high C = 33 |Jun record high C = 41.0 |Jul record high C = 39.4 |Aug record high C = 37.6 |Sep record high C = 33.3 |Oct record high C = 23 |Nov record high C = 18.3 |Dec record high C = 14.5 |year record high C = 41.0 |Jan high C = 0.8 |Feb high C = 2.3 |Mar high C = 8 |Apr high C = 13.2 |May high C = 18.8 |Jun high C = 22.5 |Jul high C = 25.2 |Aug high C = 25.1 |Sep high C = 18.4 |Oct high C = 11.2 |Nov high C = 4.6 |Dec high C = -0.1 |year high C = 12.5 |Jan mean C = -1.7 |Feb mean C = -1 |Mar mean C = 3.2 |Apr mean C = 7.5 |May mean C = 12.4 |Jun mean C = 16.2 |Jul mean C = 18.3 |Aug mean C = 18.1 |Sep mean C = 12.4 |Oct mean C = 7 |Nov mean C = 1.9 |Dec mean C = -2.3 |year mean C = 7.7 |Jan low C = -4.2 |Feb low C = -4.2 |Mar low C = -1.7 |Apr low C = 1.8 |May low C = 6 |Jun low C = 9.8 |Jul low C = 11.4 |Aug low C = 11.1 |Sep low C = 6.3 |Oct low C = 2.7 |Nov low C = -0.8 |Dec low C = -4.5 |year low C = 2.8 |Jan record low C = −24.4 |Feb record low C = −24.4 |Mar record low C = −18.9 |Apr record low C = −9.4 |May record low C = -3.9 |Jun record low C = -1.1 |Jul record low C = 1.7 |Aug record low C = 0.6 |Sep record low C = -6.5 |Oct record low C = −11 |Nov record low C = −20 |Dec record low C = −27.8 |year record low C = -27.8 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 105.5 |Feb precipitation mm = 74.7 |Mar precipitation mm = 47.9 |Apr precipitation mm = 59.8 |May precipitation mm = 60.7 |Jun precipitation mm = 88.2 |Jul precipitation mm = 65 |Aug precipitation mm = 60.4 |Sep precipitation mm = 57.7 |Oct precipitation mm = 59.4 |Nov precipitation mm = 99.5 |Dec precipitation mm = 86.9 |year precipitation mm = 865.7 |rain colour = green |Jan rain mm = 40 |Feb rain mm = 49.7 |Mar rain mm = 44.1 |Apr rain mm = 59.5 |May rain mm = 60.7 |Jun rain mm = 88.2 |Jul rain mm = 65 |Aug rain mm = 60.4 |Sep rain mm = 57.7 |Oct rain mm = 58.8 |Nov rain mm = 78.3 |Dec rain mm = 35.5 |year rain mm = 698.1 |snow colour = green |Jan snow cm = 65.4 |Feb snow cm = 24.9 |Mar snow cm = 3.8 |Apr snow cm = 0.3 |May snow cm = 0 |Jun snow cm = 0 |Jul snow cm = 0 |Aug snow cm = 0 |Sep snow cm = 0 |Oct snow cm = 0.6 |Nov snow cm = 21.2 |Dec snow cm = 51.4 |year snow cm = 167.7 |source 1 =

Gallery

|title= |width=220 |height=220 |File:Marina in Nakusp.JPG|The marina in Nakusp |File:Arrow Lake at Nakusp Waterfront.JPG |Waterfront view |File:Walkway on Arrow Lake.JPG|Waterfront Walk |File:Nakusp Waterfront Walk.JPG|Access to the Waterfront |File:Looking west on Broadway Street in Nakusp.JPG |Looking west on Broadway Street |File:View of Nakusp General Store on Broadway Street West in Nakusp BC.JPG |Shops on Broadway street |File:The Hut Restaurant in Nakusp BC.JPG|The Hut |File:Nakusp Fire Hall.JPG |Nakusp Fire Hall |File:Cenotaph in Nakusp Recreation Park.JPG|Cenotaph |File:Nakusp Library and Museum.JPG |Nakusp Museum and Library |File:Sturgeon-nosed canoe and information on traditional Sinixt culture at the Nakusp Museum.jpg|Sturgeon-nosed canoe and information on traditional Sinixt culture at the Nakusp Museum |File:Small waterfall along road to Nakusp Hot Springs.jpg|Along the road to Nakusp Hot Springs

Footnotes

References

References

1. "British Columbia Regional Districts, Municipalities, Corporate Name, Date of Incorporation and Postal Address". British Columbia Ministry of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development.
2. "Mayor & Council Biographies - Nakusp".
3. Pryce, Paula. (1999). "Keeping the Lakes Way". University of Toronto Press, Toronto, ON.
4. "History of Nakusp".
5. "Nelson Star, 9 Jan 2016".
6. "1971 Census (1921-1971".
7. "1976 Census".
8. "1981 Census".
9. "1986 Census".
10. "1991 Census".
11. "1996 Census".
12. "2001 Census".
13. "2006 Census".
14. "2011 Census".
15. "2016 Census".
16. "2021 Census".
17. (9 February 2022). "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), British Columbia". [[Statistics Canada]].
18. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. (2022-10-26). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population".
19. (2010). "Village of Nakusp Heritage Register".
20. "History of Selkirk Tree Farm Licence 55".
21. Wilson, J.W.. (1973). "People in the Way". University of Toronto Press, Toronto, ON.
22. "Nelson Star, 16 Jan 2016".
23. "2016 Census".
24. "2011 Census".
25. "Evaluation Report for NAKUSP RESOURCES LTD. on the MONASHEE WEST PROPERTY".
26. "A Comparison Between The Geochemistry Of The Gold-Rich And The Silver-Rich Skarns Of The Tillicum Mountain Area".
27. "Nakusp Hot Springs Chalets and Campground".
28. "Vancouver Sun, 5 Jun 1976".
29. "Nakusp Hot Springs: From poor man's spa to regional tourism treasure". [[British Columbia Historical Federation]].
30. "Nakusp Hot Springs".
31. "Naturally Nakusp".
32. "Nakusp Airport".
33. http://www.nakusp.com Community Info
34. "Parzival Copes".
35. "Paul Andre Cyr".
36. "Lance-Sergeant Herbert Wilfred Herridge".
37. "Brad Larsen".
38. Normandin, P G. (1985). "Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1985".
39. (1952). "Newfoundland Who's Who".
40. Melanson, Jenna. (July 2, 2024). "Mitch Zorn Shares New Single, “Home” (Interview)". Canadian Beats Media.
41. (9 March 2013). "Calculation Information for 1981 to 2010 Canadian Normals Data". Environment Canada.
42. "Daily Data Report for June 2021".
43. "Daily Data Report for July 2021".

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