New Denver

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title: "New Denver" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["doukhobors", "mining-communities-in-british-columbia", "populated-places-in-the-slocan", "villages-in-british-columbia", "world-war-ii-internment-camps-in-canada"] topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Denver" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

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

Field	Value
name	New Denver
official_name	The Corporation of the Village of New Denver
settlement_type	Village
motto
image_skyline	File:Riverbank Scene - New Denver - BC - Canada (17269483765) (2).jpg
pushpin_map	Canada British Columbia
pushpin_label_position
pushpin_map_caption	Location of New Denver in British Columbia
pushpin_mapsize
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
subdivision_name4
leader_title	Governing body
leader_name	New Denver Village Council
leader_title1	Mayor
leader_name1	Leonard Casley
leader_title2	CAO
established_title	Founded
established_date	1892
established_title2	Incorporated
established_date2	1929
established_title3
established_date3
area_total_km2	0.87
area_land_km2
area_blank1_sq_mi
population_as_of	2016
population_total	473
population_density_km2	543.7
population_density_sq_mi
timezone	PST
utc_offset	-8
coordinates
elevation_footnotes	tags--
elevation_m	560
elevation_ft
area_codes	250, 778, 236, & 672
blank_name	Highways
blank_info

| | blank1_name | Waterways | | blank1_info | Slocan Lake | | website | | ::

| name = New Denver | official_name = The Corporation of the Village of New Denver | other_name = | native_name = | nickname = | settlement_type = Village | motto = | image_skyline = File:Riverbank Scene - New Denver - BC - Canada (17269483765) (2).jpg | 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 New Denver in British Columbia | pushpin_mapsize = | 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 | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | government_footnotes = | government_type = | leader_title = Governing body | leader_name = New Denver Village Council | leader_title1 = Mayor | leader_name1 = Leonard Casley | leader_title2 = CAO | leader_name2 = | leader_title3 = | leader_name3 = | leader_title4 = | leader_name4 = | established_title = Founded | established_date = 1892 | established_title2 = Incorporated | established_date2 = 1929 | established_title3 = | established_date3 = | area_magnitude = | unit_pref = | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 0.87 | 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 = 2016 | population_footnotes = | population_note = | population_total = 473 | population_density_km2 = 543.7 | population_density_sq_mi = | timezone = PST | utc_offset = -8 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = | coordinates = | elevation_footnotes = tags-- | elevation_m = 560 | elevation_ft = | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_codes = 250, 778, 236, & 672 | blank_name = Highways | blank_info =

| blank1_name = Waterways | blank1_info = Slocan Lake | footnotes = | website = 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 47 km west of Kaslo on Highway 31A, and 47 km southeast of Nakusp and 32 km northeast of Slocan on Highway 6.

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. Furthermore, the place may have been known as Carpenter Creek townsite after its founding in 1891.

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.

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. In 1895, Denver Canyon became a stop on the former Nakusp and Slocan Railway. The settlement was incorporated as a village in 1929. 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." 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.

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.

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. Those promoting Zincton claim the resort will create jobs and do much to remedy economic and social decline in the area. 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. 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.

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 from its 2016 population of 473. With a land area of 0.87 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

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. 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.

Climate

|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 |source 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. Council members blamed the infestation on local gardening and composting practices.

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

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. "New Denver".
3. "Nelson Star, 26 Mar 2016".
4. "Nelson Star, 2 Apr 2016".
5. (1986). "British Columbia Place Names". UBC Press.
6. "1894 BC Directory".
7. {{BCGNIS. 13574. New Denver (village)
8. "New Denver Internment Camp".
9. {{CRHP. 15382. Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre
10. "Forced Doukhobor Schooling".
11. "Zincton: Expression of Interest".
12. (November 14, 2021). "Op-Ed: Zincton Balances the Past with the Future".
13. "Press Pause, Let's Plan: Provincial petition launches in response to Zincton".
14. (30 July 2020). "About 3000 comments received on Zincton proposal".
15. (February 9, 2022). "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), British Columbia". [[Statistics Canada]].
16. 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.
17. (3 September 2010). "TELUS going live with 3G+ network in New Denver, BC on September 7th". MobileSyrup.
18. "Calculation Information for 1981 to 2010 Canadian Normals Data". Environment Canada.
19. (7 October 2019). "Rat problem potentially plagues Slocan Valley village; could be sign of bigger problem".
20. (26 November 2019). "New Denver battling influx of rats".

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