British Columbia - The Story of Canal Flats

Canal Flats today has a population of 753, notwas worked out: the BC government would allow
counting the local dogs and can lay claim to beingthe canal to be built, with a lock. At 100 feet long
one of British Columbia's newest municipalities andby 30 feet wide, the lock was completed in 1888,
quite possibly one of the dullest. However, it has abut by this time the weary Baillie-Grohman had
very interesting past, dating back to the earlygiven up his dream and retired to England. A year
nineteenth century.The area was born McGillivray'slater the government voted to close the
Portage, so named in 1808 by mapmaker Davidcanal.Only two boats ever went through the canal.
Thompson. In 1883 and an English sportsmanThe Gwendoline transited the canal in 1894, going
(read remittance man) named William Adolphefrom Columbia Lake to the Kootenay River and
Baillie-Grohman dreamed of building a canal acrossthe North Star in 1902, headed to Golden from
McGillivray's Portage from Columbia Lake to theMontana. The North Star was too big, however
Kootenay River. He envisioned being able toand the captain of the steamer, Francis
connect the Columbia River system with theArmstrong, had to blast the side of the canal to
Kootenay, allowing water traffic from the valleyget this boat through. The remains of the canal
access to the Creston area.He had been givencan still be seen today.During all this a small
consideration for a grant of 48,000 acres ofcommunity had sprung up, named Grohman. It
alluvial flat and planned to join the two greatconsisted of a sawmill, a warehouse, a post office
rivers in order to reclaim flooded lands. Columbiaand a licensed hotel. Eventually the community
Lake was at the time only 11 feet lower than thegrew and was called Canal Flat, with the "s" added
Kootenay River, so the engineering problemsseveral years later, apparently, according to locals,
surrounding the plan were not insurmountable.because it was mistakenly added to a highway
Baillie-Grohman planned his canal to be 45 feetsign and "it just stuck".Today the town is primarily
wide and 6700 feet long to connect the twosupported by a large forestry product mill. The
rivers across the gravel flat that lay between"flats" as the locals call it, several restaurants, a
them. The outcome of the feat would be to drainpub, various stores, a post office and a great nine
the sloughs in the Creston Valley.The governmenthole golf course. The town also serves as a
of the time thought the plan feasible and grantedgateway to several world class backcountry
Baillie-Grohman concession in both valleys and theparks, including Whiteswan, Top of the World and
Kootenay Valley Co. was formed. But when thePremier Lake provincial parks. It is also the
Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) heard about theentrance to Kootenay River Road, which leads
plans it feared the action would flood its main linebackcountry explorers into a vast Rocky Mountain
along the Columbia River to the north.Thewilderness area, renowned for whitewater
government then required a lock be constructedpaddling, hunting, fishing and camping. Canal Flats is
and for this additional work Baillie-Grohman was tothe southern gateway to the Purcell Mountain
receive an additional 30,000 acres in the Upperwilderness area, with Whitetail Lake and Blue Lake
Kootenay Valley. The CPR then appealed torelatively short drives from the town. Although no
Ottawa, which in turn asked Victoria, the seat ofone has as yet developed it for the tourist trade,
BC's provincial government, where it got the rightthere is also the Ram Creek Hot Springs just
to interfere with an international river course.Asouth of town.
long battle was raged until finally a compromise