Why is it called the Silver King?

Any newbies to Whitewater may not yet know about our old and beloved Silver King chairlift. And any long-term season passholders might not know the history behind the name. Bought from Whistler in 1992, the chairlift was named in honour of the history which led to Whitewater being founded in the late 1960s.

Going all the way back to the beginning, skiing was brought to the Kootenays by some of the original Scandinavian settlers coming to the area. But organised skiing in Nelson started in 1934. The Nelson Ski Club formed just north of town, with a small rope tow, driven by the rear axel of a Model-T Ford. A few years later, the local skiers grew more proficient and adventurous, and went in search of more vertical.

For anyone uneducated on the history of this beautiful town, Nelson was built on mining. Gold and silver were discovered in the area in 1867. Settlements formed around the main mining sites; one of which was a silver mining operation on Toad Mountain, just south of Nelson. Extraction operations began in 1887 and the plot was named the Silver King mine.

Silver King Camp - the small town around the mine, was destroyed by a forest fire a few decades later and left as a ghost town. In 1956 the forgotten area was re-discovered by the Nelson Ski Club and deemed the next best place to strap in. The ski area moved to this new spot and the club was renamed the Silver King ski club.

But local skiers weren’t satisfied yet. Just over a decade later, two local businessmen discovered the amazing valley beneath Ymir Peak and after several years of hard graft by the local community, the Silver King ski club moved themselves up the mountain: becoming, Whitewater Ski Resort.

Modern day Whitewater nods to this rich mining history in other ways too, not just with the Silver King Chair lift. The resort features trail names such as Gold Pan, Blast and Motherlode, and our pub, Coal Oil Johnny’s, is named after a man who spent his life endlessly searching for a nugget of gold.

But it’s not just Whitewater which is steeped in mining history. Lots of businesses around Nelson hark back to that era too. Many of the heritage buildings seen on Baker Street and Vernon were built in the mining boom time – coinciding with the incorporation of the city in 1897.

“The history of this town is so important. We came from a community of entrepreneurs and explorers, but most of the beautiful architecture we’re lucky enough to live with is the result of their early success. It bred a town of people passionate about art and culture. And that mixture of art and adventure is what we still see as the heart of Nelson today.” says Ryan Martin, owner of the Historic Hume Hotel.

The Hume was built in 1898, in the height of the mining era: when Baker Street and Vernon Street were dirt roads, divided by a deep ravine formed by Ward Creek. The hotel was quickly established as the best place to stay in town and the architecture was deemed ‘a marvel to behold’.

Still holding that reputation, the Hume Hotel, which includes Mike’s Place Pub, the Library Lounge and the General Store Family Restaurant, is a great location to learn more about the rich history of Nelson and to relax into the beautiful heritage of this charming city.

Click here to learn more about the history of Whitewater. To experience the grandeur of the historic HUME hotel, swing by and see them on the corner of Ward & Baker Street.