One of the most attractive towns in southern British Columbia, Nelson overlooks Kootenay Lake. Established in the 1880s as a mining town, with the coming of the railroad in the 1890s, Nelson flourished as a center for transporting ore and timber. The town owes its good looks to its location on the shores of the lake and to the large number of public buildings and houses that were constructed between 1895 and 1920. In 1986 the town was chosen as the location for the Steve Martin comedy film, Roxanne . British Columbia’s best-known architect, Francis Rattenbury (see Victoria), played a part in the design of some of the town’s most prestigious and beautiful structures, such as the elegant Burns building which was built in 1899 for millionaire cattle rancher and meat packer, Patrick Burns. Rattenbury also designed the Nelson Court House in 1908, a stately stone building with towers and gables.

Today, the town has a thriving cultural scene, with an art walk during the summer, as well as numerous cafés, book, and craft shops. Visitors also enjoy the short ride on Car 23, a 1906 streetcar that operated in the town between 1924 and 1949 (it was restored in 1992), and which today travels along Nelson’s delightful waterfront. The infocenter provides visitors with a map and guide for the heritage walking tour of the town’s historic buildings.