Though the Nakusp Hot Springs commemorated its 50th anniversary on October 19, the Village is continuing the celebrations all year long.
On March 4, 5, and 6, enjoy ‘everyone is local’ pricing of $8 for adults, seniors, and youth. Children under five swim free.
The same discounted pricing was featured the first week of February, and Hospitality Manager Robin Hethey said it was a great turnout.
Though she’s only lived in the area since September, Hethey said it’s clear how important the hot springs are to the community.
“We have a very strong, loyal following of local people who come to the hot springs every day,” she said. “It’s a very, very well loved community resource.”
Hethey said the celebration back in October was a beautiful day.
The Village offered 1974 pricing – $1.50 for adults and $0.75 for youth. Many locals and visitors alike came out to enjoy the waters and various hot springs-themed goodies.
An intimate dinner welcomed guests who were involved with the build up of the resort, some even before the Village purchased it.
“There was a lot of heart and soul, and people spoke very fondly about their memories and about what the hot springs mean to the community,” said Hethey.
The springs also have a robust reputation among tourists, some having travelled from as far as China and Europe, Hethey said. She’s noticed that people enjoy the authenticity of the facility, with its an informal, laid-back vibe and “one foot in the 1970s and one foot in this decade.”
“It’s lovely to see the connections between community members and visitors,” she said.
The Nakusp Hot Springs’ history runs much longer than 50 years. The Arrow Lakes Historical Society says the first to test the hot waters were the local Sinixt people – hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago.
Settlers arrived in the late 1800s. Messrs. Darragh and Lester staked the hot springs site in 1894, though it was soon cancelled after objections from the community that it remain open and free to the public.
In 1897, Ellen McDougald, owner of the Leland Hotel in Nakusp, staked the lot under the name Virginia Mineral Claim. No developments were made, and the public continued to use the hot springs. A proper trail from town was built in 1912.
Two years later, after more public protest, the government placed the site in a reserve by order of council. However, Ellen fought the issue and gained surface rights to her mineral claim.
The Nakusp Board of Trade took action against Ellen in 1925, and a government survey was set in motion to form a park and a road. Two of the three springs were reserved for the people forever and all time, and a 200-acre public park was established surrounding the springs.
In 1928, a fundraising campaign saw enough funds to build a concrete pool, a community kitchen, and some cabins. Ellen’s claim was relinquished, and the Leary family purchased it through tax sale in 1939.
In 1957, the Leary family donated ten acres on and around the hot springs to the town. When Nakusp became a village in 1967, it was given the opportunity to own the hot springs. At the time, a poorly maintained logging road led into the site, and without caretakers, the cabins and pools were damaged by vandals. All the same, hundreds of visitors still ventured to the springs.
In time, a committee formed to investigate the possibility of piping the water to a better site where a proper pool complex could be built. Grant money came through, a better logging road was built, and the complex was finally opened in 1974.
People can enjoy the clear waters of the Nakusp Hot Springs every day from 9:30 am to 9:30 pm.
