Submitted by On This Spot
With summer upon us and COVID-19 restrictions finally lifting, many Canadians are eager to get out and explore their local communities. The On This Spot historic walking tour app, has launched new content in Castlegar, providing the perfect opportunity for families and individuals to get outside and explore in a safe, responsible way.
Those who download this free app will be able to view over 50 historic photos of Castlegar, along with a new twelve-stop historic walking tour. Users will be able to stand in the footprints of the photographers who took these photos and compare the dramatic changes between past and present. The historic photographs date from the 1890s to the 1960s and focus on the experience of the Doukhobor community in Ootischenia.
The walking tour will take the user through Castlegar’s early history as a Doukhobor community and explore their fascinating communal lives. Users will travel back in time to learn about the jam factory at Brilliant, the construction of the Brilliant Suspension Bridge, and the mysterious death of Doukhobor leader Peter Verigin.
The photos and tour are available on the On This Spot app or online at onthisspot.ca/cities/castlegar.
The project was developed in a partnership between the Doukhobor Discovery Centre and On This Spot.
The app is designed to make high-quality local history accessible to the widest possible audience, and encourage people to visit — or plan to visit — the community of Castlegar.
The creators say Canadians can now experience an unparalleled depth of local history, all while getting outdoors and staying safely socially distanced.
Andrew Farris, CEO of On This Spot said, “Smartphones can make local history vastly more accessible and engaging, and COVID has only accelerated an ongoing trend towards adoption of these digital technologies. Now anyone with a smartphone can see Castlegar through the eyes of people a century or more ago, creating an exciting and tangible connection with the past.”
On This Spot was founded in Vancouver in 2016, and has partnered with over 50 cities in seven provinces.
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