One Day The Nelson Streetcar...

 By Maryanna Gabriel


I have lived long enough to tell this exciting tale. I like to walk by the lake in Nelson.

There are ducks with goslings, and grassy parks where tournaments are held. No hotdogs, though. One feature of the lake is a revived Nelson streetcar that folks can ride.

One day, I stopped beside the track as the tram approached, hoping to get a picture. The streetcar slowed.

A pick-up truck was parked, a big old thing, and was extended so far past the curb the conductor was worried he would hit it.  

He brought the streetcar to a halt. I cleared my throat and hollered. "You have clearance."

The conductor looked at me doubtfully and disembarked. 

He had been madly ringing his bell in the hopes of attracting the owner of the truck but to no avail. He and his running mate eyeballed the clearance.

They decided they would try. Together they inched the streetcar past the truck. They were sucessful and the passengers cheered. And we all went on our merry way and lived happily ever after. 

Nelson: The Story Of The Hall Brothers Continues Pt. 2

 By Maryanna Gabriel 


Well, Winslow and Osner Hall were young and naive, and had more money than they had ever imagined. 

The Hall brothers proceeded to spend, spend, spend. They lit their cigars with $5 bills. They skipped silver dollars and $20 gold pieces across lakes. They partied and invited all their friends to walk a red carpet to their celebations. Unfortunately, the two men who had helped guide them to Toad Mountain, were First Nations, and cut out of the claim. The men were paid $250 each. which was a year's worth of wages.

By the late 1890s they had spent it all. The two were back in placer mining and working on the creeks. 

Horse races down Baker Street, 1898.
Source: BC Archives

Meanwhile, in Nelson, the tents along Baker Creek became buildings along Baker Street. Other gold towns built of wood had burned, so it was declared that the building must be constructed of stone and brick. The town was named after BC's lieutenant governor and Nelson was incorporated in 1897. It had a population of 3,000, half of which was American.

 The story goes that on Victoria Day many raised their glass to Roosevelt rather than Queen Victoria, especially because Roosevelt had visited the area. The celebrations were raucous. Dynamite would be exploded to mark the occasion and there were horse races down the main street. 

Nelson: The Story Of The Hall Brothers Continues Pt. 1

 By Maryanna Gabriel


.... the horses bolted. After managing to find the horses, the party huddled on a protected ledge. shivering and hungry, as snow fell. Winter was coming. A toad hopped before them and perched on a rock. One of men picked up the rock, and hallelujah, it was loaded with ore, specifically pyrite and copper.* Ecstatic, they proceeded to madly pound in their stakes of claim. Ever after, they called it Toad Mountain, which is how it is known today. 

The Hall brothers rushed back to Fort Colville to find an assayist. The assayist recognized the samples also contained silver and a high caliber of gold. In short, it was a spectacular find. John McDonald, the assayist, wanted to be cut in on the action which the brothers decided to grant, figuring they could use the help. They travelled back to Toad Mountain. This time they had to dodge the hoards who were in pursuit, as word of the gold rush got out. By travelling a round about way, they evaded their pursuers and staked more claims, but these they failed to record. 

Silver King Miners 
source: Nelson Museum Archives

Well.... their claims were challenged. The Hall brothers grew weary of the litigation, but turned down an offer of a million dollars. They received another offer of more money which they accepted, and the Silver King Mine was born. It became famous for its spectacular yields, which seemed never ending.

This was the great bonanza that created the city of Nelson. But there's more... 

*Source: Bill Barlee, historian, "Gold Trails and Ghost Towns" (documentary film). 

Nelson: Queen City With Style

A mansion of Nelson. 

 By Maryanna Gabriel


Many people I talk to do not know where the the Kootenies are, nor is the location of the city of Nelson well understood. This is a fascinating city in southeastern British Columbia. Many buildings have been preserved, and are older than a 100 years. Much is just as it was. Over 350 buildings have been designated as heritage and are protected, including many mansions.

A protected heritage.

Colourful atmosphere.

There is a feeling of prosperity
here which is surprising (given the stresses in the Canadian economy) revealed by a generous infrastructure, many shops, and numerous restaurants. Nelson has an atmosphere like no other and may be described as both colourful and cosmopolitan. Essentially, I am enjoying getting to know this place which was dubbed the Queen City for good reason.

How it all began is an interesting story. 

In 1896, Winslow and Osner Hall lived in Fort Colville, a Hudson's Bay fort that was closing. The brothers decided the solution to their dileman was to discover a mine. They travelled northward and crossed into Canada with a party of about 13 men and horses which bore their supplies. It was a difficult traverse up the Columbia River in country not yet mapped. After several weeks, they found themselves on an unnamed creek, on an unnamed mountain, and running out of food in the cold of October. With snow starting to fall, they decided they would have to turn back. They had just enough food to return.

However, the horses had bolted...

A Place Worth Zinging About

Skunk outside my writing window.

 By Maryanna Gabriel

The truth is, I'm afraid of bears. Okay, let's just say - I have a healthy respect their capabilities. And I certainly can't keep my garbage outdoors, can I? We have garbage collection twice a month and by the time that day comes, I'm fairly panting.

Once, the truck arrived at 7:30 am. Now, I set my alarm.

As a writer, I spend much of my time saying to myself: why am I doing this?; who wants to read it?; is it any good?; am I wasting my time?; and after quite awhile of this and other useless questions and unsupportive commentary, I just get to it and start pounding the keys. It's a strange ritual and a rather odd one, given it is not terriby effective. Much to my surprise, I am working on chapter fourteen.

One morning, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a swift movement. Excuse me? A skunk? Wow. Dorothy, we don't have these back in Kansas. A recent trip to the post office was a little alarming. The place reeked of skunk. Apparently, the mail was sprayed at the dock where the bags are unloaded. So now, it's all over town. I read it takes the skunk days to replenish his olfactory gland so he prefers peace, and only uses his weapon of mass destruction as a last resort. Skunk is powerful medicine in the animal totem deck. But that's not what is making my body zing. And thank goodness for that. 

 Worth zinging about. 

With the nicer weather, I have been drawn to the wilder places (always on the look-out for bears), and I found a most wonderful spot for writing. A Thotful Spot, as Winnie The Pooh would say. It makes my heart and soul zing. The sound of the water is mentally cleansing. Maybe the zing is permeating my writing. At least that's the theory.