Revelstoke was settled in 1885 during construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR.) The original name of the settlement was Farwell, after surveyor A.S. Farwell, who applied for a Provincial grant for land. The CPR had assumed that all of the land would be under their control, as part of a deal they had with the Dominion government. When the CPR reached here, they disputed Farwell’s claim to this land and, refusing to deal with him, located their station and yards east of his townsite. This created a rival townsite, and within a few years, the business district had relocated from Front Street, on the riverbank, up to Mackenzie Avenue and First Street, as most business owners wanted to be closer to the station for easier access to their goods.

In 1886, the CPR asked the federal post office department to change the name of the settlement to honour Lord Revelstoke, whose British banking firm had provided the funds to ensure the completion of the railway. A court case between the CPR and Farwell delayed development of the town for many years, and it was 1897 before landowners could get clear title to their property, and 1899 before the City of Revelstoke was incorporated.

 A Booming Community

Revelstoke was once one of the largest and most prominent communities in the interior of the province, mostly due to its importance as a railway center. Steamboat traffic from the south connected with the Canadian Pacific Railway making this an important transportation center. The city had many facilities that would only have been seen in a large city, such as an Opera House, a fully-equipped YMCA gymnasium, and many large businesses, including C.B. Hume’s Department Store, which in the early 1900s was the largest department store in the interior of the province. Settlers came from Great Britain, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Ukraine, China, Japan, and other countries.

A Diversified Economy

Mining and forestry have always been important parts of Revelstoke’s economy. A gold rush along the Columbia River just north of Revelstoke took place in the 1860s, prior to the establishment of a townsite, and it is estimated that in two years, over $3,000,000 in gold was mined. Mining in this region has taken place intermittently since that time. There have been sawmills in Revelstoke since the 1880s and logging is carried on throughout this region. Revelstoke began an innovative program in the 1990s when the Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation was set up to purchase a treefarm licence for the community.

Always a ski town

The history of skiing in Revelstoke goes back to 1890, when a Norwegian miner arrived in town from his nearby mine wearing what the locals referred to as “Norwegian snowshoes.” Before long, the first ski club had been formed, with distance skiing being most popular. In 1915, the growing Scandinavian population started the Revelstoke Ski Club and held the first Winter Sports Carnival, with ski-jumping as the centerpiece of the event. The following year, a ski jump was created in Mount Revelstoke National Park, and the event grew to become an international event known as the Tournament of Champions, with athletes from 11 countries participating. Nels Nelsen was the local ski hero from 1916 to the 1930s, setting a world record in 1925 with a jump of 250 feet. Downhill and slalom runs were also built on Mount Revelstoke. In 1963, Mount Mackenzie Ski Hill opened and within a few years, all of the organized skiing had moved to that area. Revelstoke Mountain Resort opened in 2007, expanding the runs to create the longest vertical runs in North America. Heli-skiing has been an important part of the ski industry since the 1970s.

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