Most recent updated March 3, 2000

Welcome to Revelstoke, BC, Canada in the renowned Selkirk and Monashee Mountains...just next door to the outstanding Canadian version of Glacier National Park. Nested in the valley, this vibrant community of 8500 stands proudly amid scenic mountains, wildlife, heritage, and community spirit on the shores of the powerful and historic Columbia River.

Revelstoke was 100 years young in 1999, and takes pride in both our man-made and natural heritage. Studied in recent years by Earthwatch, this mountain town with a vision thanks you for stopping in to share this virtual experience - when will you arrive in person?

The Revelstoke Vision

Revelstoke will be a leader in achieving a sustainable community by balancing environmental, social, and economic values within a local, regional and global context.

Building on its rich heritage and natural beauty this historic mountain community will pursue quality and excellence. Revelstoke will be seen as vibrant, healthy, clean, hospitable, resilient and forward thinking. It will be committed to exercising its rights with respect to decisions affecting the North Columbia Mountain Region.

Community priorities include: opportunities for youth; economic growth and stability; environmental citizenship; personal safety and security; a responsible and caring social system; a first-class education system; local access to life-long learning; spiritual and cultural values; and diverse forms of recreation. All residents and visitors shall have access to the opportunities afforded by this community. - City of Revelstoke - May 10, 1994

Surrounded by wilderness areas, our residents have accepted responsibility for stewardship of the multitude of natural resources this beautiful valley produces and provides. See our comments on the Draft Revelstoke Land Use Plan for more details on how much this writer cares.

We watch over such global village treasures as Grizzly Bears and Mountain Caribou, which kind of look like reindeer. These blue listed(endangered) species are friends and neighbours.

New sustainable resource techniques and studies underway range from wildlife habitat enhancement, value-added forestry, and tourism planning, to recovering and preserving the marshes of the Illicillewaet Greenbelt. For further details on sustainable land use planning in our province, please visit the Land Use Coordination Office - BC Government Site

Both upstream and downstream from The Revelstoke Dam (links under construction) and Mica Dam (links also under construction) - I told you the Columbia was a powerful river - community committees have volunteered to ensure the future of the resource and many species for generations yet to come.Visit BC Hydro Environment for more details - our Rainbow Trout, Kokanee and Dolly Varden rely on the resource, too.

We leave this topic with an often used analogy in the community - life is like a three legged stool, with the legs defined as social, economic and environmental balance. If you injure or break a leg of the stool, it will not stand.

Now that you understand a bit of our culture, it is off to town we go. If you have not yet been downtown, make certain to visit Historic Grizzly Plaza, with live entertainment nightly during the summer months, and cultural events throughout the year. You will encounter us dancing in the streets with you, or singing in the bandshell. Perhaps you can catch Annie, or The Sound of Music as performed by our folks, or other events by our talented visitors. Listen carefully, and you will hear a multitude of languages. You may meet one of our many writers, or editorialists - we introduce you to Patrick Waugh, a local source of pride and poetry.Enjoy our people.

Stop by the Revelstoke Museum,and enjoy a visit with our local historian Ruby Nobbs. Or take time to learn of our historic participation in the TransCanadian Railway system, with CP Rail. The Last Spike of this massive Railway construction project was driven only miles from our community - for further details, visit with Buddy and Ernie, or our other retired CP Rail volunteers and train buffs at The Revelstoke Railway Museum.

So many sites to see and things to do - what time of year is your visit today? You might want to have a look at Canadian Heritage and other related Western Canadian sites to gather information for this virtual tour. These federal government heritage sites stand as a natural monument to the pioneers who lost their lives building the trails you now travel. This worthwhile preservation project deserves your appreciation and support.

Trails, fauna, and flora abound, with beautiful boardwalks located at Giant Cedars and Skunk Cabbage Trails, in Glacier National Park. Or perhaps you would like to hike to Eva Lake, and take time to smell the flowers. The colors in the higher elevations are astonishing.You may wish to ride to the top of Mount Revelstoke National Park, and mountain bike down the challenging parkway with Summit Tours.

Mountain climbers will be thrilled by the challenges offered in this varied terrain. Enter the lottery, designed to minimize impact on the Nakimu Caves, or book an entry with our local Nakimu experts. Only a limited number of entries are permitted each year, and are allocated on a lottery system...carrying capacities are important to preserve the moonmilk and other sensitive growth in these caves.

Or drive north and take the Revelstoke Dam Tour. Drive further north to Mica Dam, the largest earth filled dam you have ever seen. I ordered a packed lunch from one of our bakeries just for you - it is a perfect day trip. Please, though - watch out for the wildlife that walk and run on the highway. There are no fences in the back country - the road is their habitat. It is likely that you will see our Mountain Caribou. Leave only footprints, and not even those on some of our delicate alpine meadows... wildflowers are important, too.

Wildlife viewing and birding interests - don't forget your binoculars, cameras, and guidebooks. Look - over there - it's a Lazuli Bunting! Steller Jays, Northern Flickers, and Evening Grosbeaks everywhere. We may be lucky enough to see a Western Grebe, or the Great Blue Herons which live in our valley. Ah yes, my friend, this is paradise. But we must hurry... you are going whitewater rafting on the Illicillewaet River this afternoon. We will take more bird photos on the Columbia River Boat tour tomorrow morning - maybe we will see that Yellow-headed Blackbird again.

Better yet, we will rent mountain bikes tomorrow afternoon, and go up Mount Revelstoke with Summit Cycle, or to Mount McPherson Interpretive Forest. By the way, I also booked a tee-time and golf cart at the 18 hole golf course for you for later this week - it is so pretty, right alongside of the Columbia River. Hitting a bear is a two stroke penalty.

But wait - it is Winter, you say? World Class Helicopter Skiing in champagne powder snow, thousands of acres of Snowmobile trails, Cat Skiing, downhill, telemark or cross country ski trails...or how about tobogganing in the mountains? Where will you stay? We have a world of options for you. Character prevails with over 1000 rooms at a wide variety of friendly service oriented hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts and campgrounds.

Our people have worked together on a number of initiatives to ensure the social, environmental, and economic fabric of our community will remain here for the next 100 years. If you are interested in sustainable communities or environmental and conservation issues you may find the following sites of value - we have.

LUCO Land Use Plans for the West Kootenay area - the gateway to volumes of material

IISD - International Institute for Sustainable Development, located in Canada at the University of Winnipeg, this site has great ideas and information.

Ministry of Environment, Land and Parks-our folks who administer tourism land use

The Amazing Environmental Web Directory - excellent related site lists

EcoNet located in USA, this site offers a forum for pursuit of sustainable tourism initiatives.

More Revelstoke information:

Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce- Community profile and tourism information

Glacier National Park or Mount Revelstoke National Park

Best Western Wayside Inn - click on area info, or make an instant reservation on the net, and receive your confirmation by return e-mail. Isn't technology wonderful? This team supports the future, and are Charter members of "Green" Hotels Association .

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