Rossland

The Great Unknown

THE TEAM DISCOVERS THAT THIS TINY TOWN OF BARELY 4,000 INHABITANTS HAS THE POWER, AND THE TRAILS, TO ENSNARE YOU DEEPLY IN ITS GRASP.

Sitting high in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia, I will hold up my hands and say that I had never even heard of the place, nor the Monashee Mountains where it nestles, about as close to Washington State as you can get without being in the US. However, let me be the first to say that Rossland is an absolute gem of a small town.

Arriving late on Monday afternoon after an easy four-hour drive from Fernie through some customary incredible Canadian scenery, the main street cut a fairly sleepy figure. An obligatory stop at the nearest coffee shop (Seven Summits) serving nitrogen-charged coffee gave us the opportunity to ask our host about the highlights of Rossland. “Well, folk come to the supermarket for a start!” she replied breezily. I couldn’t help but wonder whether she was taking the piss, but, to be fair, we realised that the supermarket has a brilliant deli and sandwich counter, so she wasn’t wrong, particularly given how much I spent in there on food to take back home as pressies for the family.

Checking into The Flying Steamshovel, a gastropub and well-appointed inn (the oldest in town, dating to 1897), I was curious about the history of the name. According to the local museum, the Flying Steamshovel was a steam-driven contraption that was the brainchild of Lou Gagnon, a local railway engineer. Legend has it that his helicopter-like machine managed to take flight for a few seconds near the site of the hotel before it fell back to earth. No one really knows if it happened, but it certainly makes for a great story. After another excellent meal (I can heartily recommend the curry), we were pretty beat and retired for the evening after a stroll down the main street.