TCT Pavilion: Grand Forks <img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/yxNweLbYTIby74j1I-2iGx-R-SewF_9R_UPrAfB3fDkBP46P2WZez-G-ngzRvwWlEZN1Cacwp_rHL9fQGGtk7kunaMVm8a2aAlEEy4qs7pqCJjy0WyzaIl9MtxXK3AqIdzbOXH_3JLHuwU7-dkgscyOoi1Kh3-LVZwhE_iRZsrRatNsD5D9nChCe1eQK4dn1wh0BaycCCpE5PQKJkaVR6jWFHs-HvTeOxUbVFMBNEkFy-50xiDrO04v2VAQu8NyDByv0DVZjecgVHwnqQuYACFM" height="200" width="auto" /> The pavilion is located in Grand Forks City park alongside the paved Trans Canada Trail beside the Kettle River. The park is located 3 blocks south of Highway 3 on 5th Street. - Lat/Long: 49° 1.758'N 118° 26.340'W - Type: 3-Panel Flash Pavilion - Status: Grand Forks - As of Jul/11 - more than 156 names have been posted images/icon-1.png Mile 107.4 The Columbia & Western travels west from this point into the local sawmill; trail users take a detour along the river to enter the city. The Trans Canada Trail reconnects with the railway at Mile 110.1 images/icon-2.png Gilpin Station Gilpin was a former siding and flag stop, this station was named after the first customs officer in the area. Across the Kettle River are the residences of the Sons of Freedom Sect. A swing bridge was removed in the early 1980's. images/icon-2.png Billings Station (Mile 91.6) Billings was a former flag stop. Billings also was the site of the Yale-Columbia Sawmill. The foundation of the store remains and a small cemetery is located across the highway. images/icon-2.png Trestle over Kettle River gorge images/icon-2.png Cascade Station Cascade was originally located at old Cascade or Cascade City which was touted as a smelter site. The "city" declined after fires and the failure of the turn-of-the-century boom town to materialize. The station was rebuilt about 1921 after a fire burned the original station. Located at the southwestern foot of Farron Hill grade, the station was the site of a wye. Remains of Dykehead and Tennessee mines are located on the right-of-way near Sutherland Creek between Cascade and Christina Lake. images/icon-2.png Mile 89.6 Eastern end of Cascade Station marking the eastern connection point of the rail wye. The western connection lies 280 metres to the west. images/icon-2.png Major Trestle (Mile 89.1) images/icon-2.png Start of Dewdney Trail to Rossland Start of Dewdney Trail to Rossland images/icon-2.png Stone Retaining Wall This impressive stone retaining wall is not made of concrete; unbelievably, each giant block was handmade by Portuguese rail workers and fitted together without mortar, allowing water to drain through the wall. Looking closely, you can still see the dimples that were used to fit grapple hooks used to lift the blocks into place. Between each block, a small amount of mortar was in fact placed, and one of the workers would draw his finger along the joint to provide a finishing touch! images/icon-2.png Fife Station Fife was the site of a 17 car storage track. Named after J. Fife, a Rossland miner, Fife was a passenger flag stop and steam locomotive water stop. Fife is the location of a large lime quarry. (source: Columbia & Western Trails Society (http://www.columbiaandwestern.ca/)) images/icon-2.png Viewpoint: Christina Lake images/icon-2.png Christina Flag Stop Christina was a former flag stop named for Christina Lake. images/icon-2.png Wooden tower (demolished) An imposing wooden tower stood here, above the railway on the hill to the east until it was demolished in the spring of 2016. images/icon-2.png Lafferty Station (Mile 72.8) Lafferty was a 62 car siding and a steam locomotive water stop. It was originally named Wade and later renamed for a Rossland bank manager. (source: Columbia & Western Trails Society (http://www.columbiaandwestern.ca/)) images/icon-2.png Snowslide Creek Trestle One of the many locations along the C&W where a real risk of avalanche exists during the winter and several washouts have taken place over the years. images/icon-2.png Lafferty Washout Bridge An aluminum footbridge crosses the Lafferty washout that took out the railway several years ago. images/icon-2.png Coryell Station The town of Coryell was founded in 1898 under the name of Gladstone. Gladstone sprung up from the news that the construction on the railway had begun at Castlegar and that Gladstone would be one of the stations on route. CPR named the station in 1900 after John A. Coryell; the engineer who made CPR's first survey. Coryell developed as an early gold mine camp and was important to the Burnt Basin area. An Italian rail worker discovered a very rich vein of ore. One summer he disappeared at night and never returned. Buildings have long collapsed with snow and were looted in 1962 when the highway detoured through here. (source: Columbia & Western Trails Society (http://www.columbiaandwestern.ca/)) images/icon-2.png Paulson Tunnel This tunnel hold on to the cliffs of McRae Creek Canyon below. The tunnel was drilled through weak rock as many spots inside are lined and reinforced with concrete. The tunnel is in good shape today but some places inside may have small rock-slides that are visible. Travellers are recommended to use caution when passing through the tunnel. (source: Columbia & Western Trails Society (http://www.columbiaandwestern.ca/)) images/icon-2.png Paulson Overhead Bridge (Mile 60.9) images/icon-2.png McRae Creek Swimming Hole Walker Creek crosses the trail and enters into McRae Creek at this point. A local swimming hole is a few metres away - a popular place during hot summer months. images/icon-2.png Paulson Station As work on the railway moved to Grand Forks, the Paulson Brothers established a hotel, store and stables in Paulson. Once the railway was completed, the hotel alongside the railway became known as Paulson Station. Later a siding was added at KM 57.3 to service ore shipments from the Bonanza mine and the station was sometimes referred to as Bonanza Siding. Log foundations and the remains of other buildings can be seen along the banks of McRae Creek. images/icon-2.png Merry Siding (approximate location) <img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/7nY4kBwcOx80wySMM7yqcB8hTj6iTbWkXLKcNFiOytrP1eFQ5vqM5aWeozIEpkLQnXWjY2r0TePKbYeEy00kmDexkPxh_A3rCdsLkOVLumOkF2BuY0qTTAlS4KzSWO91lKcZQSen4dWri_ji1bzs3PPtoexcgpoDBUyDCnwWsZE-y2I_Osd7GMKpmL5YPF4SWhWlynbGTINb5f4_K-HLXlOU6qCoqZNvnTFmOq5zDWqo6jTE8GfoADFpZPDkgr-eBjAjtQelp6sgl-Wy3VNoIAE" height="200" width="auto" /> In the summer of 1924 Bilson Merry set up a sawmill south of Farron. McRae Creek was dammed to produce a mill pond, into which logs were sent along a steeply-inclined dry flume. The mill was run by a boiler and produced dimension lumber as well as cedar poles under contract with West Kootenay Power and Light Company. Suitable logs were also sent to the Eddy match-block factory in Nelson, for processing prior to shipment to the main plant at Hull, Quebec. CPR put in a siding, which took on the name of Merry Siding. Two dwellings were constructed: one for Bilson and Eva (nee Mitchell) and their growing family; and another one that served as a residence for the Popoffs. John Popoff was mill foreman and sawyer. The two families lived at the site year around, and other workers joined them as required. Cut logs were skidded to the flume by horses or hauled by home-made wagons with solid wooden wheels. That technique was most likely introduced by the Doukhobors, their main labour force. The family was awakened just after midnight on Oct. 29 by the train explosion which killed Doukhobor leader Peter (Lordly) Verigin and ten others. The blast, which remains unsolved, was only a kilometre to the north of their operation. The children, as they grew older, would trek to the site and look for relics such as broken dishes. A telephone connected them to the outer world. They were able to call the Paulson grocery store for their weekly order of goods. The Wiebes filled their order and had it sent to Merry Siding by speeder. Hunting, of course, provided fresh meat, and the forest offered other fare such as mushrooms and berries. The Popoffs taught them to seek out other useful native plants such as wild celery and onions. Around 1930 the mill was dismantled and shipped to Sheep Creek for the next operation. The abandoned mill site gradually reverted to nature, but is easily found as the trail-head of the Mount Gladstone Trail is located there. A little digging will expose old sawdust. c/o Walter Volovsek - Castlegar News Photo: Merry Siding consisted of a sawmill, a small mill pond, a dry flume (whose lower nearly-level segment is visible behind the buildings), horse barn, and two residences. A short railway spur serviced the site, which was connected to it by a bridge across McRae Creek. Evidence of the fire that swept up the creek in 1906 is obvious in the forest behind. — Image Credit: Courtesy Of Paula Nocente images/icon-2.png Peter Verigin Monument At about 1:00 am on 29 October 1924, an explosion ripped apart the CP Rail train headed south to Grand Forks. Of the 21 persons in the railcar, 9 were killed and 10 were injured. Included in the dead was Doukhobor leader Peter Verigin, the intended target of the bombing. A humble monument lies beside the trail to mark the site of the assassination. images/icon-2.png Parking: Grand Forks Central images/icon-3.png Parking: Boothman images/icon-3.png Parking: Christina Lake South images/icon-3.png Parking: Fife Road images/icon-3.png Parking: Paulson images/icon-3.png Toilet: Grand Forks images/icon-4.png Toilet: Fife images/icon-4.png Toilet: Lafferty images/icon-4.png Toilet: Walker Creek images/icon-4.png Toilet: Paulson images/icon-4.png Camp: Walker Creek Help! Can you confirm this is the correct location? Please contact us to let us know! Just use the "Report a Trail Closure" form found here: https://trailsbc.ca/about-us/contact-trails-bc (Just quote "re: location of Walker Creek Camp". The camp *may* actually be located 800 metres south of this point... we're not sure! Wilderness camping - not an official site. Site is user-maintained, use at your own risk. An outhouse and tables are also located here. During the hot summer, a popular swimming hole is located a few meters from this campsite. images/icon-5.png Camp: Christina Pines Campgroud http://www.christinapinescampground.org Tent sites from $25-35 (July 2019) images/icon-5.png Camp: Cascade Cove RV Park & Campground http://www.cascadecove.ca/ RATES UNKNOWN (July 2019) In addition to RV sites, there are 15 Quality Tenting Sites: Some of our tenting sites are provided with water and power hook-ups. Most are semi-private in the trees. Each site has it's own picnic table and fire pit. Wood and ice are available for sale at the office. ADDRESS 1209 River Road PO Box 440 Christina Lake, BC V0H 1E0 CONTACT Phone - 250-447-6662 Fax - 250-447-6163 Email: stay@cascadecove.ca SEASON Cascade Cove RV Park season runs from April 1st to October 31st. images/icon-5.png Grocery: Grand Forks (Save On Foods) images/icon-6.png Grocery: Grand Forks (Buy Low Foods) images/icon-6.png Grocery: Christina Lake (Huckleberry Mountain Market) images/icon-6.png TCT Multi-Use: C&W (Grand Forks - Santa Rosa 23 km) Important: You will almost certainly encounter motorized vehicles along the route, particularly ATVs and dirt bikes, which could be travelling at high speeds. Degraded trail surfaces have many parts of the trail quite challenging for hikers and cyclists. Users should come prepared for sandy conditions. Please see the Trails BC web site for "Equipment Tips". TCT Multi-Use: C&W (Santa Rosa to Farron 34.5 km) Important: You will almost certainly encounter motorized vehicles along the route, particularly ATVs and dirt bikes, which could be travelling at high speeds. Degraded trail surfaces have many parts of the trail quite challenging for hikers and cyclists. Users should come prepared for sandy conditions. Please see the Trails BC web site for "Equipment Tips". Access: Paulson Parking Access: Christina Pines Campground Access: Cascade Cove Campground Access: Grand Forks Grocery Access: Huckleberry Mountain Market Smaller grocery store but advertises: Bakery, Deli, Meat, Product, Beer & Wine