Halcyon Hot Springs, British Columbia

Halcyon Hot Springs, 1908, F.A. Bucholz photog.

Halcyon Hot Springs, originally Halcyon Hotsprings, also known simply as Halcyon, was a hot springs resort and spa located on the east side of Upper Arrow Lake, between Galena Bay and Nakusp, in the Kootenay Country of British Columbia, Canada.[1][2] Halcyon Mountain nearby to the northeast derives its name from the resort.[3]

History

The springs were well-known to the Sinixt and Ktunaxa peoples, who fought over ownership of the springs and of the Arrow Lakes region in general.

The name Halycon was conferred by Robert Sanderson, a steamboat captain who staked a mineral claim here and opened the first hotel in 1894, in reference to that word's meaning of contentment (see halcyon). The springs attained a worldwide reputation and water from them was bottled for export, reaching customers in London. When the local mining rush ended and steamboat traffic stopped, the hotel changed hands a number of times and became rundown. In 1924, British Army Brigadier-General Dr. Frederick Burnham, who was a surgeon, revamped the hotel as a sanatorium. In 1955, the hotel burnt to the ground, taking with it the life of Dr. Burnham. The site was abandoned due to lack of road access, although a resort has since been rebuilt.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Halcyon Hot Springs (springs)". BC Geographical Names.
  2. ↑ "Halcyon Hot Springs (settlement - rescinded)". BC Geographical Names.
  3. ↑ "Malycon Mountain". BC Geographical Names.
  4. ↑ "Halcyon Hot Springs (springs)". BC Geographical Names.

Coordinates: 50°31′29″N 117°54′05″W / 50.52472°N 117.90139°W / 50.52472; -117.90139

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