This remote and beautiful part of southeastern BC has attracted many people seeking an opportunity to live their own way of life, untrammeled by society’s restrictions. One major group is the Doukhobors, a Russian religious community who lived a pacifist, vegetarian, communal way of life. Hear from a Doukhobor historian, visit their museum, partake in an authentic Doukhobor meal and discover their crafts and music. Other people were drawn to the area for the rich natural resources: lumber, mining and farm land. Still others were brought here against their will. During WW II, Japanese from the coast were interned in Kaslo and other towns. Visit the small museum in a building where many internees lived for several years.

Program in association with Routes to Learning Canada.

The Kootenays

Known as the Kootenay Rockies, the region is a vast wilderness of lakes, rivers, waterfalls, hot springs, beaches and snowcapped mountains. Just west of the Canadian Rockies and hemmed in by three mountain ranges, it is a playground for sports enthusiasts. The area also boasts restored gold rush boomtowns and thriving arts communities.