Near Christina Lake in Kootenay Boundary, British Columbia — Canada’s West Coast (North America)

Cascade

Gateway to the Boundary Country

Brittney Crump, B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0), November 15, 2016

1. Cascade Marker

Inscription. Cascade came into being during the late-1890s as a bustling railway construction town claiming 17 hotels at its height. Its location along the Canada-U.S. border proved strategic for mining, freighting, and hydro-electricity. The early development of Cascade is credited to the Columbia & Western Railway, but it became renowned for its hydro-electricity which powered the Boundary district. The Cascade Water, Power and Light Company powerhouse and dam was built between 1899 and 1902, and was the proving ground for Nicola Tesla's 3-phase, 60-cycle power. Though the town is gone and the powerhouse abandoned, the Cascade Gorge remains as impressive today as it was over a century ago.

Erected by Province of British Columbia.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Natural Features • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1902.

Location. 49° 1.222′ N, 118° 13.058′ W. Marker is near Christina Lake, British Columbia, in Kootenay Boundary. It is on British Columbia 395 0.1 kilometers east of Crowsnest Highway (Provincial Highway 3), on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Christina Lake BC V0H 1E0, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the BC Interior

and in the Kootenay Rockies.

Globally, it is in North America,

in the Rocky Mountains,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony.

Other nearby markers.

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At least one other marker is within 5 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Doukhobors (approx. 4.2 kilometers away).

Also see . . . Cascade City. Wikipedia entry on the railroad-construction boom town, whose original site is now a golf course. (Submitted on December 11, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Unknown via British Columbia Archives (Public domain), 1898

2. Cascade

American freight wagons crowd the town's main street.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 10, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,029 times since then and 74 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on December 10, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on December 11, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

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