Bonnington Falls in Central Kootenay, British Columbia — Canada’s West Coast (North America)

West Kootenay Power

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

1. West Kootenay Power Marker

Inscription. When hydro-electric power was first delivered from No. 1 plant to Rossland's mines in 1898, the 32-mile transmission lines were the longest on the continent. Utilizing the 360-foot drop from Kootenay Lake to the Columbia River, additional construction of dams and generating plants made possible the growth of Cominco operations at Trail and Kimberley.

Erected 1966 by Province of British Columbia.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1898.

Location. Marker has been reported missing. It was located near 49° 27.789′ N, 117° 29.705′ W. Marker was in Bonnington Falls, British Columbia, in Central Kootenay. It was on Nelson Nelway Highway (Provincial Highway 3A) 0.2 kilometers east of South Slocan Village Road, on the right when traveling east. Marker is in a pulloff on the eastbound side. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 3750 BC-3A, Bonnington Falls BC V0G 2G0, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker was in the BC Interior

and in the Kootenay Rockies.

Globally,

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it was 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 found itself in what was once a British colony.

Other nearby markers. At least 4 other markers are within 19 kilometers of this location, measured as the crow flies: Patrick Lumber Co. (approx. 5 kilometers away); Baker Street (approx. 13.6 kilometers away); Nelson Post Office/Customs House (approx. 14.9 kilometers away); Doukhobor Suspension Bridge (approx. 18.9 kilometers away).

Also see . . .
1. Celebrating 125 years since hydroelectricity was first started in the Kootenays. Fortis BC website entry (2022) (Submitted on July 2, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

2. Chapter 2: Industrial Beginnings. Gallery of early industrial and commercial development in the Trail area, part of an online exhibit of photographs taken by William J. Carpenter, Leslie C. Hughes and Robert J. Hughes. (Trail Historical Society) (Submitted on February 21, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

West Kootenay Power & Light Co. power house, Lower Bonnington Dam image. Click for full size.

Canada Dept. of Mines & Technical Surveys via Library & Archives Canada PA-015550 (Public domain), May 13, 1925

2. West Kootenay Power & Light Co. power house, Lower Bonnington Dam

The original 1897 dam was a rock-filled timber crib dam. It was rebuilt in 1924 with a new plant that increased generating capacity to 54 megawatts.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 2, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 10, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 351 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on December 10, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on February 21, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.