| Canal Flats today has a population of 753, | | | | a compromise was worked out: the BC |
| not counting the local dogs and can lay claim | | | | government would allow the canal to be built, |
| to being one of British Columbia's newest | | | | with a lock. At 100 feet long by 30 feet |
| municipalities and quite possibly one of the | | | | wide, the lock was completed in 1888, but by |
| dullest. However, it has a very interesting | | | | this time the weary Baillie-Grohman had given |
| past, dating back to the early nineteenth | | | | up his dream and retired to England. A year |
| century.The area was born McGillivray's | | | | later the government voted to close the |
| Portage, so named in 1808 by mapmaker David | | | | canal.Only two boats ever went through the |
| Thompson. In 1883 and an English sportsman | | | | canal. The Gwendoline transited the canal in |
| (read remittance man) named William Adolphe | | | | 1894, going from Columbia Lake to the |
| Baillie-Grohman dreamed of building a canal | | | | Kootenay River and the North Star in 1902, |
| across McGillivray's Portage from Columbia | | | | headed to Golden from Montana. The North |
| Lake to the Kootenay River. He envisioned | | | | Star was too big, however and the captain of |
| being able to connect the Columbia River | | | | the steamer, Francis Armstrong, had to blast |
| system with the Kootenay, allowing water | | | | the side of the canal to get this boat |
| traffic from the valley access to the Creston | | | | through. The remains of the canal can still |
| area.He had been given consideration for a | | | | be seen today.During all this a small |
| grant of 48,000 acres of alluvial flat and | | | | community had sprung up, named Grohman. It |
| planned to join the two great rivers in order | | | | consisted of a sawmill, a warehouse, a post |
| to reclaim flooded lands. Columbia Lake was | | | | office and a licensed hotel. Eventually the |
| at the time only 11 feet lower than the | | | | community grew and was called Canal Flat, |
| Kootenay River, so the engineering problems | | | | with the "s" added several years later, |
| surrounding the plan were not insurmountable. | | | | apparently, according to locals, because it |
| Baillie-Grohman planned his canal to be 45 | | | | was mistakenly added to a highway sign and |
| feet wide and 6700 feet long to connect the | | | | "it just stuck".Today the town is primarily |
| two rivers across the gravel flat that lay | | | | supported by a large forestry product mill. |
| between them. The outcome of the feat would | | | | The "flats" as the locals call it, several |
| be to drain the sloughs in the Creston | | | | restaurants, a pub, various stores, a post |
| Valley.The government of the time thought the | | | | office and a great nine hole golf course. |
| plan feasible and granted Baillie-Grohman | | | | The town also serves as a gateway to several |
| concession in both valleys and the Kootenay | | | | world class backcountry parks, including |
| Valley Co. was formed. But when the | | | | Whiteswan, Top of the World and Premier Lake |
| Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) heard about | | | | provincial parks. It is also the entrance to |
| the plans it feared the action would flood | | | | Kootenay River Road, which leads backcountry |
| its main line along the Columbia River to the | | | | explorers into a vast Rocky Mountain |
| north.The government then required a lock be | | | | wilderness area, renowned for whitewater |
| constructed and for this additional work | | | | paddling, hunting, fishing and camping. |
| Baillie-Grohman was to receive an additional | | | | Canal Flats is the southern gateway to the |
| 30,000 acres in the Upper Kootenay Valley. | | | | Purcell Mountain wilderness area, with |
| The CPR then appealed to Ottawa, which in | | | | Whitetail Lake and Blue Lake relatively short |
| turn asked Victoria, the seat of BC's | | | | drives from the town. Although no one has as |
| provincial government, where it got the right | | | | yet developed it for the tourist trade, there |
| to interfere with an international river | | | | is also the Ram Creek Hot Springs just south |
| course.A long battle was raged until finally | | | | of town. |