Nakusp is a village of about 1,600 people (2011) in the West Kootenays of southeastern British Columbia.
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Nakusp is known primarily for its nearby hot springs, which are a popular destination for tourists, as well as its picturesque mountain lakeside setting.
- Nakusp Visitor Centre, 92 6th Ave. NW, ☎+1 250-265-4234, toll-free: +1-800-909-8819, e-mail: nakusp@telus.net. (updated May 2018)
The area around Nakusp was occupied by Aboriginal peoples from the Secwepemc, Sinixt and Ktunaxa peoples. In 1811, the first reported European explorer on the Arrow Lakes was Finan McDonald, an associate of David Thompson.
European settlers arrived in 1890, and the settlement took shape in 1892 with opening of the first post office, the first store and the first sawmill. The nearest train link was the Canadian Pacific Railway at Revelstoke, so all goods were shipped to the fledgling port of Nakusp.
The construction of the Keenleyside Dam north of Castlegar in 1968 and the resulting rise of the lake level caused the rearrangement of the village and its waterfront.
Mining used to be the most important industry in the area, but it was eclipsed by forestry which is today the major economic base of the village.
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