Sandon BC Then & Now

One of our favourite ghost towns is a storied place called Sandon British Columbia. There, nestled in the craggy mountains of the West Kootenays and shoe-horned into a narrow valley, it’s many reminders of what was. Mining was the catalyst, all that silver, lead and zinc (other metals too) that was behind its founding and fuelled its growth over a century ago. For a couple heady decades it boomed with many folks being made rich beyond belief. But it had to end and with the deposits played out, the community went into a long slow decline. Today, it’s a mere shadow of its former self, but still is something completely amazing to us avid explorers of the abandoned and forgotten.

Fronting on a Carpenter Creek, formerly topped with a boardwalk and once the Main Street in town, there’s a number of historic buildings you can wander about and explore. It seems odd that they’re all facing the wrong way from the present road and face the creek. When you visit get out take them in and other attractions in and around Sandon (the “Silversmith” is a must-see) and connect with its incredible past. There’s lots of stuff scattered about and much fun to be had…there’s links further down that’ll help you get a feel for the place before you go.

Now let’s get to it. First up, we see a scene from 1978, coming by way of The Beautiful British Columbia Magazine collection at the BC Archives, showing the town back then. In this view we’re looking up what was Main Street, the boardwalk long gone but with lots of wood and metal bits left behind. Most prominent is “City Hall”, in back, built in 1900, and in front some smaller cabins which still stand today. A sign in the foreground invites you in for a tour. Then as now the caretaker of nearly everything here was/is Hal Wright*, and now with partner Vida Turok they make up Team Sandon. Be sure to track them down and chat a bit. They were gracious hosts the weekend we spent there.

An old sign is found in an outbuilding that’s very close to the one seen in the 1978 photo.

In back, it’s a ridge off Sandon Peak little changed in appearance from then to today. Higher up on that big hunk of rock, and on surrounding mountains, came the riches on which we touched on earlier. The values being pulled from those workings made them legendary in mining circles.

Seen in the now photo, some ex-Vancouver Transit trolley buses, some by way of other Canadian cities, dating from the 1940s/1950s period and retired by the early 1980s. These were saved from scrapping by the Sandon folks, and while not fitting in with the history of the town (something they take some criticism for), had it not been for them, they’d be nothing but a memory and turned into Coke cans or something. The trees in town have sure grown since.

There is no information as to whom the person was in the old photo. He looks to be setting up a shot with a camera though.

Second set! Both photos were captured by your author a rare case of a single person being the photographer for both then and now images. Here it’s a closer look at City Hall, rather derelict and run down in 1989 but in 2018 fixed up and now home to a cafe and gift shop. All the money made here, by the way, is in support of Sandon’s upkeep. In days past the building was town offices (duh) and a fire hall, then later it was a school but from for much of its history sat empty and abandoned. Nice to see it brought back from the dead.

We were given a tour and shot a few pics from up high inside City Hall. Seen from these angles, more trolley buses (I’m not even sure how many they have), odd bits of machinery mostly tied to mining, empty lots where town buildings once stood, along with a look out to where the first 1978 “then” photo was shot. And in back by the trees, opposite side, amidst ruins of an old hotel, our base for this adventure, a tent. No dive hotels in Sandon, which we so love, so we had to Plan-B it.

It was so kind of Hal & Vida to allow us to immerse ourselves and spend the night smack-dab in the middle of where the action was in the 1890s-1910s period. The benign ghosts of Sandon’s past haunted our dreams those chilly pitch black nights and invited us back to their time. We sipped fine whisky, caroused with ladies of questionable employ, played poker till the wee hours and lit cigars off hundred dollar bills. We pictured ourselves high rollers in a town known for its many millionaires. This was a rough mining camp plain and simple, but it had a refined side too.

In spite of being an area known for its insanely difficult winters, City Hall lacks any real insulation. What were they thinking back then? The snow load come mid-winter on this flat roofed structure must be incredible. When it dumps here, a couple feet at a time is not uncommon. There used to be an outside staircase on the building (the side seen in the second then and now) which appears to have vanished sometime in the late 1970s/early 1980s period.

Maybe in thirty years we’ll shoot another to make a then, then and now. If we’re still kicking, no doubt we’ll still be out exploring.

That then photo came from this trip: Road Trip 1989. Always an adventurer, damn what a crappy car to go cross country in. Even then it was “please God, let this refugee from the junkyard start”. Prayers worked!

We’re always on the lookout for then photos to use in this ongoing series. If you have a suitable image from your family collection that shows a street scene or some such thing from back when that you think would make for the great “then”, please contact us. We source many for this series ourselves but the help of others is always appreciated.

Hope you enjoyed this then and now. I know there’s been a scarcity of them lately but there’s more on the way. Promise.

*From the Sandon BC Facebook Page in 2016: ”Hal Wright – 44 year Sandon Resident, Silversmith Power & Light Manager/Owner, Sandon Historian, Brill Trolley Bus Rescuer.” And tireless promoter of this historic town. Track him down and thank him. And throw a few toonies in the collection box.

In and around Sandon…
Old Metal Sandon BC.
Hike to Payne Bluff.
A Tour of Sandon BC.

Some of our fav t&ns…
Brokeback Mountain Then and Now – Twist Ranch.
East Coulee Alberta Then and Now.
Crowsnest Pass Then and Now – Chinook Motel.

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date of adventure: September, 2018.
Location: Sandon, British Columbia.
Article references and thanks: Hal & Vida, Team Sandon, Beautiful British Columbia Magazine.
You are welcome to explore this charming little ghost town.

Sandon British Columbia 1978 and 2018.

Thirty years apart and both taken by your author.

It’s trolley bus central!

City Hall, from 1900.

Big & yellow.

The building also doubled as a fire hall.

Ex-Vancouver Transit

Looking down to where the first then & now was shot (back centre).

Our tent back there in the trees (centre).

A late night view.

Very much like the sign in the 1970s photo.