Halcyon Hot Springs, British Columbia

Halcyon Hot Springs, originally Halcyon Hotsprings, also known simply as Halcyon, was a hot springs resort and spa located on the east side of Upper Arrow Lake, between Galena Bay and Nakusp, in the Kootenay Country of British Columbia, Canada.[1][2] Halcyon Mountain nearby to the northeast derives its name from the resort.[3]

Halcyon Hot Springs, 1908, F.A. Bucholz photog.

History

The springs were well-known to the Sinixt and Ktunaxa peoples, who fought over ownership of the springs and of the Arrow Lakes region in general.

The name Halycon was conferred by Robert Sanderson, a steamboat captain who staked a mineral claim here and opened the first hotel in 1894, in reference to that word's meaning of contentment (see halcyon). The springs attained a worldwide reputation and water from them was bottled for export, reaching customers in London. When the local mining rush ended and steamboat traffic stopped, the hotel changed hands a number of times and became rundown. In 1924, British Army Brigadier-General Dr. Frederick Burnham, who was a surgeon, revamped the hotel as a sanatorium. In 1955, the hotel burnt to the ground, taking with it the life of Dr. Burnham. The site was abandoned due to lack of road access, although a resort has since been rebuilt.[4]

Tourism

Halcyon Hot Springs, also known as Halcyon Hot Springs Resort & Spa, is a popular travel destination in British Columbia, found 35 km north of Nakusp, BC on the Upper Arrow Lake. Halcyon Hot Springs Resort & Spa is open to the public year round and has two natural hot spring pools, a cold plunge pool and a seasonal swimming pool, located directly on the beautiful Upper Arrow Lake. The Resort is equipped with a full service restaurant, 'The Kingfisher', that is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is a spa on site and 45 cabins, cottages & chalets dotted in the trees around the lake.

See also

References
  1. "Halcyon Hot Springs (springs)". BC Geographical Names.
  2. "Halcyon Hot Springs (settlement - rescinded)". BC Geographical Names.
  3. "Malycon Mountain". BC Geographical Names.
  4. "Halcyon Hot Springs (springs)". BC Geographical Names.


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