GREENWOOD

GREENWOOD
Is a small city, situated in the Boundary/Kootenay region of British Columbia. Despite having a population of less than 1,000 people, Greenwood is considered a city and is notorious for being Canada’s smallest city. Incorporated in 1897, it was founded in 1895 when although 4 years prior in 1891, gold-copper ore was discovered here by a group of prospectors. Robert Wood built a general store in 1895 what is now where the community sits today. Greenwood, with a population of around 3,000 back then, used to be the main town in the Kootenay/Boundary mining and smelting district during the early-20th century with many services and business including its own newspaper, hotels, opera house to serve the many of the area’s surrounding mines. Many buildings here retell the history of the area and date back to the late-1800s to early-1900s. After World War 1 (WWI) ended, the industry of mining fell on hard times because of increased and raised copper prices forced the closure of the mines and Greenwood almost became an instant ghost town because of it. New life was eventually breathed into the community when during the Second World War (WWII), many Japanese Canadians were interned here when Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbour in the morning of December 7, 1941 and at the same time powered the United States into World War II. Many of the internees still live here to this day. Although some believe the town is named after Greenwood Village in Colorado, the logical reason for the basis of the name is that from the fore mentioned first settler; Robert Wood and the fact there is an abundance of green and luscious trees in the surrounding area. Greenwood is now a forestry town and there is also a small ski resort nearby at Phoenix Ski Hill, which in turn for a time was also a old mining town in its own right, located off of the Crowsnest Highway (Highway #3) between Greenwood and Grand Forks, about a 20-minute drive east.

GREENWOOD’S POPULATION: 625