Poplar Creek, British Columbia

Poplar Creek is a settlement in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. The locality, on Highway 31, is about 37 kilometres (23 mi) northwest of Lardeau (head of Kootenay Lake) and 16 kilometres (10 mi) southeast of Gerrard.[1]

Poplar Creek
Poplar Creek Location of Poplar Creek in British Columbia
Coordinates: 50°25′00″N 117°08′00″W
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Region	West Kootenay
Regional district	Central Kootenay
Area codes	250, 778, 236, & 672
Highway	Hwy 31

At the junction of Poplar Creek[2] with the Lardeau River, the Poplar Creek settlement, also called Poplar, was named after the creek. Both sides of the creek were lined with Balm of Gilead trees, which early prospectors mistook for poplar. In 1903, the townsite was surveyed after gold was discovered in the area.[3] Four hotels and several stores were built along one side of the only street developed. R.T. Lowery, of Kootenay newspaper fame, established a newspaper called the Poplar Creek Nugget. The gold boom in the area only lasted about a year and soon Poplar was in decline.[4]

The Canadian Pacific Railway's former Lardeau–Gerrard Kootenay and Arrowhead Railway opened in 1902. By 1905, a siding called MacInnes existed near Poplar.[3]

Although now comprising several much later residences, the former hotels and cabins have disappeared with time, becoming a ghost town.