Lost Silver of Slocan Lake

The box car rolled with the increasing motion of the barge, each gust of wind rocking it more violently in its bed of rails. Then it began to roll—through the guard rails and into the dark depths of the lake...

That was in the winter of 1904.

But the boxcar, long gone and deep in the depths of Slocan Lake, has never been forgotten because of its reputed cargo—a fortune in silver bullion.

Several attempts at salvage have been made over the years, some partially successful. But the legend lives on, inspiring film makers in recent years to explore the eerie dark of Slocan Lake, not just for silver bars but for a ‘ghost’ locomotive.

It all adds up to B.C. history in technicolor, and it’s next week in the Chronicles.

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PHOTO: The CPR tug Rosebery and barge breaking the ice on Slocan Lake. —BC Archives photo courtesy of Lost Kootenays