August, 2016 — GREENWOOD, BC (BG)

Greenwood is home to some of the most well-preserved period architecture in British Columbia. Our turn of the century past can still be enjoyed today in the many wonderful Victorian era homes, commercial, and public buildings scattered throughout the city.

From 1897 to 1907, many commercial buildings were raised to house the hotels, offices and retails shops needed to support the community springing up from the mining boom. At that time, Greenwood was the economic hub of the Boundary region, with more than 100 business enterprises in operation.

Heritage Walking Tour:

Although a number of buildings standing today were built to replace those destroyed by fire early in the century, a wonderful collection of original structures still stand, refurbished and maintaining their Victorian era character. Read more on Greenwood's Heritage Buildings.

You can pick up a copy of the Greenwood Heritage Walk map and guide at the Greenwood Museum & Visitor Center. The guide offers details on 31 historic buildings and structures in Greenwood, all within a short walk of the Museum.

Snow Falling on Cedars Movie Set:

In 1997, Greenwood was chosen to be a location site for the filming of the Universal Studios movie, Snow Falling on Cedars. Thanks to the movie, the facades of several Greenwood heritage buildings were given a much-needed refurbishment by the production company.

Descriptive signage was painted onto the sides of historic buildings, as Greenwood was transformed into the 1950's town of Amity Harbor, on the fictional island of San Piedro in the northern Puget Sound of Washington, where Snow Falling's story took place.

This Oscar-nominated movie, based on the book by David Gutersen, tells the story of a murder trial, surcharged with emotional turmoil following WWII and the Japanese internment. Greenwood City Hall's gorgeous Victorian-era courtroom was featured in a main scene from the movie, directed by Scott Hicks and starring Ethan Hawke, Max Von Sydow and Youki Kudoh.