Tracks, Trails and Forgotten Tales

Before British Columbia had roads, courthouses, or an established legal system, one man was sent by Britain to bring law and order to a rapidly changing frontier. In this episode of Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales , we explore the life and legacy of Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie —the first judge of mainland British Columbia. From his upbringing in Britain and his journey across the world to his...

Granite Creek was once one of British Columbia’s fastest-growing boomtowns. After gold was discovered in 1885 by John Chance, thousands of hopeful miners, merchants, and fortune seekers rushed into the Similkameen Valley. Almost overnight, Granite Creek transformed from a quiet wilderness into a bustling gold rush town. By 1886, it had become one of the largest population centers in British Columb...

Boundary Falls near Greenwood, British Columbia may look like a quiet roadside waterfall, but it holds a rich and forgotten past. In this episode of Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales , we explore the history of Boundary Creek , where gold was first discovered in 1860 , the growth of a small frontier town in the 1890s , and the rise of the Sunset Smelter and early hydroelectric power in the earl...

Sometimes the past hides in plain sight. When we first started exploring old trails, forgotten rail grades, and abandoned places across British Columbia, there were many times we had no idea we were standing in the middle of a ghost town… until we went home and started researching what we had found. A few old timbers in the forest. A strange clearing. A cluster of lilac bushes blooming where no ho...

🎙️ The Rise & Fall of the B.C. Copper Company Smelter | Greenwood BC History The history of Greenwood, British Columbia is deeply rooted in mining — and few places represent that historic legacy more than the B.C. Copper Company Smelter. In this episode of Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales , we explore the historic remains of the B.C. Copper Company Smelter in Anaconda, just south of Greenw...

Join us Friday Feb 20 to hear about the historic BC Copper Company Smelter. Here is a short promo

Greenwood, British Columbia was once known as the “City of Tomorrow.” In the late 1890s, this small Boundary Country community was booming with banks, hotels, churches, and rapid construction along Copper Street. In this episode of Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales, we explore Greenwood’s explosive growth, devastating fires, the historic courthouse, the post office built on the Pioneer Hotel si...

Greenwood, British Columbia didn’t appear overnight. In this opening episode of a multi-part series, Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales explores how Greenwood rose from wilderness into one of the Boundary Country’s most important early mining communities. This episode sets the stage — the land, early trails, first settlements, and the conditions that made Greenwood possible. In the episodes that...

Phoenix, British Columbia was once known as Canada’s highest city — a booming copper mining town with hotels, churches, hockey teams, and thousands of residents. When the mines closed in 1919 , Phoenix emptied almost overnight. Most people left. Three men stayed. In this episode of Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales , we share the haunting true story of the Three Bachelors of Phoenix BC — Robert...

Canada’s Highest City… Gone Almost Overnight High above British Columbia’s Boundary Country, a booming mining city once stood at 4,600 feet. Thousands of people lived here. Trains ran day and night. Copper poured out of the mountain. And then — almost overnight — it was gone. In this episode of Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales , we explore the rise of Phoenix — once the highest incorporated ci...

Have you ever heard of Pheonix British Columbia ? This was once a booming copper mining city located in the mountains above Greenwood British Columbia in the Boundry Country . Now a ghost town, once upon a time 2000 residents and all the amenities a busy city would need. Hotels, Saloons, Brothels homes and of course mines. Many mines that are still accessible today. We dive into the history of thi...

Power built this town — but at what cost? In this episode of Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales , we explore the life and legacy of John Carmichael Haynes , one of the most powerful figures in the early history of Osoyoos and the South Okanagan. Arriving in British Columbia during the gold rush, Haynes rose quickly through the ranks as a constable, customs officer, magistrate, judge, and governm...

Season 2 Episode 2 airs this week! Check out the trailer here!

Today marks 61 years since one of the most tragic events in Canadian history — the Hope Slide. In the early morning hours of January 9, 1965, Canada’s largest and most destructive landslide forever changed the landscape near Hope, British Columbia. More importantly, it claimed the lives of four young people : Mary Kalmakoff, Bernie Lloyd Beck, Dennis Arlitt, and Thomas Starchuk . This episode focu...

Season 2 of Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales premieres January 9th! 🎉 We’re diving deeper into the forgotten history of British Columbia, exploring infamous judges, early settlers, ghost towns, and once thriving communities now fading back into the land. From abandoned trails to lost towns, each episode uncovers the stories, people, and places that helped shape BC and Canada as we know it tod...

Fairview, BC — a booming gold town that rose fast… and vanished just as quickly. In this episode of Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales, we explore the incredible (and tragic) history of Fairview, once the South Okanagan’s busiest mining town. Today, only a few traces remain, but its stories still echo across the hills above Oliver, BC.Fairview was named for its “fair view” of the valley, and at...

Step back in time as we explore the hauntingly beautiful Kaleden Hotel—an ambitious 1911 landmark built on the shores of Skaha Lake to welcome miners, travelers, and early settlers of the South Okanagan. Ahead of its time, this concrete hotel boasted electricity and indoor plumbing long before such luxuries were common in the region. Today, only its weathered shell remains. Crumbling walls, missin...

Step aboard the SS Moyie in Kaslo, British Columbia. The world’s last intact and fully restored sternwheeler of it's kind. Once a proud part of the Canadian Pacific Railway’s lake fleet, the SS Moyie carried passengers, freight, and dreams across Kootenay Lake for over 50 years. In this episode of Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales, we explore the decks of this beautifully preserved maritime tim...

🎃 Episode 8: Halloween Campfire Special | Haunted Trails and Restless Spirits 👻Join Dan and Carm around the campfire for a chilling Halloween special of Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales. Under the glow of the fire and the dark forest sky, we share real ghost stories, eerie encounters, and unexplained happenings from our travels through British Columbia. From haunted cemeteries, a 100 year ol...

Can a hat really help reforest Canada? 🌲 In this episode of Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales , hosts Dan and Carm talk with Ben — founder of STOK Apparel , a Canadian outdoor lifestyle brand with a mission to give back to nature. From the forests of BC to the roots of sustainable fashion, Ben shares the story behind the hat — how passion for adventure sparked a movement that’s reforesting the...

A hat that helps plant trees? Yep. 🌲 Hear how STOK Apparel is turning adventure into action — one story, one trail, one tree at a time. 🎧 Listen to Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales — and get STOK’d to explore. Episode Available Oct 15 at 6 AM!

🏝️ Rattlesnake Island sits in the middle of Okanagan Lake, but its history is stranger than fiction. In this episode of Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales , we uncover the bizarre dreams of Eddie Haymour , who set out to build an Arabian theme park complete with pyramids, a giant camel, and desert-inspired attractions. What followed was a whirlwind of government conspiracies, financial ruin, and...

Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales — New episode drops October 1st on YouTube + all podcast platforms. Halfway across Okanagan Lake lies Rattlesnake Island — but its history is wilder than its waves. An Arabian theme park… pyramids… a giant camel. Government conspiracies. Financial ruin. And even a hostage crisis that shook Canada. This is the bizarre true story of Rattlesnake Island — a story a...

Tracks, Trails and Forgotten Tales | Episode: 5 Step back into the dark side of the Cariboo Gold Rush with the chilling story of the 108 Mile Murders . Known as the “Hotel from Hell,” this notorious roadhouse along the Cariboo Wagon Road was said to be the site of theft, kidnapping, and the brutal murders of more than 50 unsuspecting miners lured in for their gold. In this episode of Tracks, Trail...

💀 Murder. Kidnapping. Lost gold. 🪙The secrets of BC’s Gold Rush are darker than you think…🎧 Tracks, Trails & Forgotten Tales – New episode drops TOMORROW Sept 17,2025 on Spotify, Amazon, Apple, iHeartRadio & Audible.▶️ And now on YouTube as well— with photos and video that bring the story to life!#truecrime #historypodcast #forgottenhistory #bcgoldrush #ghosttowns #explorebc #tracksandt...