Steve and Glenys's blog
Whitehouse Blog Post
December 13th 2008
A well anticipated winter has finally arrived in Nelson. The deep-rooted long-standing Whitehouse is no stranger to the copious amounts of snow blanketing the building as it nestles silently amongst the white landscape. Just outside the doors, downtown residents shovel their allocated footpath space while community patrons sidestep carefully over the fresh snow and ice. The fresh flakes muffle any noise through the streets, it’s a silent wonderland. Inside, melodies fill the lounge area as guests unwind with a book and relax into the warmth of the stone fireplace. Aromas of diverse recipes from far flung regions waft from the kitchen as cooking company converse and reveal ingredients. People are planning adventures, exploring local culture, deliberating if Nelson is the place for them, searching for a permanent abode in their new town.
The WhiteHouse Backpacker Lodge is very proud to become a gallery venue in this years Nelson Artwalk.
Since 1988, Nelson Artwalk has offered visitors and locals a chance to enjoy this amazing environmentally friendly, cultural tourism opportunity. As an agent for community development, Artwalk is a fabulous opportunity to partner business with art. Artwalk is a walking tour of regional visual art, and Nelson's Artwalk exhibits approximately 50 artists in twelve to fifteen gallery venues in two separate shows during the summer months.
Artwalk happens very July & August through to early September, and each month has a separate grand opening which includes refreshments, musicians and lots of wonderful artwork for locals and visitors to enjoy as they stroll through beautiful downtown Nelson.
Jun 02, 2007 04:30 AM
Cleo Paskal
Special to the Star
Nelson, B.C. “There has to be a hemp store around here somewhere".
I've seen the bead shop, the glass-blowing atelier, the craft centre, the funky fabric store, the handmade soap company, and more health food stores than you can shake an organic stick of asparagus at.
There just has to be a hemp store. Nelson, B.C., is that kind of a place.
I remember one school friend telling me, at a very impressionable age, that at some point God had lifted up Eastern Canada, using the St. Lawrence River as a handhold, and all the nuts had rolled into Western Canada. That vivid image is still held, albeit usually in a more politically correct form, by many east of Winnipeg. And Nelson, around halfway between Vancouver and Calgary in the Kootenay mountains, is everything easterners think the wacky West Coast should be.
They come from Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto, from Keromeros, Fernie, and Moose Jaw, or Australia, Israel, and Taiwan. The traveler comes in the front door and unloads the weight of their backpack. They scan the reception area. The common room with its warm fireplace and funky artwork to the right, the 100 year old douglas fir staircase to the left; they feel relaxed like they made it to their family home, but more excited as if there is so much to explore here.
Some come to escape their 9-5 grind for a weekend, some come to learn....yoga, art therapy, eastern medicine, alternative lifestyles. Some are here for an adrenaline rush on their mountain bikes, snow boards, kayaks or skateboards. So many different people, all looking to expand their lives in a way that makes them feel more complete.
The leaves of fall have all but fallen, but we've all certainly enjoyed seeing Nelson bathed in a beautiful, sunny, amber, autumn glow. This week though, the mild days and not quite freezing nights have progressed into the start of more wintery things to come, with the first (and for us antipodeans) exciting snowfall of the season. The snow at our house is melting slowly in the sun, but the mountains surrounding Nelson are now lightly dusted in snow and the place looks a picture.
Guests? Yes, we've had some! Minutes after our home made brochure was dispatched to the Greyhound bus station we our very first guest, the lovely mountain-biking man Russ, from Essex in the UK. Thank you Russ, may all our guests be as nice as you! Since then, apart from one mad evening in our first week of opening when we nearly sold out (!), we've had a modest but steady supply of guests. So, come on all you jetsetters and snowbunnies: we've cleaned the house, we've made the beds, we've put the coffee on, so where the bloody hell are you!
Tomorrow is Saturday,14th October, 2006, our official opening day, and we're kicking things off with an Open House, 2-5pm. Take a tour through this gorgeous old house, all renovated and ready for bookings! So, if you're in town, please stop by, have some afternoon tea with our compliments, and take a squiz(a look)around! Its been (and continues to be), a very hectic week, getting everything in place and shiny bright. Having our computer stolen during the week didn't help at all - we're just getting back on line now. So, the photos are coming very soon, we promise! Maybe we'll get a chance on Sunday, after tomorrow's open house is over.
It is only 10 days til we open. After 10 months of renovations we are pretty much finished. What started as a quick lick of paint turned into a complete rebuild. But we've given the grand old girl a new lease of life, so she may see out another 100 years. Time now to pack away the hammers and paint brushes, and pick up the broom and mop to polish up the place for the open inspection. I think we've built a hostel that travellers will really enjoy. We've tried to incorporate good ideas from different hostels around the world and still keep the heritage feel of the building. We've managed to keep all the original features while upgrading the plumbing, wiring, soundproofing, fire safety etc.
Welcome to our site on the net!
We will be posting news and information about Nelson and our Lodge here.
Stay Tuned
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