Kootenay author Keith Powell is delving into the past once again, this time in Creston.
Powell, independently published through Wild Horse Creek Press, has released seven novels of historical interest. Most recently, Abandoned Kootenays and Koocanusa Burning hit the shelves last winter.
With help from local museums, he has also compiled three books of photos from days gone by - Forgotten Cranbrook, Kimberley, and now Creston.
“I know the Kootenays has lots of colourful history, colourful characters, and we just tend to forget,” said Powell. “My pitch to the museum is let's tell the story of all these great images that not everybody gets to see.”
While not a comprehensive history of the valley, Forgotten Creston offers an interesting snapshot of pivotal moments. And with 2024 being the town’s centennial year, it’s a fitting time to look back at its inception.
With help from Tammy Bradford, manager of the Creston Museum, Powell hunted through the archive of thousands of photos and found a treasure trove of stories.
“There are lots of things that took place in Creston in the early days that make it fascinating, and to me, just illustrates how interesting any community is,” Powell said. “I love everything about this project because there's such a richness of history, and we’re just scratching the surface with this book.”
The first few pages open with black-and-white images of the Yaqan Nukiy people in traditional sturgeon-nosed canoes.
“I thought it was really important that we acknowledge and highlight the Ktunaxa influence on this community since time immemorial,” he said. “They've been here for generations.”
Other highlights include photos of the great flood of 1948, the Del-Macs competitive hockey team, and earlier years of the Blossom Festival.
Another feature - What’s in a Name? - explores the origin of how the town of Creston and its streets were named.
Since publishing the last edition on Kimberley, Powell has enjoyed hearing how the photos have captured readers’ attention.
“Because it's a smaller community, people say, ‘That's my uncle, that's my cousin!’ Someone told me I published a photo of their grandmother they hadn’t seen for 50 years. Everyone's connected somehow,” he said.
Now in the final editing stages, Forgotten Creston is expected to print next month and be available for purchase in November for $34.95. Stay tuned to the Creston Museum Facebook page for the book launch.
To find out more about Powell’s work, visit wildhorsecreekpress.com.
