and down the lake. For years, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), under the Arrowhead and Kootenay Railway (or Kootenay and Arrowhead) banner, conducted a charade indicating a Lardeau–Arrowhead line was imminent, purely to block the Kaslo and Slocan Railway, a Great Northern Railway subsidiary, from constructing along the route. The scheme included buying a third of the unsold lots at Trout Lake City. Such land sales by railway companies contributed significantly to track construction costs. On completion in June 1902, the contractor initially operated the Lardo (Lardeau)–Gerrard line, and a lake boat connected with Trout Lake City. That August, CP commenced a three-times weekly Lardo–Trout Lake City rail/lake service. The 1,000-ton ore stockpile was completely removed by month end. The CP warehouses had accumulated the product since January. Even Revelstoke freight followed the new circuitous route via Nelson. However, when winter ice closed the lake route, the original wagon road via Beaton provided a rudimentary and only access. CP were able to keep a channel open on the lake for the 1903/04 winter, but the usual winter closure was two to three months. From 1904, a CP tug towed a six-car barge, which took the railway cars down the lake. Delivering the tug by rail from Lardo had proved challenging, because the breadth clearances were overly tight. CP did not recommence ferry service in 1916 after the spring thaw. The rail service reduced to a locomotive and rolling stock barged in weekly from the Kaslo line. That August, the shingle mill leased the CP vessel and established a connecting weekly passenger/freight run. A rail link to the north end of the lake never eventuated. The Lardeau–Gerrard line closed in 1942. Recreation The presence of large rainbow trout, bull trout, and burbot cater to fishing. Hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and snowmobiling are popular on the trails throughout the surrounding hills. See also Goat Range Provincial Park Footnotes References Lakes of British Columbia West Kootenay Kootenay Land District