The Village of Nakusp (Sinixt neqo'sp) is beside the mouth of Kuskanax Creek, on the Upper Arrow Lake in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. Lying between the Selkirk and Monashee ranges, the village is known for its nearby hot springs and picturesque mountain lakeside setting. First Nations peoples and European explorers The Secwepemc, Sinixt and Ktunaxa peoples occupied the region for thousands of years. In 1811, Finan McDonald, a member of David Thompson's party, was the first reported European explorer on the Arrow Lakes. The settlement name came from the Nakusp Creek to the south. As to the word meaning, suggestions have included an eddy, safe place (sheltered bay), a coming together (of the lake, which narrowed at this point prior to the dam), a private body part, and having buffalo, despite no evidence buffalo ever roamed the area. Demographics In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Nakusp had a population of 1,589 living in 760 of its 831 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 1,605. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. Transportation In the early 1890s, most passengers and freight would travel by steamboat connecting either south with the US landings, or north with the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) main line at Revelstoke. However, low water and ice on the Arrow Lakes made the water route unreliable for several months of the year, which favoured Revelstoke for non-mining traffic. Shallow-draft sternwheelers frequented this important hub. From 1895, the Nakusp and Slocan Railway brought ore northwestward to Nakusp from the inland mines. From 1897, the Columbia and Kootenay Railway helped divert US bound traffic from the foot of the lake to the Nakusp landing. From 1913, CP operated a Nakusp–Kaslo link, after acquiring and rehabilitating the former Kaslo and Slocan Railway. Around 1930, the opening of the Summit Lake–Rosebery link completed the Nelson–Nakusp highway. Nakusp was the mid-way point for the Nelson–Vernon stage. During the late 1940s, Celgar built a forest service road to Galena Bay. After the eastern terminal for the Upper Arrow Lake Ferry moved to Galena Bay in 1957, road traffic along the east shore of the lake superseded the former lake route. The upgrade of this road to highway status was completed in 1967. Community In 1892, a post office, general store and sawmill opened, but building