Long before it was a social media hashtag, ‘Keep Nelson Weird’ was a way of life. The back-to-the-land movement, flourishing in the 60s and 70s throughout the urban areas of Canada and the US, swept hundreds of city-dwellers into the back woods of the Nelson area, to try their hand at rural living.  

However, they were not the first group seeking an alternate way of life to settle in the Kootenays. In the early 1900s the Doukhobors near Castlegar and Grand Forks established self-sufficient communities, with orchards and brickyards and a flourishing jam factory. In the 1950s  the Quakers left the militarism they found in California and settled in Argenta. In 1963, the natural and spiritual retreat of the Yashodhara Ashram on the East Shore of Kootenay Lake was founded. 

Watch the Utopia Unveiled documentary

The history of communal living is the subject of Utopia Unveiled: Intentional Communities in the Kootenays, the latest history exhibition at the Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery, which opens Friday, July 5 at 7pm and runs through September 28. Utopia Unveiled features artifacts, photographs, and stories from the Shawn Lamb Archives and the Doukhobor Discovery Centre, as well as many contributions from community members. A new documentary film produced by the Museum will also be screened throughout the show, featuring interviews with people reflecting on their story.  

“It’s been quite a journey finding out about the many ways that intentional communities and counterculture history have shaped our area,” says Archivist and Collections Manager Jean-Philippe Stienne, who curated the exhibition. “Much of this local history has not been presented before in a gallery setting.” 

The counterculture movement brought a wave of creativity to the Kootenays in areas such as theatre, ceramics, filmmaking, weaving, poetry, fine art, and music. Utopia Unveiled will explore how this community was supported and welcomed by many, but not by all – and how people, in their search for utopia, faced hardships and challenges that some struggled to overcome. 

Visitors to Utopia Unveiled will view a traditional Doukhobor spinning wheel, original artifacts from Kootenay communes, counterculture artwork of Robert Inwood, and a communal table with documents related to the story. The display will feature photographs and artifacts related to aspects of the story such as the Vallican Whole Community Centre, Theatre Energy, and a vibrant music scene.