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Touchstones museum receives Greyhound memorabilia

Depot seats, photographs and other items are being added to the collection
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Customers wait inside the Greyhound depot on Baker Street in 1952. Photo courtesy of Touchstones Nelson

The last Greyhound bus left Nelson on Oct. 28, bringing an end to the 89-year relationship between the city and the bus company that began its Canadian operations here.

A section of the depot’s waiting room seating, a collection of photographs and a whole case of Greyhound memorabilia are now being transferred to the Touchstones Nelson’s permanent msueum collection.

“I can’t think of a business that started in Nelson that has touched more people than Greyhound Canada,” said Touchstones Nelson collections manager Jean-Philippe Stienne.

“Last week we posted some Greyhound archival photographs and newspapers articles on our Facebook account and we have been inundated with messages and people sharing their memories of Greyhound. It is important that we preserve this heritage for current and future generations to see and use.”

In the 1920s, Johnny Learmonth built his own bus and started running trips around the Kootenays. The successful business was bought by Barney and Speed Olson of Victoria and was incorporated as Canadian Greyhound Coaches in 1929.

For 16 years, beginning in 1931, Greyhound ran daily bus trips from Nelson to Calgary via the sternwheeler SS Nasookin between Balfour and Gray Creek. Kootenay Lake became the one place in the world where a sternwheeler carried a daily Greyhound.

Related:

Greyhound bus service closes in Nelson

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A 1930 advertisement for Greyhound in Nelson. Illustration: Touchstones Nelson