Nakusp, situated on the beautiful shores of the Upper Arrow Lakes in 1971 had a population of a little over one thousand. It was so peaceful that a dog fight in the middle of town was an event. But all was not well in paradise. Draft dodgers, hippies and back-to-the-landers had begun to settle in the area.
The Leland Hotel, built in 1892, with its mountain goat heads on the wall, yellowed from years of cigarette smoke, was the watering hole for the local loggers. Although the loggers were friendly with Dennis at work they wouldn’t sit with him at the bar. He looked too much like a hippie. This didn't bother Dennis. He was happy to sit with the hippies. It wasn't easy finding accommodation in town. One prospective landlord looked us over, thought we were hippies and refused to rent to us.
The issues between the loggers and the hippies came to a head when the hippies decided to use the local beach as a place to sun tan—in the nude. This was too much for the hot-headed loggers. A meeting was held at the town hall to discuss the issue. When we arrived at the door we were barred entrance. Dennis looked too much like a hippie and only men were allowed to attend the meeting.
Fortunately, the RCMP arrived before everything got out of hand. The next morning, hanging from a lamp post on the main street in the middle of town was an effigy of a hippie. Not a pretty sight.
Over the following years the hippies became an integral part of the community. They took on jobs, raised families, and contributed to the local fabric of the town. As for sun bathing on the beach in the nude—I’m not sure who won that battle.
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