UPDATE: Convention registration is now open!

Hello GNRHS members:

Tom and Francina Carr have been very busy reorganizing the postponed 2020 Nelson BC (Canada) convention, working closely with our friends at Canadian Pacific Historical Association:

• New dates are Saturday September 17 through Wednesday Sept 21, 2022.
• Full registration package is in the March GOAT magazine, and also available online. Click here for a preliminary timecard. If you prefer to pay by check, you may click here to download a registration form.
• We have organized various speaker presentations; time for showing and discussing train models and pictures; optional bus-tours (historical rail and non-rail) of this very interesting and historically significant area; a Meet and Greet Friday evening, a Burger buffet Monday evening, and a Convention banquet on Wednesday evening. The Nelson Heritage tramway will be available for free rides to our attendees throughout the convention
• There will be a very interesting full-day historical rail bus-tour on Saturday Sept 17th, so you should arrive Friday Sept 16th if you wish to partake

Hotel Reservations:
• Tell them you are booking for: “GNRHS – Nelson 2022” or “Great Northern Railway”
• Call the phone numbers below to access the reduced-price room block – do not try to book online
• Reservation block prices are valid for Check-in Friday September 16th to Check-out Thursday September 22nd, and don’t include taxes
• Special note: these hotels honour the member cards for Best Western Hotels + Prestige Hotels.

Main hotel: Prestige Lakeside Resort & Convention Centre – 74 rooms blocked – centre of all activities and tour starts – SOLD OUT
• Telephone 250-352-7222
• Toll-free 1-833-606-7269 (Select 3 “Kootenay Rockies” then 4 “Prestige Lakeside”)
• Or email them at nelson@prestigehotels.ca

• Deluxe Mountain view (35) $159.95 CAD (~$127.20 USD)
• Deluxe Lake view (39) $179.95 CAD (~$143.10 USD)

Alternate hotel: Prestige Inn – 20 rooms blocked – Short drive or 6-10 min. level walk to the Resort / Convention Centre
• Telephone #: 250-352-3595
• Toll-free 1-833-606-7269 (Select 3 “Kootenay Rockies” then 5 “Prestige Inn”)
• or email them at lakeview@prestigehotels.ca

• Deluxe Mountain view (10) $119.95 CAD (~$95.40 USD*)
• Deluxe Lake view (10) $139.95 CAD (~$111.30 USD*)

*PLEASE NOTE that USD prices are subject to fluctuation with the US/Canadian exchange rate.

Thank you to all who responded to our recent store survey. We got much good feedback about possible new products, and will be proceeding with production of the N scale grain elevator and water tank with pump house.

Interestingly, five people asked for things that we already have in the store. We have been adding items as rapidly as possible, some custom and some from higher volume manufacturers like InterMountain and Accurail.

To keep up with what is happening, please check the store out at least twice per year to see what is there. 

190 members enjoyed last month’s GNRHS Virtual Convention. The Board meeting had 33 attendees, the business meeting 39 (about the same as our live conventions!), and Bob Kelly’s Archives presentation drew 54 people. Other presentations averaged about 50 attendees. And the auction of 30 donated items raised about $4,000 for the Society.

We have good news if you weren’t able to attend, or if you’d like to rewatch a presentation: videos of the presentations are now available on the GNRHS YouTube channel.

This was a first-time experience for the Society – thanks to all who worked so hard to prepare, and to all of you who attended! We do look forward to putting the pandemic mostly behind us and meeting in person next year in Nelson, BC.