Alright, here's my list of the Top 20 Courthouses In B.C. Feel VERY...
Justin McElroy@j_mcelroy
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Apr 08, 2026
~4 min read
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Alright, here's my list of the Top 20 Courthouses In B.C.
Feel VERY free to mute this conversation.
Basic notes:
- A courthouse must be in current operation at least part of the time to count
- Most photos come from the awesome courthouses.co website
Here we go!
Feel VERY free to mute this conversation.
Basic notes:
- A courthouse must be in current operation at least part of the time to count
- Most photos come from the awesome courthouses.co website
Here we go!
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#20: Port Coquitlam (1996)
- Bold colours, nice mix of textures
- Good dramatic staircase
- Sharp angles are fun
- Bold colours, nice mix of textures
- Good dramatic staircase
- Sharp angles are fun
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#19: Stewart (Date unknown)
- Suitably old-timey looking for an old-timey town
- Fact it's also the town museum and Service BC outlet amuses me
- Suitably old-timey looking for an old-timey town
- Fact it's also the town museum and Service BC outlet amuses me
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#18: Sechelt (2003)
- Good integration into the natural environment
- Fun use of wood for exterior flourishes
- Proof one-storey courthouses don't have to be lame
- Good integration into the natural environment
- Fun use of wood for exterior flourishes
- Proof one-storey courthouses don't have to be lame
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#17: Lillooet (1926)
- Nice laid back but authoritative feel
- Dramatic mountains
- Warm colours for a town that is always five degrees too warm
- Nice laid back but authoritative feel
- Dramatic mountains
- Warm colours for a town that is always five degrees too warm
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#16: Nakusp (1910)
- Stately in its simpleness
- I don't know what the final sentence on the plaque means, and I enjoy that
- Stately in its simpleness
- I don't know what the final sentence on the plaque means, and I enjoy that
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#15: Prince Rupert (1922)
- Just a BEAST of a building
- Ageless
- Very intimidating crest right at the front doors
- Just a BEAST of a building
- Ageless
- Very intimidating crest right at the front doors
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#14: Kelowna (1994)
- Proof that a modern building can look dramatic
- Great staircase
- ❤️ that shade of brick
- Proof that a modern building can look dramatic
- Great staircase
- ❤️ that shade of brick
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#13: Surrey (1991)
- Dramatic gold nameplate that works great for TV/online images, unlike Vancouver, not that I'm constantly annoyed by that or anything
- Good example of concrete jungle architecture actually coming together okay
- Simple but effective courthouse steps
- Dramatic gold nameplate that works great for TV/online images, unlike Vancouver, not that I'm constantly annoyed by that or anything
- Good example of concrete jungle architecture actually coming together okay
- Simple but effective courthouse steps
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#12: Powell River (1974)
- Somehow makes green and yellow a great colour scheme
- Like Sechelt, excellent use of playing off Sunshine Coast culture
- Love the little sideblinds on the windows
- Almost good enough to make me forget how great the old Powell River courthouse is
- Somehow makes green and yellow a great colour scheme
- Like Sechelt, excellent use of playing off Sunshine Coast culture
- Love the little sideblinds on the windows
- Almost good enough to make me forget how great the old Powell River courthouse is
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#11: Penticton (1949)
- Yeahhhh breathe in that Art Deco mood
- Unique style for B.C. courthouses
- Classy shade of yellow
- Neat flourishes all over the place
- Yeahhhh breathe in that Art Deco mood
- Unique style for B.C. courthouses
- Classy shade of yellow
- Neat flourishes all over the place
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#10: Fraser Lake (date unknown)
- Actually just the town curling rink
- This is the photo the B.C. government uses to show people where it is
- Without knowing anything else, the concept amuses me
- Actually just the town curling rink
- This is the photo the B.C. government uses to show people where it is
- Without knowing anything else, the concept amuses me
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#9: Chilliwack (2002)
- You build a classical courthouse in the middle of a growing city in the 21st century, you get props
- Strong pillars + glass combo
- Reaches for grandeur, but doesn't quite make it
- You build a classical courthouse in the middle of a growing city in the 21st century, you get props
- Strong pillars + glass combo
- Reaches for grandeur, but doesn't quite make it
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#8: Duncan (1970)
- A full 90% of this is due to the government building, not the actual courthouse. But it's part of the same complex, so
- The courthouse has a subdued respectability for a one-storey building. It's fine
- But seriously, look at the government cylinder!
- A full 90% of this is due to the government building, not the actual courthouse. But it's part of the same complex, so
- The courthouse has a subdued respectability for a one-storey building. It's fine
- But seriously, look at the government cylinder!
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#7: Revelstoke (1913)
- THAT DOME
- Exudes a very particular time and space extremely well
- Almost too much going on (i am not a professional architecture critic)
- THAT DOME
- Exudes a very particular time and space extremely well
- Almost too much going on (i am not a professional architecture critic)
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#6: Rossland (1901)
- Cuuuuuuuuuute
- Engraving "COURT HOUSE" and "AD 1900" is a fun superfluous touch
- Dramatic angles are pleasing, especially on the sidehill
- Cuuuuuuuuuute
- Engraving "COURT HOUSE" and "AD 1900" is a fun superfluous touch
- Dramatic angles are pleasing, especially on the sidehill
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#5: Atlin (1900)
- Ridiculously pretty and well-maintained
- Delighted there are still court hearings in a town of 500 people inaccessible to the rest of B.C.
- Now usually an art gallery, can't figure out if court hearings are still in this building or not, frankly don't care
- Ridiculously pretty and well-maintained
- Delighted there are still court hearings in a town of 500 people inaccessible to the rest of B.C.
- Now usually an art gallery, can't figure out if court hearings are still in this building or not, frankly don't care
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#4: Vernon (1914)
- Just a beast of a courthouse; there is no way this could be anything other than a courthouse
- 100 carloads of granite were used in construction; floors are 12 inches thick, i am very intimidated
- HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE
- Just a beast of a courthouse; there is no way this could be anything other than a courthouse
- 100 carloads of granite were used in construction; floors are 12 inches thick, i am very intimidated
- HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE
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#3: Nanaimo (1896)
- Historic+quaint+Rattenbury+still in use = ALL GOOD THINGS
- More of a time-machine feel than classic Interior courthouses
- Sort of love the fact a super generic building was literally tacked on the back when its small size became too much of an issue
- Historic+quaint+Rattenbury+still in use = ALL GOOD THINGS
- More of a time-machine feel than classic Interior courthouses
- Sort of love the fact a super generic building was literally tacked on the back when its small size became too much of an issue
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#2: Fernie (1910)
- Looks cute AND grand at the same time, how is that possible
- Photographs well at night, in show, with mountain backdrop, without it, ugh i'm jealous
- Not a full-time courthouse and seems sort of separate from town, so it ultimately loses to...
- Looks cute AND grand at the same time, how is that possible
- Photographs well at night, in show, with mountain backdrop, without it, ugh i'm jealous
- Not a full-time courthouse and seems sort of separate from town, so it ultimately loses to...
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#1: NELSON (1909)
- THE IVY
- THE TURRET
- THE WALKWAY
- IT'S WEIRDLY SHAPED AND I LOVE IT
- IT'S STILL IN USE! FULL TIME!
- God Bless Francis Mawson Rattenbury
- THE IVY
- THE TURRET
- THE WALKWAY
- IT'S WEIRDLY SHAPED AND I LOVE IT
- IT'S STILL IN USE! FULL TIME!
- God Bless Francis Mawson Rattenbury
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And we're done! I hope you learned that:
- B.C. has some incredibly pretty courthouses
- Mid-sized cities outside Metro Vancouver are super fun to visit if you like neat buildings
- I should never be a professional architecture critic
- B.C. has some incredibly pretty courthouses
- Mid-sized cities outside Metro Vancouver are super fun to visit if you like neat buildings
- I should never be a professional architecture critic