Donald is an unincorporated community in the East Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia.

This almost ghost town is on the northeast shore of the Columbia River immediately southeast of the mouth of Marl Creek.

[5] By November 1884, the westward advance of the CP rail head had passed through Donald and reached Beavermouth.

[45] In 1887, Rev Henry (Father Pat) Irwin erected St. Peter's Anglican church[46][47] and the first school opened.

[48] In 1888, St. Andrew's Presbyterian[49] and the Roman Catholic church buildings were erected,[50] and an incendiary device burned the vacant Branch hotel to the ground.

[51] During 1888 and 1889, John Houston published The Truth newspaper at Donald for about 14 months, before relocating to New Westminster.

[55] By 1894, the town included several stores, three churches, a library/reading room, a doctor, two ministers, a constable, sheriff, lawyer, and jailer.

[60] Later that year, the planned relocation of the CP workshops to Revelstoke and government offices to Golden was formally announced.

Apart from the railway infrastructure, this was the East Kootenay headquarters for government offices, which included mining records, the gold commissioner, and a courtroom.

[10] By yearend, the new school building was completed,[63] and the hospital had closed, medical services having transferred to Revelstoke.

[71] In 1900, the IOOF hall, which was initially expected to go to Golden,[72] instead went to Revelstoke[73] Votes cast at Donald in the provincial election numbered 12 that year,[74] compared with 62 in 1898.

[84] After the Golden–Lake Louise road opened in 1927,[85] CP carried motorists' vehicles as freight on flatcars between Revelstoke and Golden.

[90] Northwest of Donald, a remnant of the Big Bend Highway is a forestry services road.

1884: During construction of the two-truss rail bridge, a cable strung across the river held in place a scow being used to drive the centre pier.

When a subcontractor passing on a raft failed to notice the cable, the impact jettisoned him and his load into the river.

[94] 1887: Fires destroyed a large sawmill 3 kilometres (2 mi) east[95] and a mail car near Donald.

Gray at Donald for stealing $3,000 from the United States Express at Hurley, Wisconsin, received a $350 reward.

[98][99] Earlier in the year, a fictitious news story regarding a Donald teacher appeared in numerous North American newspapers.

A further $10,000 (nearly 200 times a rural teacher's monthly salary) was promised on going to Minneapolis and marrying the female suitor.

[100] 1892: When a freight train struck a landslide a short distance west, a locomotive and four cars plunged downward 3 metres (10 ft).

[108][109] 1899: A Scotland Yard detective made an arrest at Donald regarding a $57,000 bond theft in England.

[110][111] 1905: In a head-on collision at the west side of the bridge, the locomotives were totally wrecked and three freight cars smashed, but no crew were hurt.

[120] In June 1995, the Donald mill reduced from two to one shift, eliminating 130 jobs,[121] before permanently closing in February 1996.

[123] Adjacent to Donald are the Campers Haven RV & Tent Park[124] and similar Waitabit Creek Recreation site.