the canadian pacific railway opened in the 1880s and ran through revelstoke. the city was originally named farwell after one of the local land owner and surveyors. it was then renamed revelstoke after lord revelstoke, head of baring brothers &amp; co. the city of revelstoke holds the canadian record for snowiest single winter when 2447 cm (80 feet) of snow fell on mt.copeland outside town during winter of 1971-72.