Our Communities
Castlegar
The City of Castlegar is located within the Selkirk Mountains at the meeting point of the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers, 30 minutes by car from both Trail and Nelson. It’s a regional trade and transportation centre, with a local economy fueled by forestry, mining and tourism. Castlegar is home to Selkirk College, Mountain Transport Institute, a regional airport, a pulp mill, and several sawmills.
With an economic base that is stable and diversified, jobs are found mostly in industrial manufacturing, in retail at large ‘big box’ stores, in local lumber mills, and in the energy sector. Teck Metals, in nearby Trail, is one of the world’s largest zinc/lead smelting and refining operations and employs many people in Castlegar and the entire region. Service and tourism organizations also serve visitors from the West Kootenay region, and beyond, year-round.
- Population (2014 est.):
7,864 – 12,466 (including RDCK Areas I & J) - Age Demographic Profile:
Children (0-14 years): 1115
Emerging Labour Force (15-24 years): 885
Primary Labour Force (25-64): 4140
Seniors (65+): 1665 - Labour Force:
Labour Force participation rate: 59.3% (Kootenay Region)
Average Income: $42,329/year (99.7% of BC Average) Source: CRA 2014 - Community Service Providers:
Castlegar & District Chamber of Commerce
City of Castlegar - Primary Industry:
Healthcare
Social Services
Forestry
Wood Manufacturing
Construction/Paving Retail
Financial/Gov’t Services - Major Employers:
Interior Health Authority (regional)
Teck (regional)
FortisBC (regional employer)
BCGEU (regional employer)
Golden Life (regional employer)
SD20
Zellstoff Celgar Limited Partnership
Selkirk College (regional)
Kootenay Savings Credit Union
Kalesnikoff Lumber
Selkirk Paving
Canada Safeway
YRB (Yellowhead Road and Bridge)
Certified Coating Specialists Inc.
Martech Electrical Systems Ltd.
RHC Insurance Brokers
BC Timber Sales (Regional)
Columbia Basin Trust
Canadian Tire
Columbia Power Corp
Heritage Credit Union
Grand Forks
The City of Grand Forks is the largest community in the Boundary Country of Southern BC, the region that runs along the boundary of the Canada/US Border between the West Kootenay and Okanagan regions. Grand Forks derives its name from being situated at the confluence (or fork) of the Kettle and Granby rivers. Similar to its near neighbours in the Kootenays, Grand Fork’s beginnings are intertwined with the early mining and forestry booms in British Columbia near the end of the 19 Century. The history of Grand Forks is also closely intertwined with the Doukhobors, a group of pacifist Russian immigrants who immigrated to Canada in the early 20th Century, eventually settling in the West Kootenay and Boundary regions.
Grand Forks retains a rural feel and holds well attended famer’s markets throughout the spring and summer months and agriculture is still prominent in the wide, East-West valley. Warm summers, rivers and lakes, and healthy wildlife populations make the area popular with outdoor enthusiasts and hunting and fishing are prominent pursuits. Although the original industries that powered Grand Forks’ economy have diminished there is still significant activity in agriculture, logging, metal fabrication, and rock wool manufacturing, which produces spun fiber insulation.
- Population (2016 est.):
3,953 - Age Demographic Profile:
Children (0-14 years):505.
Emerging Labour Force (15-24 years): 290
Primary Labour Force (25-64): 1,840.
Seniors (65+): 1,315 - Primary Industry:
Healthcare
Social and Gov’t Services
Heavy Industrial
Industrial Services Contracting
Retail Sales
Agriculture - Major Employers:
School Dist. # 51
Roxul
Interior Health Authority (regional)
Interfor
Bron & Sons Nursery
Silver Kettle Retirement Living
Christina Lake
Although Christina Lake is more of a resort community than an actual village or town, the influx of vacationing city dwellers from around the Kootenay-Boundary region, and beyond, makes it significantly more active over the summer months than the rest of the year. In the past it had a thriving sawmill and even a small commercial fishery on the lake but without a doubt the main economic driver now is the tourism and hospitality sector.
Christina Lake is said to be the warmest treed lake in Canada and at 18 kilometers long and 1.5 kilometers wide provides plenty of water for boating, water-skiing, tubing, fishing, or just slowly cruising from end to end enjoying the sunshine. The area was prized by its first inhabitants, the Sinixt First Nation, and they left numerous pictographs still visible on the rocks along the shore in various places. The majority of the working age population travel to larger centers for employment.
- Population (2016 est.):
1,099 - Age Demographic Profile:
Children (0-14 years):105.
Emerging Labour Force (15-24 years): 65.
Primary Labour Force (25-64): 545.
Seniors (65+): 375 - Primary Industry:
Tourism and Hospitality
Retail Sales - Major Employers:
School Dist. # 51
Roxul
Interfor
Greenwood
Greenwoods’s current title as “The Smallest Incorporated City in Canada” belies its colourful history as another of the Kootenay/Boundary area’s 19th Century boom towns. In 1891 gold, silver, AND copper were all found in the Greenwood area, leading to its explosive growth and incorporation in 1897. Amongst the colourful characters that made their way through to the city were John Marion Jarrett and his wife Mary Younger, a sister of Cole Younger, a member of the notorious Jesse James gang of American lore. In his earlier days Jarrett rode with the James/Younger gang, later in life turning to the safer occupation of prospecting instead of bank and train robbery. He died in 1906 in Greenwood. During World War II Greenwood was designated as a site of the first internment camp in Canada for Japanese immigrants, similar to New Denver in the Slocan Valley.
Greenwood today is known for its history and award-winning drinking water. Much of Greenwood’s labour force travel for their employment, primarily in forestry and lumber industry with tourism and hospitality industry the largest in-town economic driver.
- Population (2016 est.):
665 - Age Demographic Profile:
Children (0-14 years):60.
Emerging Labour Force (15-24 years): 40.
Primary Labour Force (25-64): 315.
Seniors (65+): 250 - Primary Industry:
Tourism and Hospitality
Retail Sales
Forestry - Major Employers:
Vaagen Fibre – (Midway)
School Dist. # 51
Roxul – (Grand Forks)
Interfor – (Grand Forks
Midway
Similar to much of the Kootenay Boundary Region, and much of British Columbia, The Village of Midway’s beginnings were directly tied to mining. The Kettle River Valley provided a convenient route between Washington State and British Columbia and when gold was discovered at Rock Creek in 1859 prospectors from the US swarmed through the area. With considerable traffic flowing through the area the townsite was plotted in 1893 and called Boundary City but was soon after changed to Midway and settlement began in earnest. Two railways were eventually established in the early 1900’s, the last surviving, the Kettle Valley Line, shutting down in 1964.
Today the local economy of Midway is largely driven by the forestry industry, as well as the agricultural sector, and as the designated Mile 0 of the Kettle Valley Railway Trail, recreational opportunities abound with walking, hiking, and biking trails, as well as an arena and curling club, and a short drive to ski hills and golf courses.
- Population (2016 est.):
649 - Age Demographic Profile:
Children (0-14 years):65.
Emerging Labour Force (15-24 years): 50.
Primary Labour Force (25-64): 320.
Seniors (65+): 235. - Primary Industry:
Forestry
Tourism and Hospitality
Retail Sales
Agriculture - Major Employers:
Vaagen Fibre
School Dist. # 51
Mid-Boundary Contracting Ltd
McMynn’s Family Foods
YBR
Trail
The City of Trail is the southernmost city on the Columbia River before it crosses the border into the United States. Trail is a historic industrial center having sprung to life as an access to the transportation corridor of the Columbia River and then later to smelt and refine the ores, first obtained from Rossland’s gold mines and later from ore bodies around BC and beyond.
Trail also hosts the main healthcare facility in the West Kootenay Region, Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital as well as numerous sports facilities including the Memorial Centre with a full hockey arena, kid’s rink, and curling sheets, basketball court, and racquetball courts, an aquatic centre, tennis courts, baseball fields, and athletic track, and field house. In addition, the downtown commercial district is undergoing a resurgence, and, with access to the mighty Columbia River and surrounding mountains, hiking, biking, boating and fishing opportunities abound.
- Population (2016 est.):
7,709 – 10.949 (including RDKB Areas A & B) - Age Demographic Profile:
Children (0-14 years):1,060.
Emerging Labour Force (15-24 years): 750.
Primary Labour Force (25-64): 3,850.
Seniors (65+): 2,060 - Labour Force:
Labour Force participation rate: 59.3% (Kootenay Region)
Average Income: $37,541/year (88.4 % of BC Average) Source: CRA 2014 - Primary Industry:
Healthcare
Social and Gov’t Services
Heavy Industrial
Industrial Services Contracting
Retail Sales
Financial Services
Emerging Tech and Knowledge sector - Major Employers:
Interior Health Authority (regional)
FortisBC (regional employer)
BCGEU (regional employer)
Golden Life (regional employer)
SD20
Teck Metals
Selkirk College (regional) City of TrailRDKB
Ferarro Foods
Walmart Canada
Safeway
Best Western Columbia River Hotel
Wood Engineering
Kootenay Savings Credit Union
Rossland
The City of Rossland, or the Golden City as it is also known, has a storied past as a turn of the (20th) century boom town, known historically for its gold mines and its early reputation as a centre for downhill skiing, having a number of past residents been recruited to the Canadian National Ski Team, competing and winning medals in international competitions and at the Winter Olympics.
Currently Rossland is becoming increasingly known for its easygoing culture of active lifestyles, with a growing downhill ski tourism industry, cross country and back-country skiing, a rising reputation as a mountain biking mecca, emerging technology industry, and thriving arts community.
- Population (2014 est.):
3,650 - Age Demographic Profile:
Children (0-14 years): 655.
Emerging Labour Force (15-24 years): 380
Primary Labour Force (25-64): 2,115.
Seniors (65+): 395 - Labour Force:
Labour Force participation rate: 59.3% (Kootenay Region)
Average Income: $37,541/year (88.4 % of BC Average) Source: CRA 2014 - Primary Industry:
Healthcare
Tourism and Hospitality
Industrial Services Contracting
Retail Sales
Emerging Tech and Knowledge sector - Major Employers:
Interior Health Authority (regional)
FortisBC (regional employer)
Teck Metals
Red Mountain Ski Resort
City of Rossland
Ferarro Foods
Warfield
The Village of Warfield was originally established as a mid-point station for the railway between the mines in Rossland and the smelter in Trail and was named after Carlos Warfield, an associate of Augustus Heinz, the builder of the Trail smelter.
Present day Warfield is a comfortable small community comprised of a wide range of residents from young families to retired seniors. Warfield hosts Webster Elementary, one of the Lower Columbia region’s remaining elementary schools, an outdoor swimming pool, athletic track and field, ball fields, and numerous walking and cycling trails.
- Population (2011 est.):
1,700 - Age Demographic Profile:
Children (0-14 years): 280.
Emerging Labour Force (15-24 years): 190.
Primary Labour Force (25-64): 940.
Seniors (65+): 280 - Labour Force:
Labour Force participation rate: 59.3% (Kootenay Region)
Average Income: $37,541/year (88.4 % of BC Average) Source: CRA 2014 - Primary Industry:
Healthcare
Heavy Industrial
SD20
Industrial Services Contracting
Retail Sales - Major Employers:
Interior Health Authority (regional)
FortisBC (regional employer)
Teck Metals
Red Mountain Ski Resort
Ferarro Foods
Montrose
The Village of Montrose Originally known as “Wood’s Flats,” Montrose was developed as a retirement village for workers from the nearby Cominco (now Teck) smelter. It was incorporated in 1956 as a village and is named after a popular resort destination in Scotland.
Montrose is a small village, the “Gateway to the Beaver Valley,” with its own post office, restaurant, and gas station/retail, playgrounds and parks, spray park and ball field. The village’s proximity to the amenities of Trail but quiet, small-village, atmosphere make it a popular community for families.
- Population (2014 est.):
1,031 - Age Demographic Profile:
Children (0-14 years): 140.
Emerging Labour Force (15-24 years): 130.
Primary Labour Force (25-64): 565.
Seniors (65+): 190 - Labour Force:
Labour Force participation rate: 59.3% (Kootenay Region)
Average Income: $37,541/year (88.4 % of BC Average) Source: CRA 2014 - Primary Industry:
Healthcare
Heavy Industrial
SD20
Industrial Services Contracting
Retail Sales - Major Employers:
Interior Health Authority (regional)
FortisBC (regional employer)
Teck Metals
Fruitvale
The Village of Fruitvale is a thriving semi-rural community 16 kilometers east of Trail in the heart of the Beaver Valley with an interesting history. Originally named Beaver Siding in 1893, it was a stop for the Nelson and Fort Sheppard Railway. In 1906 Fruitvale Limited purchased a significant amount of property in the valley and changed the name to Fruitvale to attract settlers and investors. Unfortunately, the growing season in the area wasn’t long enough to successfully produce enough to prosper but people loved the area, and many found work in the lumber industry and at the smelter in Trail.
Fruitvale has grown to embody the small-town feel that many people seek, with a bit more room to move and some properties offering acreages, that has drawn many from the larger towns and cities. Although the lumber industry still acts as a significant driver of the economy in the Beaver Valley, many young families with parents who work in surrounding towns return home to Fruitvale after work to a quieter, family-oriented community, and numerous outdoor recreational opportunities.
- Population (2015 est.):
2,064 - Age Demographic Profile:
Children (0-14 years): 315.
Emerging Labour Force (15-24 years): 255.
Primary Labour Force (25-64): 1,070.
Seniors (65+): 360 - Labour Force:
Labour Force participation rate: 59.3% (Kootenay Region)
Average Income: $37,541/year (88.4 % of BC Average) Source: CRA 2014 - Primary Industry:
Healthcare
Heavy Industrial
Industrial Services Contracting
Lumber/Forestry
Retail Sales - Major Employers:
Interior Health Authority (regional)
FortisBC (regional employer)
BCGEU (regional employer)
Golden Life (regional employer)
SD20 (regional employer)
Teck Metals
Atco Wood Products
