• Explore Our Community

Our Community

Welcome to small town living, where the only thing you’ll need your GPS for is to find the mountain bike trail or the ski hill.  We have approximately 7 traffic lights, and it’s rare to see more than 10 cars lined-up behind them unless it’s around 4:30PM, the time our general office population makes their way home.

Most everything you’ll need is within a 20-minute drive; World-class fishing, Nordic trails, a championship golf course, mountain bike and hiking trails, rivers, lakes, the Millennium ponds, and all your kid’s recreational activities, are all within easy reach.

And when you arrive at your destination, whether it’s down by the river to fish, or just picking up your groceries, you’ll be greeted by friendly, smiling faces. There’s something special about people who live in mountain towns, they’re open and welcoming with an affinity for the outdoors, but don’t take my word for it, come see for yourself, come discover why lifestyle really is medicine in Castlegar, BC

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Amenities

With ample amenities between our three major cities in the West Kootenays, you are most likely to find everything you need. We have a vibrant arts community, a theater that offers Met performances, great bookstores, art galleries, unbelievable culinary offerings, (or the ability to purchase the ingredients to create your own culinary masterpiece, if you so choose!)

Passionate, driven community members, along with the City’s support, have created Castlegar Sculpture Walk which annually places 35 or more pieces of public sculptures on our streets. In 2015, Castlegar won the International Five Blooms Award for ‘Tidiest City’ along with previous national and provincial awards in landscaping and environmental sustainability.

Castlegar is also home to the main administrative and academic centre of Selkirk College which provides additional sports facilities and learning opportunities.

If it’s a weekend escape you’re looking for, or heading off to a far-away vacation, we are host to the West Kootenay Regional Airport who currently flies to Vancouver daily.  Alternatively, (pre-pandemic!) you can be in Spokane, WA or Kelowna, BC in a mere 3 hours by car, for any “city fix” you require.

The small city of Castlegar is one of those communities where you’ll find an eclectic mix of individuals, from sports enthusiasts and professionals, to weekend warriors and trades people.  We’re an inclusive community of families playing and working together united by one common thread, we love the outdoors and the peaceful calm small towns bring to our lives.  Castlegar is a community where you’re able to find like minds, whatever it is you do.

We welcome you to our healthy lifestyle with great outdoor play spaces, safe neighborhoods, and tight community spirit.  Castlegar is a remarkable place to live; with a charm and warmth only small town living has to offer.  We hope to see you soon, to find out for yourself why lifestyle really is medicine.

Food

Eat well, live well . . .

It has never been more important to live close to your food sources than it is today.  Living in a rural community provides us with an abundance of land, and wide-open spaces to grow everything from vegetables to chickens. . . and anything in between.  With an abundance of sunshine and warm weather we have an optimal growing climate, and are known for our rich soil and lush, expansive gardens.

We live in a community where you know your egg farmer and your honey producer, and if you so inclined, after dinner you can go down to the river and spend a relaxing evening catching your own fish.

While you will come to know many local food sources once you live here, below are some of the more visible options:

Honey:

Mad Dog Farm

Bee Glade Farm

Downtown Community Gardens:

Art Farm

Farm Fresh Eggs and other local food items:

Thrums Market

Organic Milk

Hormone & Antibiotic-Free Meat