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.