Investment Package
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Hello!! Castlegar’s location squarely in the middle of Vancouver and Calgary has produced today’s investment opportunity. Castlegar’s competitive advantage lies in its central location, low business costs/cost of living, and outdoor lifestyle. The West Kootenay has a distinct cultural flavour and warmth of humanity that will bring a quick smile to your face… and a lingering feeling of contentment. Lifestyle is not urban rush, but a relaxed mix of outdoor rugged and urban cool. There is a creative undertow to the human tide. Business is important, but the lifestyle dog still wags the business tail. Situated midway between Vancouver and Calgary, the West Kootenay has received less Vancouver/Calgary region investment than the Okanagan and the East Kootenay. This creates a business opportunity and an affordable cost of living that supports the notion that entrepreneurs can both balance the books and balance life. Castlegar’s economic base is stable and diversified (forestry, mining, hydro, government services, retail, tourism). Business conditions are dynamic and affordable. The City is big enough to support full services. But Castlegar knows it can do more and its service centre vision is ambitious. Diversification has two key thrusts: commercial and light industry anchors (we affectionately call this the ‘Big Kahuna Strategy’), and independent entrepreneurs (we affectionately call this the ‘Dilbert Escape’ strategy). www.castlegar.ca happily ever after MAYOR’S LETTER Welcome to Castlegar and the West Kootenay. Having been born and raised in the Castlegar area, it’s easy for me to extol the virtues of Castlegar living. I would prefer to tell you about Castlegar through the eyes of newcomers and Valley explorers I talk to – those who see our culture and geography as tourists, or potential future residents and/or investors. I’m told we are indeed mountain landscapes, big trees, the confluence of our rivers, Arrow Lakes, and hot summer, snowy winter climate. We’re the downhill skiing, championship golfing, boating, hiking and biking….all of the outdoor stuff that makes recreation much more than a couch and TV. But most people also quickly add that what sticks in the memory is the warmth of people. There’s a ‘realness’ of human spirit that is refreshing in a world that some might say has become a bit somber. People and place are nurtured by a third pillar of living life well: opportunity. Castlegar’s economic base is stable and diversified. The City is big enough to support full services. However, we believe the West Kootenay’s population of 73,000 is underserviced, and we are working hard to accelerate local and regional economic development. We do have very suitable (and rare) flat land available for new mixed use development. Situated midway between Vancouver and Calgary, the West Kootenay has received less Vancouver/Calgary region investment than the Okanagan and the East Kootenay. This creates a business opportunity and an affordable cost of living that supports the notion that entrepreneurs can both balance the books and balance life. Best wishes for the time you spend in Castlegar. MAYOR LAWRENCE CHERNOFF The City Of Castlegar 460 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar, B.C. V1N 1G7 Phone 250.365.7227 Fax 250.365.5074 www.castlegar.ca Fact Sheet LOCATION COMMUNICATIONS The City of Castlegar is centrally located within Newspapers Castlegar News (weekly) the Selkirk Mountain Range in the heart of the www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_rockies/castlegarnews/ Columbia and Kootenay River valleys 32 km south Castlegar Source (online) castlegarsource.com of Nelson and 40 km north of Trail. Vancouver lies Note: Daily papers from larger centres also available. 615 km to the west, Calgary 615 km to the east, Radio Mountain FM 99.3 - www.mountainfm.net and Spokane, Washington KBS FM 90.3 - www.kbsradio.ca 230 km to the south. Telephone TELUS: 1.888.811.2323 (residential), 1.800.268.6680 (business), POPULATION* or www.telus.com Castlegar’s population grew TV Shaw: 1.866.356.6666 or www.shaw.ca 2.5% between 2011 and 2016. Internet High speed Internet is available through Shaw or TELUS. * includes City of Castlegar Note: Shaw and TELUS both offer phone, TV, and Internet services. (pop. 8,039), and census areas CKI and CKJ immediately EMERGENCY SERVICES surrounding Castlegar. Castlegar has a fully integrated police, fire, ambulance and emergency response service (911). Police – RCMP Detachment in Castlegar: 250-365-7721 (non-emergency) 13,388 13,710 Fire – Chief, Deputy Chief, and 40 on-call paid firefighters 250-365-3266 (non-emergency) 12,951 12,446 EDUCATION 0 Public education system (www.sd20.bc.ca/) has roughly 2650 students from Castlegar 2001 2006 2011 2016 and immediate area. TRADE AREA Post-secondary: Selkirk College (Main Campus) www.selkirk.ca – 750 students at Castlegar campus. Offers two-year university transferable associate degree and diploma Commercial Trade Area: 69,000 programs in many disciplines, and four year degrees in selected disciplines. Interior Health Service Area (Kootenay Boundary): 78,000 MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION • Castlegar & District Community Health Centre (Mon-Fri 8 am to 4:30 pm) Road: Highway 3 (E/W) http://lab.interiorhealth.ca/site_gi.aspx?id=20 Highway 3A/3B (north – Nelson) • Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (Trail) – 30 minutes south www.kbrh.ca/index.html Highway 22 (south – Trail/Rossland) • Full range of medical service clinics Air: West Kootenay Regional Airport - www.wkrairport.ca Spokane International Airport (2.5 hours) FUTURE GROWTH SECTORS Kelowna International Airport (3.5 hours) Big box retailers, tourism services, professional services, independent entrepreneurs, Calgary and Vancouver International Airports (7 hours) retirees, home-based business, relocations motivated by lifestyle choice. Bus: B.C. Transit – City service with connectivity to Nelson and Trail Scheduled Greyhound service POPULATION AGE STRUCTURE (2011) 40 EMPLOYMENT BASE Castlegar* 35 B.C. Forestry, Education, Government/Public Sector, Retail, Tourism Services 30 25 INDUSTRIAL/COMMERCIAL LANDS % 20 “West Kootenay Centre” - Castlegar has 39 Acres of land (largest and most accessible tract of of total 15 raw, flat commercial land in the West Kootenay) available for a Big Box Retail/Service Centre 10 to serve a trade area of 69,000 people. 5 UTILITIES 0 0-19 20-44 45-65 65+ Electricity: FortisBC: 1.866.436.7847 or www.fortisbc.com Age Natural Gas: FortisBC Energy Inc. (formerly Terasen Gas): 1.888.224.2710 or www.fortisbc.com Released by Census Canada May 3 *Includes City of Castlegar and census areas CKI and AKJ immediately surrounding Castlegar. Municipal Rates (2016): Residential (single family, annual flat rate): • Water - $419.25 HOUSEHOLD INCOME (2010) • Sewer - $340.75 70,000 • Garbage - $110.00 60,333 Municipal Rates (2015) Commercial/Industrial: 60,000 54,279 • Water (metered): flat rate $38.00 per quarter + $0.38/cubic metre consumption rate; 50,000 (unmetered) – range of commercial rates depending on land use (rate and connection Median 40,000 Household fee information - http://www.castlegar.ca/pdfs/consolidated_703.pdf) Income 30,000 • Sewer (metered): flat rate $38.00 per quarter + $0.38/cubic metre consumption rate; (2010) 20,000 (unmetered) – range of commercial rates depending on land use (rate and connection 10,000 fee information - http://www.castlegar.ca/pdfs/consolidated_704.pdf) 0 • Garbage: commercial/industrial enterprise is responsible for arranging private sector pick-up. Castlegar B.C. Released by Census Canada Sept. 13 www.castlegar.ca Fact Sheet EDUCATION (2011) RECREATION & AMENITIES Without high school certificate • Castlegar & District Community Complex – 1050 seat arena, 6 lane pool, With high school certificate community centre 30.50% With trade or non-university certificate/diploma 33.00% • Castlegar Rebels - KIJHL Junior “B” hockey team With university diploma, certificate or degree • 18 hole golf course (Castlegar Golf Club), www.golfcastlegar.com • 9 hole golf course (Little Bear), www.littlebeargolf.net Released by Census Canada Nov. 29 • Boating/fishing - Arrow Lake 20.26% • Marinas – “Scotties,” Syringa Creek 16.24% • Millennium Ponds BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT • Pass Creek Regional Park – 84 acres – incl. swimming, beach, picnic, camping, recreation fields, trails, equestrian 700 • Syringa Creek Provincial Park – 20 km west (incl. camping/beach) 680 # http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/syringa/ of business 660 licenses • Events: Sunfest ( June), Bluegrass Jamboree (July), Sculpture Walk (summer), 640 Farmer’s Market (summer), Art Walk (summer), Fall Fair (September), Winterfest (December) 620 • Mountain biking (both sides of Columbia and Kootenay Rivers): incl. Beaver Trail, 600 Merry Creek Trails, Selkirk Trails, Kettle Valley Railway 580 (Columbia & Western Railway connector) http://www.kettlevalleyrailway.ca/ 560 • Hiking: incl. Mel Deana Trail, Dove Hill Trail, Waldie Island Trail 540 http://www.friendsoftrails.org/pages/CFPT_Home.html 520 • Castlegar Station Museum, www.stationmuseum.ca 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 • Kootenay Gallery of Art, History and Science, www.kootenaygallery.com HOUSING STARTS • Zuckerberg Island Heritage Park • Doukhobor Discovery Centre, www.doukhobor-museum.org 60 • Castlegar & District Public Library, www.castlegar.bclibrary.ca 55 • Downhill skiing – Rossland (Red Mountain Resort, www.redresort.com)– 35 mins, 50 Nelson (Whitewater Ski Resort, www.skiwhitewater.com) – 20 mins 45 • Snowmobiling – 100’s of km of groomed/ungroomed