Columbia Valley Community Profile Photo Credit: Ian Cobb, Eknow Contact Information: Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce Susan Clovechok, Executive Director [email protected] ph. 250-342-2844 About this Document This Community Profile contains information from a variety of sources (as indicated within) with the purpose to support Economic Development initiatives and decisions for the betterment of the communities within the Columbia Valley and their citizens. Contents The Columbia Valley – Information about the area and business community Business Walk Report - In 2015/2016 Partners of the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce and volunteers conducted a Business Walk where businesses were surveyed with a goal to determine the confidence and needs of the business community. Rural Development Institute Reports – in the fall of 2015 with funding support from Columbia Basin Trust the Rural Development Institute of Selkirk College completed Community Statistic Profiles for the municipalities within the Columbia. Important to note is that there are 2 Regional District Areas (F & G) that are not included in these reports. 2011 Census Data – Dwelling count report provided to include the Regional District Areas and municipalities within the Columbia Valley catchment area. Columbia Valley Community and Resource Guide – provided for those interested in the services available in the Columbia Valley such as schools, medical, social programs etc. About the Columbia Valley It is water that defines the Columbia Valley; from the headwaters of the Columbia River in Canal Flats at the south end of the Valley to Lake Windermere in the centre and the majestic Columbia River delta that flows through Brisco at the Valley’s north end. For many visitors the Columbia Valley is defined by its anchoring hot springs communities: Radium Hot Springs and Fairmont Hot Springs. Surrounding all the water in the Valley you will find plenty to see, do, and experience! The game of golf brings thousands of visitors to the Columbia Valley each year, with a golf season that starts around the end of March and goes until the end of October, as well as nine 18 hole courses – two of which are ranked in the top 100 in Canada (ScoreGolf, 2012) – it is easy to see why golf is a major attraction in the Valley. Plus, how about golfing and skiing in the same day? It happens here! Sparkling gems called Columbia Lake and Lake Windermere, whose water temperature in the summer tops 21C degrees, offer visitors every possible water sport – swimming, beach access, stand up paddle boarding, water skiing, wake boarding, power boating, fishing, kayaking and more! The meandering Columbia River also provides fun seekers the opportunity to rent a tube and float from one lake to the other, and along the way take in a variety of sights. Are you more of a thrill seeker? There’s plenty for you too – try hang-gliding off Mt. Swansea, mountain bike one of many local trails, hike to soaring vistas (or great views, like the Hoodoos), hop on an ATV and check out the immense backcountry or take on rapids with a rafting trip down Toby Creek. Whatever your thrill you can experience it here. Wildlife enthusiasts will love this Valley – world class bird watching, bighorn sheep on Radium’s main street, whitetail and mule deer wandering Invermere’s downtown, black and grizzly bears in the backcountry, wild turkeys in farmer’s fields all add up to something for everyone to see and discover. With so much to do, you’ll want to spend some time soaking in the historic hot springs in Radium or Fairmont! The Valley offers accommodation for all, short to long stay, groups of all sizes, quaint B&B to luxury condo style suites you are sure to find a place to call your home base. And after a day out exploring the Valley you’ll be pleased to find a wide choice of fine or casual dining establishments, offering authentic Austrian, German, Greek, Japanese, French or Canadian cuisines. Doing Business in the Columbia Valley Outline of Economic Activity in the Columbia Valley (2008) Community Economic Activity Canal Flats Mining (gypsum) FairmontHot Springs Tourism Tree Farming Ranching Panorama Tourism Windermere/Wilmer Tourism Recreation – Forestry – Mining (gypsum) – railroad Edgewater Farming – Sawmill (lumber and speciality wood products) – Tree Farming Brisco Forestry (poles and posts) – Ranching – Mining Spillimacheen Farming – Ranching Radium Hot Springs Sawmill – Mining (magnesite) -Tourism Invermere Sawmill – Tourism Small Business: Small business is defined as businesses with less than 50 employees and includes self-employed workers. The growth of small business in British Columbia is the highest in the country (3.8% compared to the national rate of 0.9%). At the end of 2005, 98% of all businesses in British Columbia were small businesses. According to Statistics Canada, the majority of these are classed as micro businesses which are defined as having fewer than 5 employees or self-employed workers without paid help. From 2001 to 2005 the Kootenays experienced an average increase in new business startups of 3.4%, or about 500 new businesses per year, well above the provincial average of 1.3%. The Kootenays also saw a 42.4% increase in self-employment between 2001 and 2006; the provincial average was 17.7%. 75% of self employment ventures in British Columbia are in the service industry – professional, scientific and technical services, trade and finance, insurance, real estate and leasing. The remaining ventures (25%) are in production; the majority of these being connected to the construction industry. Over half of those self-employed are between the ages of 35 and 54, and a quarter are aged 55 and over. The trend toward self-employment matches demographics and growth in the ColumbiaValley where almost 30% of residents are between the ages of 35 and 55. In 2007, the number of self employment ventures increased an average of 114% from the same period in 2005, in the fields of building and maintenance services, day spas, health practitioners, professional services and tourism. Major Employers: Major employers in the ColumbiaValley are government services (health, education, parks) as well as forestry and public utilities. The largest employer is Interior Health. Kootenay Business Magazine annually publishes a list of the top 50 revenue producing companies in the Kootenays, which includes our own ColumbiaValley businesses: (2006) Canfor (Radium Division) – Radium Hot Springs Kootenay Savings Credit Union – Invermere and Edgewater Fairmont Resort Properties Ltd. – Fairmont Hot Springs FairmontHot Springs Resort – Fairmont Kicking Horse Coffee – Invermere Woodex – Brisco ColumbiaBasin Trust – throughout Kootenays An informal count of businesses owned or managed by ColumbiaValley residents conducted for the purpose of this project identified 804 businesses, which do not include government or incorporated professional individuals. Types of businesses operating in the ColumbiaValley are portrayed in the following chart: Mining Since the first mineral discoveries were made in the 1860s, mining has played a significant role in shaping the development of the ColumbiaValley. Paradise Mines, located in the remote Toby Creek-Horsethief Creek drainages brought a rush of prospectors, and was a small but consistent producer of silver, lead and zinc by the mid 1920s. Major output occurred between 1954 and 1967, during which time shipments totalled roughly 2.3 million tons. In late 1860s, a mini gold rush ensued after gold was discovered in the WildHorseRiver, near Cranbrook, and Findlay Creek, near the headwaters of the Columbia River. While the gold deposits panned out quickly, smaller operations opened up veins of silver, ore and copper. Gypsum was discovered near Windermere by Ernie Byran, a prospecting trapper. He staked a claim and started a mining partnership which today produces upwards of 500,000 tons per year, under the direction of Windermere Mining Division. The mining of non-metallic minerals – sand, gravel, gypsum and tufa – provide employment to hundreds in the ColumbiaValley as does the extraction of magnesite, currently mined in the Rocky Mountains east of Radium Hot Springs. Exploration continues for Sullivan-type deposits in the Purcell basin and for precious metals in the Rockies. The Timber Industry Almost 95% of the land in British Columbia is Crown land, owned and regulated by the government of British Columbia. The Ministry of Forests is responsible for determining annual allowable cut on crown lands. The Rocky Mountain Forest District, which encompasses approximately 2.78 million hectares, including the ColumbiaValley, oversees planning, harvesting and silviculture activities in the southeast area of province. The vast, diverse forests of the Columbia RiverValley have a long history with the First Nations, who once relied heavily on forests for food, shelter and spiritual values. First Nations, BC Parks and forest companies are working together to identify wildlife habitat areas and co-manage protected sites. Treaties and interim agreements, outlined under the Forest and Range Practices Act, consider aboriginal interests and economic opportunities. The fertile sites along the Columbia River result in more tree species than any other ecological region in the province. In 1951, when Invermere was incorporated as a village, economy was based primarily on logging and mining. Statistics Canada (2001) indicates almost 20% of the labour force work in direct timber based industries, such as logging,