http://www.investkootenay.com Bringing people to the Kootenays en-us Copyright 2008 - Invest Kootenay Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:35:43 -0700 http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=18 http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=18 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:35:43 -0700 Delta Airlines and FLY YXC Strike a Deal The most recent Cranbrook & District Chamber of Commerce luncheon, held at the College of the Rockies (COTR) in conjunction with the 2008 Business Expo & Career Fair, included a featured presentation from members of FLY Canadian Rockies International (YXC). John Sheehan and Kent Myers spoke on behalf of FLY YXC in a bid to raise awareness and pledges for the airport expansion. Myers is the president and a managing partner of Airplanners, a company that specializes in matching airports in smaller centres to brand-name airlines as well as planning, developing and supporting service to those airports. According to Sheehan, Myers was instrumental in creating the connection between YXC and Delta Airlines, the major U.S. carrier that will be servicing the area. In the presentation, Myers explained that Delta would provide three flights a week during the peak tourist seasons between Cranbrook and Salt Lake City, Utah. Salt Lake City’s geographical location figured heavily in the airline and hub considerations. Over 63 million travellers a year use Salt Lake City as hub for U.S. destinations, making it attractive to resort developments in the region trying to woo tourists to the area. And as it is located almost directly south of Cranbrook, it is ideal for eastern or western American travellers. “The greatest impact is that you get a brand name U.S. carrier,” said Myers. “It’s very prestigious for the community and the region. Number two is with one stop, with one flight, you can touch 63 million people who are going to ride on the same aircraft with a one-stop into the region. It just changes the whole paradigm of access.” Part of the deal with Delta includes a guaranteed annual net revenue of $784,000. FLY YXC has already invested close to $800,000 but is seeking matching pledges from local businesses and community members as a show of faith in the project. As Myers pointed out, an investment in the airport translates into a feeling of ownership in the project and in the success of tourism in the region. For more information or to download a pledge form, see http://flyyxc.com. by Tanya Laing Moore http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=8 http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=8 Sat, 29 Mar 2008 10:31:08 -0700 A Nelson firefighter has developed a novel product that could soon be part of standard procedure for emergency services across North America. Check-Out Bag, a brightly coloured bag emblazoned with a large checkmark, lets people know that emergency services have already dealt with an accident scene, solving a problem that has long been plaguing police and fire units. ?We would get called back to the same scene by well-meaning members of the public who were unaware that we had already dealt with it,? said inventor Dan Markin, who learned of the issue first hand as a longtime volunteer with the Beasley Fire Department. Neither flagging tape nor traffic cones had proven effective in communicating that a situation had already been looked after by emergency services. Markin carefully designed the Check-Out Bag to resemble a traffic sign, making it both highly visible and authoritative, while using a symbol that is recognized around the globe. ?Even if you are going by in a vehicle at a brisk pace, you can identify the checkmark and realize that the accident scene has been checked,? he said. Check-Out Bag made its debut this past October at two dozen emergency services and four RCMP detachments around the West Kootenay, with great success. ?Since the bags have been put into service, we have not had a single callback, and I have not had a report of any callbacks from any of the (fire) halls that are using them,? he said. Public response to the product has also been favourable as it eliminates confusion when passing by an accident. ?The public in general have told me that they appreciate seeing it out there because it does take the ambiguity out of it,? said Markin. ?When you see the checkmark, you know that it?s been dealt with. If you don?t see it, then you know that it?s a good idea to make the call to get something happening.? The potential market expansion for Check-Out Bag, to which Markin owns the trademark and copyright, is huge. There is no other such product being sold to emergency services, and its possible uses go beyond roadside accidents. ?As far as the type of emergency, it?s not limited to vehicles because it is designed to be hung over top of mailboxes, signposts, street markings?or pretty much anywhere?to identify areas where emergency services have checked a location,? said Markin. Disaster evacuations and missing person searches are two crises where Markin particularly sees a benefit to using the Check-Out Bag. While the product looks deceptively simple, Markin in fact put careful thought into the design. The Check-Out Bag is reversible and, should rescuers be unable to find a post on which to display the checkmark, it can be turned around and filled with snow or some other weighty material to exhibit the checkmark. Because the Check-Out Bag is biodegradable, crews will not have to worry about retrieving the bags; they will simply disintegrate in about six months. Emergency departments interested in testing out the product can contact Markin through his website: www.checkoutbag.ca. http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=13 http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=13 Sat, 15 Mar 2008 10:12:47 -0700 Helicopters, cats, high-speed lifts and North America's longest skiable vertical?Revelstoke Mountain has it all. Revelstoke Mountain Resort announced on May 1 that it becomes the official owner of Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing, opening up 500,000 acres of skiable terrain. A $6 million agreement to purchase signed in January has been completed. With the recent acquisition of CAT Powder Skiing and now ownership of locally-renowned Selkirk Tangiers?Revelstoke Mountain Resort joins the ranks of world class one-stop destinations for skiers from around the world. ?You can literally get up in the morning and have the world?s greatest adventure playground at your doorstep, with helicopter, snow cat and lift skiing all accessible from the village,? said resort developer Don Simpson, chairman of Denver-based Simpson Property Group Canada. In January, Simpson announced the signing of a $22 million gondola and high speed quad chairlift contract with Leitner Poma Canada Inc. that will make Revelstoke Mountain Resort North America?s longest skiable vertical at 1,829 metres (6,000 feet). Lift construction and installation began last month so that the first eight-person gondola and high-speed quad chairlift will be operational for the next ski season. ?Revelstoke has been my favorite place to ski,? Simpson said. ?This is the epicentre of world class helicopter and snow cat skiing, a one-of-a-kind resort.? Peter Schlunegger, the previous owner/operator of Selkirk Tangiers, said his team of expert guides and professionals will remain with the company and he will assist Revelstoke Mountain Resort through the transition and pass on his 30 years of experience of the heli-skiing operation. Located just minutes away from downtown historical Revelstoke (population 8,500) and only hours from international gateway cities such as Vancouver B.C., Kelowna, B.C. and Calgary, AB, Revelstoke has long been a popular local, national and international ski getaway. More than 8,000 heli and cat skiers flock the region annually to enjoy 40 to 60 feet of snow ? the height of a four-storey building ? and superb backcountry terrain. http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=17 http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=17 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:25:21 -0700 The health of the powersports industry depends on a variety of factors, including weather and the condition of the local economy. Moreover, to ensure the viability of a business, individual snowmobile, ATV and dirt bike dealers have to constantly stay on top of changing trends. Ryan Tomilin, manager of B&F Sales and Service Ltd. in Grand Forks, knows the importance of recognizing customer demands; his business also faces challenges when it comes to dealing with competition from imported products. ?A lot of this stuff is not very safe,? said Tomilin. ?I?ve looked at some of the kids? ATVs and minibikes, and my kid?s life is worth a lot more than that; it?s very poor-quality stuff.? These products are available for bargain prices at many department stores; however, Tomilin said their parts-supply and service is terrible, but it?s cheap and that?s what people are looking at. In this fast-track industry, another major issue affecting business is advancing technology. ?You have your new technology coming out basically every six months and it?s hard to keep up,? said Tomilin. ?You have to be sending somebody to school several times a year just to keep up on the updates.? He added that while change in technology seems to happen at a fast pace, usually that change is for the betterment of the industry. http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=12 http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=12 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:29:17 -0700 When Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. acquired Coyote Creek, a 1,300-hectare property 50 kilometres northeast of Cranbrook, the original intent was to explore for zinc. While no viable zinc was found in the area, a sizable gypsum deposit was discovered, and the company turned its attention to those prospects. Mike Labach, investor relations spokesperson for Eagle Plains, said this is very encouraging for the company. ?An inexpensive exploration program resulted in outlining a sizable gypsum mineralized zone,? said Labach. ?The deposit appears to be fairly high-grade.? Gypsum is an evaporite?a sediment that is left after the evaporation of seawater?and is a mineral used in various industrial materials such as wallboard, fertilizers, soil conditioners and plaster of Paris. It is also a mineral for which exploration costs are relatively inexpensive?especially when compared with the costs of other minerals like gold, zinc, lead or copper?and that is what makes it attractive in terms of mining commerce. The gypsum deposit has attracted the notice of companies looking to explore the claim further. In October of 2006, Eagle Plains announced it had completed an option-to-purchase agreement with CGC Inc., a New Brunswick-registered company. As part of the agreement, CGC Inc. is paying Eagle Plains $30,000 for the right to evaluate the property in terms of gypsum viability. If the results are as significant as expected, CGC Inc. will purchase the property from Eagle Plains?an excellent prospect according to Labach. ?This is a property that was acquired for the cost of staking it,? said Labach. ?We explored it from a zinc perspective, found gypsum, got a major company interested in purchasing it from us and they?re going to pay us to explore it further. If they don?t like it, they?re going to give it back to us after doing a significant exploration program. If they like it, they will buy it from us.? The initial results of the exploration are encouraging, and Labach is fully anticipating the purchase of the claim by CGC Inc. http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=16 http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=16 Sat, 15 Dec 2007 14:29:53 -0700 Growth has become a major factor within the city of Grand Forks. With the increase in residential construction around the city, there has been an influx of people. And more new residents means more businesses have been opening as well. ?Some of these small businesses will be storefronts,? said Wendy McCulloch, general manager for Community Futures Boundary, ?but there are a lot of them that will be home-based.? According to McCulloch, numerous job postings in Grand Forks are advertising for skilled labourers. She believes that with the increase in residential construction, the need for skilled people will continue to rise as well. McCulloch feels this growth is directly linked to the expanding population in the Okanagan. ?Folks are moving out of the Okanagan because they are wanting a different lifestlye,? said McCulloch. ?They are looking for more safety as well. ?I think the growth is good and will be interesting to watch. The people who move to the area and start businesses add a vitality to the economy; it?s an economic driver. Grand Forks really is the service hub for the region.? http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=10 http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=10 Sat, 15 Dec 2007 14:09:19 -0700 Third quarter MLS? real estate transaction statistics echo previous reports of firsts with MLS? dollar volume of sales leading the way. Last year's total figure for the dollar volume of all MLS? unit sales to the end of 2006 was over $842 million?a record year. To the end of September year-to-date, the dollar volume of all MLS? sales recorded by the Kootenay Real Estate Board soared to over $924 million?a new record high! The dollar volume of MLS? sales to the end of September 2007 shows an increase of 79 per cent in comparison to the same period last year. MLS? unit sales year-to-date to the end of September 2007 are showing strong in comparison to last year for the same period, with 2007 showing a 38 per cent increase in MLS? units reported sold. The price of the average residential detached house sold on the Multiple Listing Service? (MLS?) year-to-date to the end September 2007 rose by 29 per cent to $251,986 compared to the amount of $194,715 reported over the same period in 2006 as consumers of real estate continue to show their confidence in Kootenay real estate markets. Kootenay Real Estate Board MLS? statistics year-to-date to the end of September 2007 show residential detached housing listings declining by eight per cent over the same period, in 2006 with MLS? unit sales for detached residential housing showing a healthy increase of 16 per cent over the same reporting period last year. Overall, MLS? listings year-to-date to the end of September 2007 increased seven per cent over listings during the same period in 2006, but overall MLS? unit sales remain very active with a large increase of 38 per cent over amounts reported for the same period in 2006. Land statistics continue to remain strong with year-to-date statistics to the end of September 2007 showing MLS? land sales popular with a 31 per cent increase in number of MLS? units sold and a six per cent increase in numbers of MLS? land listings offered over the same period in 2006. Increases in the MLS? dollar volume of land sales continue to impress with a 51 per cent increase in dollar volume over the first three quarters for the year-to-date ending September 2007. When asked to comment on the end of third quarter MLS? statistics, 2007 Kootenay Real Estate Board president Sharron Billey had this to say: ?Nobody can say that watching real estate in the Kootenays is a dull pastime. The projections for our Kootenay real estate markets were for small increases in unit sales with a more balanced market. What we have seen is some markets achieving balance, and others experiencing anything but. The key message in all of this is real estate markets in the Kootenays remain an attractive place for buyers and sellers of real estate.? When asked what the balance of the year will hold for real estate watchers in the Kootenays, Billey commented: ?The Kootenay Real Estate Board has broken records this year in MLS? Dollar Volume, and with MLS? unit sales figures at 38 per cent ahead of last year due to the number of Kootenay markets excelling, the anecdotal accounts of market productivity are starting to indicate that we are in for a small pause while the markets catch their breath. As we close out the year 2007, the Kootenays may start to move towards that balanced market the experts are predicting.? Major Kootenay markets showing increases in MLS? unit sales to the end of September 2007 in comparison to 2006 are: Castlegar?up four per cent, Cranbrook?up 39 per cent, Elkford?up 66 per cent, Fernie?up 45 per cent, Golden?up 82 per cent, Grand Forks?up 9 per cent, Invermere?up 33 per cent, Kimberley?up 65 per cent, Nakusp?up 140 per cent, Nelson?up 49 per cent, Radium?up 82 per cent, Rossland?up 133 per cent, Sparwood?up 40 per cent, and Trail?up 2 per cent. http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=15 http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=15 Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:34:18 -0700 Last year the Creston Valley experienced an increase in residential development as three major housing projects got underway. ?Our community has seen an influx of people from Alberta and a lot of baby-boomer retirees,? said Joe Snopek, mayor of Creston. ?I think the increase in residential development is partly a reflection of that trend. We have also had a couple of larger businesses looking at Creston and we could likely see some well-known stores coming to the valley in the future.? Small business has also increased in Creston over the last year?especially home-based businesses. In January alone, the Town of Creston issued 18 new business licences. The Town of Creston is currently in the process of working on a strategic three-year plan for the community. http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=14 http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=14 Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:08:26 -0700 Rita Crawford, founder of Kootenay Custom Quilting, refers to herself as a sewaholic with an intense passion for sewing. Her mom taught her the skill in her childhood and Crawford remembers this as bonding time. In the early ?90s, Crawford tried her hand at quilting but found it took too much time, so went back to sewing. Then one day in 2004, while living in the Lower Mainland, Crawford watched in horror as her stepson Kristopher was run over by a dumptruck while riding his bike. ?Kristopher?s death was very hard to deal with and our new reality was difficult,? Crawford said. ?It is not in my nature to join a group and share my feelings and grief. Being a seamstress, it was only natural I did more sewing than I had done in a long time.? It was four months later that Crawford was inspired to make a quilt commemorating Kristopher?s life. ?I remember it so clearly,? Crawford said. ?I was walking through the mall and the idea hit me, and I knew this project would help me heal . . . I also made the decision to keep the photo memory quilt a secret and give it to Kristopher?s dad (her fianc?) for Christmas.? Crawford managed to complete the quilt in several months, which provided her with the opportunity and time to come to terms with her loss. ?It was emotional as I went through the photos of Kristopher,? she said. ?I became engulfed in the project and this cleared my mind and was a release of emotion for me.? In May 2005, Crawford and her family moved to Castlegar; not long after, with the help of Community Futures Development Corporation in Nelson, she started up her own photo memory quilt business, Kootenay Custom Quilting. The process of creating a photo quilt entails the use of letter-sized photo fabric. Crawford enlarges and edits the photos on her computer, then feeds the fabric through a computer printer that uses specialized ink. Next, the fabric photos are cut into symmetrical shapes to fit a pattern. Kootenay Custom Quilting creates about 20 quilts per year and has expanded to sewing pillows and encompassing other memory themes such as birth announcements, weddings, birthdays, pets and graduations. Crawford has spent the last year completing an array of designs, but the quilt closest to her heart is still the one she sewed for Kristopher. ?It will always be special to me,? she said, ?but I also see how special each quilt is to each client. I love to see the look of joy on their faces. It is also nice to sew for someone else who has been through a tragic situation. I can relate to how they feel." For more information about Kootenay Custom Quilting go to www.kcquilting.com. http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=11 http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=11 Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:16:18 -0700 Growth and development are hoped to boost resort?s global image. With the word ?Mountain? back in its name, Red Mountain Resort is moving ahead in anticipation of the upcoming ski season. The resort and development company recently obtained the legal rights to the name Red Mountain Resort?it had been known simply as Red Resort over last few seasons. The name will now be in the forefront of all upcoming marketing plans. With regards to development, work is rapidly proceeding at the base of the resort, with two condominiums under construction for a total of 67 units. Projected completion will be in late spring of 2007. In other resort news, all Red Mountain Resort properties will now be represented by the world-renowned Sotheby?s International Realty Canada. As one of the most trusted names in premium real estate, this partnership is designed to help Red Mountain Resort spread the news all over the globe. For more information on Red Mountain Resort, visit www.redresort.com. http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=5 http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=5 Mon, 09 Jul 2007 10:23:34 -0700 PGA champion Fred Couples is lending his name to the area PGA champion Fred Couples was on hand June 9th at the new Whiskeyjack golf resort development in Sparwood to lend his name to the project and design. Couples spoke of his appreciation for all the region has to offer in terms of scenery and potential for the course. ?This is a great community but not (known for) golf,? said Couples. ?But that?s really not the point. The point is the property and that?s spectacular. I try not to do anything that is not going to be?in my mind?spectacular. This is an area that, when we?re done, will have some unbelievable water features; it will be very playable for the people and it will be absolutely beautiful.? Couples said Whiskeyjack will present something for every level of player; it will be demanding on some shots and easy on others. He also said the weather will provide very lush conditions that will be appreciated by all players. ?When you play it, I think you?ll have a lot of fun,? said Couples. ?Everyone says that, but here, while you?re hitting, you can be looking at the Continental Divide and all these beautiful mountainsides and some great, great views.? Couples said the nearby mine will not detract from the scenery; most of the holes are being designed so as to mask the smokestacks. Couples promised that he would be visiting the course several times during and following the construction of the project. He anticipates returning to the site next in September and is planning other visits to check the progress of the course. Couples was pleased to have his name associated with the project and he joins other prestigious PGA champions-turned-designers who have lent their efforts and names to courses in the southeast Kootenay and nearby Montana; among these celebrities are Gary Player, Nick Faldo, Andy North and Jack Nicklaus. ?Nicklaus and Player?they?re prolific,? he said. ?They do golf courses pretty much all over the place. So when I go into an area (where they have designed courses), that tells me that golf here is needed and I feel great that they?re in the area. My goal is to be known by building good golf courses, and certainly it helps to say there?s a Nicklaus course and a Gary Player course not far from here. ?Hopefully, we?ll be right with them or even better than them.? by TANYA LAING MOORE http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=6 http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=6 Mon, 09 Jul 2007 10:22:40 -0700 British Columbia-based St. Eugene Mining Corporation Ltd. is seeing success in its exploration projects?one target at a time A publicly traded, Vancouver based exploration and development company, St. Eugene has its feet firmly planted in the Kootenays. Six high-priority zinc/silver/lead drill targets were identified in 2006 at the Moyie Project 20 kilometres south of Cranbrook in a historic base metal mining basin that stretches from Idaho?s Coeur d?Alene silver/lead camp to B.C.?s 150-million- ton Sullivan zinc/silver/lead mine. Ore has been continuously produced in this area for over 120 years. From 1900 to 1911, the St. Eugene Mine produced 1.4 million tons of ore grading five per cent zinc, 15 per cent lead and seven ounces of silver per ton from three main ore shoots?Lakeshore, Moyie and St. Eugene. At today?s prices, St. Eugene ore is more valuable per ton than the Sullivan ore, the latter of which at 2006 prices would be valued at US$50 billion. In addition, new mining technology makes the Moyie Project attractive once again. Leading the exploration team is Rolly Trenaman, a professional engineer with 50 years of mining industry experience including the role of manager of the Sullivan Mine. In addition, he has operated the Ptarmigan Gold Mine, Yellowknife and Silvana base metal mine, Sandon. While the opportunity for locating a 150-million-ton deposit like the Sullivan Mine within the Kootenay geological environment cannot be dismissed, statistical analysis would conclude that the chances of finding a number of million-ton ore bodies are in the order of one hundred times better. And, the fact that these could feed into a centralized concentrator complex makes them attractive and valuable prospects, especially at today?s metal prices. We invite you to share in our growth! http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=2 http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=2 Wed, 14 Mar 2007 09:39:28 -0700 A $2 million investment by Louisiana-Pacific (LP) Canada Ltd. in Golden is set to start paying off with benefits so clear you can't see them. The newly installed pollution control system is designed to clean the air in the Golden area, allowing residents to breathe a little easier this winter. LP's Golden production facility recently completed the installation of a new wet electrostatic precipitator, or Wet ESP. The new system employs the latest pollution control technology to virtually eliminate any airborne particulate matter from LP's veneer production plant. The state-of-the-art technology was designed and constructed on site by A.H. Lundberg Systems of Vancouver, B.C., through its subsidiary, Geoenergy. "It is the right thing to do for our valley to improve air quality. The Wet ESP is above the industry standard," Michael Brygger, plant environmental manager for LP, told the Golden Star newspaper. The article, which appeared in the Golden Star on September 20, describes the process as follows: "The Wet ESP takes the air from the dryers and processes it through a quenching system - which relies on water. The water scrubs the air and then uses an electric field to further clean the air, pulling out particles from the air before releasing from the discharge. The final waste removed, consisting of wood oils and tars, will be used as a fuel when mixed with wood and burned in the onsite co-generation boiler." Also part of the project was Airtek Pneumatics of Surrey and Systematic Mill Installations of Kelowna, who were involved in the supply and installation of specialized materials and equipment for the project. Louisiana-Pacific Canada Ltd. is Golden's largest employer, with a workforce of over 450 people. http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=1 http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=1 Wed, 14 Mar 2007 09:35:06 -0700 Revelstoke will soon be home to the world's longest skiable vertical. Progress at Revelstoke Mountain Resort just took a major step forward in January with the announcement that a contract for a $22-million gondola and high-speed quad chairlift was signed with Leitner Poma Canada Inc. Along with the gondola and chairlift contract, the resort announced the signing of purchase agreements for local heli-skiing company Selkirk Tangiers. With the spring acquisition of Selkirk Tangiers, Revelstoke Mountain Resort will become a one-stop destination for lift- , cat- and heli-skiing. The inclusion of the heli-skiing operation will mean the resort will boast over 500,000 acres of skiable terrain. If all goes as planned, the initial phase of lift installations will start in the spring, allowing the first eight-person gondola and high-speed quad chairlift to be operational by the official opening of the resort in fall 2007. One heli of an experience For over 28 years, Peter Schlunegger - the current owner of Selkirk Tangiers - has been guiding people on ski trips in the Monashee and Selkirk mountains around Revelstoke. Now, he is planning on handing over operational duties to one of his guides who has been with him for 23 seasons. "I will be just on a consulting basis for a year or so," said Schlunegger. "All the same people will stay involved: all the guides and all the office people. It's not a huge change as far as that goes." Schlunegger sees the potential amalgamation of Selkirk Tangiers with Revelstoke Mountain Resort as a good way to allow more people the opportunity to try heli-skiing. "I think that it will actually complement the heli-skiing," he said. "The more skiers there are, the more people who might want to take a day heli-skiing. They might come here on vacation and decide short notice to try it." The resort plans to have a heli pad right in the proposed village, so that guests and residents will be able to literally walk out their front door and go on a heli-skiing adventure. "I am sure that it is going to be very quickly well known over North America for the biggest verticals" said Schlunegger. "I think Whistler is not quite 5000 vertical and this is going to be 6000 vertical feet - that's major." Long-term vision The planning of this development has been a long process that Revelstoke mayor Mark McKee thinks has been beneficial. "We've looked at developers, at development plans and we've made adjustments over the years," said McKee. "We've learned from the successes of other resorts and the failures of other resorts. We're going to be able to learn from both those successes and failures and I think that we're all-this whole region-going to benefit from that." McKee also believes that Revelstoke is ready for the changes a $1-billion resort development like this is going to have on the city itself. "I think it's going to be a slow, steady change that the community will evolve into more of a resort community than it has been," said McKee. "We already experience huge numbers of visitors in the summer and our winter tourism is world class. I think the community has already had a taste of resort development, and what we're doing now is we're just taking it to another level." Economic catalyst The multi-phased resort development includes commercial, retail and residential space, with hotels, condominiums, townhomes, single-family lots and a village heli-centre in the plans. Alan Mason, the manager of community economic development for the City of Revelstoke, is beginning to notice a rise in housing prices. "As people come in and buy houses, the housing prices go up and then affordability becomes a big issue," Mason said. "One of the stipulations we made in our deal with the ski hill developers was that 10 per cent of all housing that was built had to be employee housing." Both McKee and Mason stress that the residents of Revelstoke have played a major part in the decision-making process for the resort development. "This project has been on the book for a long time and the community has come out year after year and meeting after meeting with huge support," said McKee. "It's been one of the things that has really given the development community a lot of ease and comfort." Mason added, "Generally the community is 95 per cent behind us. Everyone is ecstatic that the resort has gone ahead." As for the existing businesses in Revelstoke, Mason said they should have little reason to worry. "What we've tried to do is position the local merchants and retailers so that they can take advantage of the resort," said Mason. "We understand there are going to be new businesses coming in, and that is fine, but we think there will also be opportunities for the local retailers to capitalize as well. I think that it will be a huge boost to the local economy." http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=4 http://www.investkootenay.com/news.php?id=4 Sat, 03 Mar 2007 11:55:25 -0700 Over the last few years the city of Castlegar has begun to develop into more of a regional commercial centre. And although the community still depends quite heavily on industry, there have been significant steps taken to branch out in terms of its economy. "We have traditionally relied on our industry - especially the softwood lumber and pulp and paper industries - to define our economy," said Shannon Marshall, planning technician for the City of Castlegar. "But over the last little while we have seen an increase in business and services, which have helped steer Castlegar in a number of directions." A couple of these important service facilities are the Castlegar Regional Airport and Selkirk College, which continues to grow and offer students more and more educational opportunities. Because Highways 3, 3A and 22 put Castlegar at the regional centre with Trail, Nelson, the Slocan Valley and Grand Forks, the city hopes to become a hub for commercial, social, recreational and cultural activities, explained Marshall. "We want to see all kinds of development in our future and we feel we have an ideal community to accommodate it," he said. "We are looking forward to welcoming many new businesses and faces to our community."