Invest Here
A connected rural region with room to grow
Why BC?
British Columbia offers a strong combination of economic opportunity, global connectivity and quality of life. With access to Pacific markets, abundant natural resources, a diverse economy and a highly educated workforce, B.C. provides a strong foundation for businesses looking to establish, expand or invest.
Many who choose to make BC their home gravitate towards the Southern Interior, where the landscape varies from desert, mountains, rivers and lakes. There is a range of opportunities across diverse industries, in communities of all sizes…without being too far from the larger, urban centres.
More information is available on the Trade & Invest B.C. website: https://www.britishcolumbia.ca/
Why West Boundary?
The West Boundary is a unique rural region encompassing the communities of Greenwood, Midway, Rock Creek, Bridesville, Westbridge, Beaverdell & Big White. We are located between the popular Okanagan and Kootenay regions, along the Canada–U.S. border. The region is connected by Highway 3 and Highway 33 and is within driving distance of major interior city centres and the Kelowna airport.
Why invest here
- Diverse economy
- Emerging and value-added industries
- Access to regional & US markets
- Affordable land and housing
- Close to Okanagan orchards & vineyards
- Rich cultural heritage
- Great schools
- Strong community connection
- Abundant outdoor recreation (3 ski hills)
Whether you are looking to start, expand, relocate or invest, the West Boundary offers the space, resources and quality of life to support long-term success.
Industries
A diverse mix of industries supports local communities and creates room for new businesses and investment. Open a sector below.
- Tourism
Accommodations, resorts & recreation
The West Boundary offers strong opportunities in hospitality, recreation and destination experiences across a four-season recreation economy: trails, rivers and lakes, skiing and snow sports, and cycling on the KVR, TCT, Big White and community networks.
More accommodations are needed for growing visitor numbers, especially multi-unit stays. Two of three ski hills offer further development opportunity: Big White and Mount Baldy. Family-friendly community skiing: Phoenix Mountain.
Nordic, bike & equine
- Big White Nordic trails
- Baldy Nordic skiing
- Kelowna Nordic (near Idabel Lake)
- Mountain biking at Big White: https://www.bigwhite.com/summer/mountain-biking
- Cycle tourism needs: bike repair shops and cyclist-friendly accommodations
- Rock Creek Horse Trails (listed for now)
- Kettle River Horse Club
- Rock Creek & Boundary Fall Fair
Motorized sports & tourism supports
Thousands of km of forestry roads for ATVers. Route 3 Racing Club in Greenwood: https://www.facebook.com/p/Route-3-Racing-Club-100069323084156/.
Heritage, Culture & Creative Industries
Strong historical identities rooted in Indigenous history, mining, railways, ranching and early settlement create room for heritage attractions, arts, cultural experiences and creative businesses.
- Kettle River Museum (Mile 0 of the KVR, Midway) — https://kettlerivermuseum.org/
- Greenwood Museum — https://sites.google.com/charnleyvanwyk.com/greenwoodmuseumvisitorcentre/home
- Greenwood Ghost Tours — https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093689023516
- Boundary Museum & Archives (Grand Forks) — https://boundarymuseum.com/
Business ideas around heritage
- Raven Circle and Entwined Trees (Indigenous)
- Museum Trail
- Goldpanning in Rock Creek
- Doukhobor & Japanese cultural heritage
- Mining heritage and historic downtown Greenwood
Photos courtesy of Boundary Country Tourism.
MRDT & tourism support
The MRDT is a 2% tax on eligible short-term accommodation in Boundary Country (excluding Big White’s separate program). It is paid by guests and reinvested in tourism projects, marketing and visitor services through Boundary Country Tourism (https://www.boundarybc.com/), with Symphony Tourism Services / TOTA support. Accommodators have a voice in how funds are spent. TOTA: https://www.travel-british-columbia.com/thompson-okanagan/.
- Forestry
Forestry remains a cornerstone, with opportunities in small tenures and value-added manufacturing after recent industry downturns (including the closing of Vaagen Fibre in Midway).
West Boundary Community Forest: https://www.westboundarycommunityforest.com/about — locally owned, partnering with Osoyoos Indian Band, community-driven management, profits returned to the region.
Woodlots combine private land with crown tenure. Watch https://woodlotsbc.ca/ and https://grandforksgazette.ca/ for licence sales. Custom timber and furniture makers leave room for moderate-investment growth.
- Agriculture & value added processing
Strong potential in ranching, small animal farming and value-added food processing. Crown range licences help keep ranching accessible.
- Two licensed provincial abattoirs; a third Halal facility under construction
- Crops that do well: market gardens, berries, hay, cannabis, tree and flower nurseries
- Agritourism connecting visitors to farm and ranch life
Resources
- Boundary Commercial Food Hub
- Boundary Invasive Species Society
- Fencing contractors: see Building, Farming Supplies in the Directory
- Freeman’s Farm Supply
- Grow & Connect
- Kettle River Stockmens (more to come later)
- Kootenay Boundary Farm Advisors
- Mining
Mining history dates to the late-1850s gold rush. Large-scale mining has been dormant for decades, but exploration continues and smaller claims remain active across the area.
- Retail / Service
Greenwood and Midway serve surrounding rural communities. Retail and service businesses that meet local and visitor needs are in demand. Hotel Midway is seeking expressions of interest for food processing businesses in their facility.
- Skilled Trades
A growing region needs contractors, builders and skilled trades to support housing, tourism accommodations and commercial growth.
Business Supports
- Boundary Country Regional Chamber of Commerce — https://www.boundarychamber.com/
Supports local businesses through networking, advocacy, marketing, and business development programs. The Chamber helps strengthen the regional economy by promoting local shopping, encouraging collaboration, and creating opportunities for business growth. - Greenwood Board of Trade — https://www.facebook.com/greenwoodbot/
- Big White Chamber of Commerce — https://www.facebook.com/@bigwhitemountainchamber/
General Business Services
Business licences
- City of Greenwood — https://www.greenwoodcity.com/services/forms-permits/
- Village of Midway — https://midwaybc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Business-Licence-Application.pdf
Business licences are not required in Area E communities (Rock Creek, Bridesville, Westbridge, Beaverdell, Big White) in the same way as the municipalities; confirm with the Regional District as needed.
Building inspection: https://rdkb.com/Plan-Build/Building
Community Futures Boundary — https://boundarycf.com/ — supports small business development and entrepreneurship.
Riverside Centre
3990 Hwy 3, Rock Creek — https://www.facebook.com/riversiderockcreek. Year-round Destination BC visitor centre and community hub: brochure placement, free Directory listing, Echo advertising, accommodator promotion, meeting rooms, wifi, EV charging and merchandise.
Community Investment Co-op
West Kootenay Boundary Community Investment Co-op connects local investors with businesses and ventures.
Facts & services
Demographics, land, housing, transportation, media and neighbouring communities — open a topic below.
- Demographics
Community / Area 2021 2016 Change Area E / West Boundary 3,004 2,155 +39.4% Greenwood 702 665 +5.6% Midway 651 649 +0.3% Total 4,357 3,469 — Electoral Area E / West Boundary grew from 2,155 (2016) to 3,004 (2021), up 39.4% — well above B.C. (7.6%) and Canada (5.2%) over the same period.
- Land base
Zoning is in effect in the City of Greenwood (interactive map) and Village of Midway (OCP Schedule B).
In Electoral Area E, planning applies in portions including Big White, Mount Baldy, Jewel Lake, Bridesville Townsite and Bridesville Rural. Crown land makes up most of the land base.
ALR rules cross municipal, unzoned and crown land via the Agricultural Land Commission. Check titles for ALR status.
- Housing
The Boundary offers a comparatively accessible housing mix versus larger B.C. markets: established stock, rural properties and smaller community markets, with a high share of seasonal and recreational dwellings in West Boundary (3,709 private dwellings; 1,417 usual-resident occupied in 2021).
Housing is an important factor for employee attraction and retention. Listings: https://www.realtor.ca/.
- Transportation
Highway 3 runs east–west through the Boundary; Highway 33 connects to Kelowna via Big White, Beaverdell and Westbridge. Border crossings include Midway, Grand Forks and Cascade.
A vehicle is important given low density. Boundary Transit offers limited connections including Greenwood–Grand Forks Health Connections: https://www.bctransit.com/boundary/schedules-and-maps/. The Trans Canada Trail supports recreational connectivity.
- Newspaper coverage
Grand Forks Gazette (print & online).
Kettle River Echo (print & online) reaches about 50% of households in Greenwood, Midway, Rock Creek, Westbridge and Beaverdell. Ads: echoeditor@trailstotheboundary.com.
- Radio coverage
Reception varies with terrain. Juice FM is the main local commercial station; CBC Radio One is available on regional transmitters.
Station Frequency Coverage Juice FM 102.3 FM Grand Forks Juice FM 96.7 FM Greenwood Juice FM 103.7 FM Rock Creek Juice FM 93.3 FM Christina Lake CBC Radio One 97.9 FM Greenwood / Phoenix CBC Radio One 94.1 FM Rock Creek CBC Radio One 107.3 FM Grand Forks CBC Radio One 88.5 FM Christina Lake Neighbouring communities
- Grand Forks: https://www.investboundary.com/
- Christina Lake: Invest In The Lake
- Osoyoos: City economic profile pages
Medical services
View AllClinics from the Directory appear below. Hospital listings will show when added under Health & Wellness → Hospitals.
Schools
View AllSchool District 51 (Boundary) offers community-focused public education across the region. Listings from the Directory appear below.
- Greenwood Elementary (K-7)
- Boundary Central Secondary, Midway (8-12)
- West Boundary Elementary (K-7)
- Beaverdell Elementary (K-3)
- Big White Community School (K-9)