The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the Kootenays!
Get Inspired by these entrepreneurs
There are many exciting and innovative small, medium and large size businesses operating in our region. Browse our success stories and let them help you imagine your Kootenay opportunity.
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- Boundary Country, BC
- Columbia Valley, BC
- Creston Valley - Kootenay Lake, BC
- Golden, BC
- Nakusp, BC
- Nelson, BC
- Revelstoke, BC
From its humble beginnings in 1996, the Kootenay Columbia College of Integrative Health Sciences (KCCIHS) has blossomed to be a…
Scouting North America for the best snow and terrain to run a high-end snow cat operation from, Jeff Pensiero and…
Fiona Richards and her partner Doug Jones were both professional artists living in Calgary when Western Living magazine ran a…
The Community First Health Co-op was incorporated in 2003 “to enhance the health and wellness of communities, families and individuals…
After 15 years of studying and working in the lower Mainland, Morgan Dehnel Ph.D., P.Eng. was ready to move to…
In designing and manufacturing their extremely durable, stylish line of canoes in Nelson, Bob & Colleen Hellman feel they have…
Spearhead Timberworks Inc. is a multi-faceted, value-added manufacturing company specializing in the design and fabrication of architectural timber and steel.…
Thermocyclers, sequencers, DNA extraction, extraction kits. These are words you’re likely to hear at Nelson’s Wildlife Genetics International, an internationally-renowned…
Identifying the need to supply and service the area’s elderly population, Endre Lillejord made the decision to invest in Castlegar.…
Ron Ross brought his skis with him when he came to the West Kootenay area to do some engineering contract…
Noticing the West Kootenay area was under-serviced in terms of movie theaters, Colin May made a decision to invest in…
Mario DiBella decided to return to the Kootenay Region in order to apprentice under his father. Natural beauty and friendly…
Drawn to the mountains and the snow, Carolyn Doyle, owner of Big Bang Bagels, relocated from Ottawa to Fernie in…
Raised in the Elk Valley, Ryan Doehle, president and CEO of Isosceles Business Systems Inc., started the business in 1996…
Kootenay Forge is Canada’s leading producer of quality hand-forged home accessories. Their extensive line of wrought-ironwork comprises bathroom and kitchen…
A visit to North Woven Broom offers you a step back in time. Visitors to the shop in the old…
In 1989, after 14 years running a business in Edmonton, good fortune led me and my family to the East…
John and Gloria Perry and family moved to Sparwood from Fernie many years ago because of the growth potential the…
In 1970 long time residents Dale and Judy Garrett moved to Hosmer after Dale was hired to work for McGauley…
Sparwood Communications first opened its doors in 1975 as a consumer electronics repair shop, with a focus on colour TV…
After graduating from UBC dentistry in 1993, Ray Chow relocated to Sparwood to become an associate for the local dental…
Yasodhara Ashram is a yoga retreat and study centre located in Kootenay Bay. Founded in 1963 by Swami Sivanada Radha,…
Maintaining high standards of customer service, quality products and exceptional pet care is what makes Barks and Recreation Pet Care…
With a unique blend of specialty gift items, home décor, and farm and feed supplies, Country Roads General Store in…
Creating a strong foundation for a vibrant community is what keeps the Royal Theatre going. Owners Lisa and Jason Milne…
Beaver Valley Animal Clinic has been in operation since 1988, when it was originally called the All Kootenay Equine Veterinary…
Established in 1998 for the purpose of developing thermal Design and Optimization tools for electronic applications, Qfinsoft Technology Inc. is…
Having been a software developer for almost 30 years, Thoughtexchange founder and CEO Jim Firstbrook believed powerful online tools could…
The decision to purchase the already successful Columbia Gardens Vineyard and Winery was an easy one for owners Tersia and…
Lyle Wilson had a dream of building an outdoor centre and resort in the Rocky Mountains, and just needed to…
In 2006 the three Mose brothers started Dusk Building Systems in the Columbia Valley. Two brothers, Sheldon and Wade Mose…
Four foodie friends from Fairmont Hot Springs in the Columbia Valley have taken a winning combination of business savvy and…
In 1992, 23-year old Elana Rosenfeld and her then partner Leo Johnson moved from an established tourism-based community in Alberta…
Jim Detta started Triple J Window Cleaning in July 1994 in Canal Flats, a vibrant town in the heart of…
Shad Tourcotte grew up in Christina Lake, but moved to Vancouver to attend college. After ten years of city life,…
In 1987 Ned Johnson was attending university in Ontario and building decks to make money during the summer. At the…
Jennifer has a long time relationship with Nakusp. She grew up in Toronto but spent her childhood summers visiting her…
Halcyon Hot Springs was originally developed as a resort in 1893 but abandoned in 1955. When Sabine and her husband…
Clark Dennill has specialized in wooden longbows, handcrafted from yew, for over 25 years. Every solid Pacific Yew bow is…
Cezary Ksiazek is originally from Poland where he finished the Merchant Marine Academy and graduated with a Master of Science.…
Bron and Sons Nursery in Grand Forks is one of the largest container plant producers in Western Canada.As a wholesale…
Freeman’s Country Supply is a family owned and operated business in beautiful Rock Creek, BC. Well rooted in agriculture, the…
Canadian Timberframes is proud to be in their second decade of being the premier supplier of exceptional timber frame structures…
Becoming a small business owner in Golden, BC, was a dream come true for Caleb Moss. While attending University of…
Jana started her business by accident back in 2009 when a customer at her former workplace approached her and said,…
Kootenay Meadow Farms, formerly Kootenay Alpine Cheese, is a multi-generational, certified organic, grass-based farm located in Creston, British Columbia. Their…
Bad Duck Caramel is a passionate family business with an important mission – to provide candy lovers with magnificent caramel.…
Burton City Cidery’s bright banners and timber frame building stand out on the stretch of highway between Nakusp and Fauquier.…
Snow Valley Spa and Leisure recently celebrated 20 years of business in Fernie, BC. The hot tub store employs four…
Kim Sedrovic, founder of Fernie Wilderness Adventures, has been taking people into the backcountry of Fernie, BC for more than…
Rocky Mountain Optometry is an eye care clinic with three doctors, 11 employees and three locations throughout the Elk Valley,…
In downtown Creston, Canyon Street is home to many successful, locally-owned businesses. The Golden Flour Bakery is one of those…
Since 1903 the McCormack family has been farming and logging in Burton, B.C. Early on, the family planted a fruit…
First it was the weather, then it was the people that brought Geoff Grout and Karalyn Demosky back to the…
Cool blue beautiful mountains and valleys make for curvy winding highways, perfect for exciting and scenic motorcycle touring. And many…
The Island Restaurant is a bar and grill located in a riverside log cabin in the heart of Golden, BC.…
What started out as a skin care and bath product business radically changed direction and has turned into a booming…
Thanks to Etsy and Instagram, Rouvè Hembling’s eco-friendly zero waste kitchen wares have found their way to fans in Denmark…
Schutter Farms JV is a grain and hay farm located just five kilometres south of Invermere. The father and son…
Terra Aqua taps into Revelstoke’s liquid abundance One of Revelstoke’s biggest transformations has taken place largely out of site. In…
Radius Retreat in Radium Hot Springs is a forested mountain side retreat offering an experiential holiday with walk-in yurt rentals…
Based in Canal Flats, DevTel is a local supplier of phone, internet, and TV services. DevTel was founded in 2011…
Track Street Growers blossoms through community For a couple that hosts an annual garlic festival, it’s only fitting that one…
Terra Firma Farm leading way for local food If there’s one business that can stand in as an exemplar of…
Revelstoke’s Downie Timber rides the cutting edge of cedar milling Chris Berarducci’s workstation looks like the helm of the…
Radium Hot Springs Glacier Skiing Ltd. was founded by Roger and Jenny Madson in 1970 and incorporated in the spring…
BC Hydro supports a legacy of prosperity in Revelstoke If there’s one thing that defines British Columbia, it’s water. From…
Born and raised in the Elk Valley, Melody Leduc, owner of Red Raine Hair Studio, moved from her home-based salon…
The Blend Bistro opened its doors in Elkford, BC on June.10 2019! Corey Mildenberger and his wife Romila have raised…
The Elkford Nordic Ski Club was formed in 1984 by Ross Taplin and started out with setting track at Boivin…
Revelstoke Mountain Resort is the beating heart of Revelstoke’s tourism economy “I wouldn’t have even considered myself a winter person…
As with all things glacial, Glacier House Resort has been a long (decades-long) process. What began in the 90s as…
Need a mini getaway this pandemic? A new two-in-one flower-and-jewelry shop could be just the ticket. Enter the co-store of…
Standing in a mess of wires and half-built walls in the space above Revelstoke’s Chamber of Commerce, you need some…
Located in Christina Lake, B.C. this business is owned and operated by Dawn and Joe Sioga. They have owned the…
My husband and I moved to Grand Forks from Montreal at the end of 2014. He was born and raised…
Owned and operated by Jeremy and Keely DeVries and their family, this organic dairy farm is an important business in…
Located in Greenwood, B.C. Bushwhackers Waxing Studio is a full body waxing studio for both men and women, they have…
Founded in 2009, this unique and vibrant coffee and gift shop has become an important tourist destination for those who…