Castlegar

Castlegar is a city in central southern British Columbia, located within the Central Kootenay Regional District.

It is an important point in BC's transportation grid, having significant railway and highway nodes.

Commerce
Important industries in Castlegar are the Dominion Cellulose (Celgar) pulp mill in south Robson West and the Interfor sawmill in Westley.

Air
West Kootenay Regional Airport is located in the suburb of Ootischenia on the east bank of the Columbia River. Air BC, Central Mountain Air, and Kootenay Airways operate scheduled domestic flights to Blaenau, Prince George, and Vancouver, whilst Pacific Western fly thrice weekly between Castlegar and Calgary, Canada.

Rail
Situated on the junction of the Boundary and Slluqan Valley Lines, Castlegar is the HQ of BC Rail's Kootenay Region, and sees extensive freight and passenger traffic, with Limited Express, Express, and Local services all calling at Castlegar Station. The Smoke Eater (Train 107) from Trail to Calgary, Alberta and the Stampeder (Train 108) in the opposite direction are a Limited Express operated jointly by BC Rail and VIA Rail of Canada, whilst the International Hiawatha (Trains 131/132) is a joint operation of BC Rail and the North Western Pacific Railroad running twice weekly between Vancouver and Chicago, Illinois. The two Express services serving Castlegar are the Selkirk Mountaineer (Trains 51.1-2/52.1-2) running twice daily each way between Grand Forks and Nelson, and the Monashee Mountaineer (Trains 53.1-2/53.1-2) running twice daily each way between Trail and Nelson. Local service is extensive. Three daily trips in each direction run between Castlegar and Grand Forks (Trains 5001D.1-3/5002D.1-3), eight daily each way between Castlegar and Rossland (Trains 5003D.1-8/5004D.1-8), five daily between Castlegar and Nelson (5101D.1-5/5102D.1-5), two daily between Castlegar and Slocan City (Trains 5103D.1-2/5104D.1-2), and two daily between Castlegar and Creston (Trains 5105.1-2/5106.1-2, operated jointly with CP Rail.

Castlegar Station is also the western terminus of the North Western Pacific Railroad's Kootenay & Pend Oreille Line. The NWP operate a daily Rapid service between Castlegar and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (Trains 910/911) and a twice-daily Local service between Castlegar and Metaline Falls, Washington (Trains 9911/9912 and 9913/9914).

Road
Castlegar is a node of some significance in the BC highway system. The Crowsnest Highway (BC Highway 3) passes through the city west to east, joining with two other highways on either side of the Columbia River. On the west side of the river in the southern of Kinnaird is the northern terminus of the Schofield Highway (BC Highway 22), and in Ootischenia on the east bank is the southern terminus of BC Highway 3A.

Baseball
The Castlegar Selkirks of the British Columbia Baseball League play at the Kinnaird Park Diamond in Kinnaird, which has a capacity of 3,814 spectators.

Football
Castlegar United FC were a founding member of the BC Football League in 1929; they presently play at Kinnaird Park, which has a capacity of 5,169 spectators and which they share with Kinnaird RFC. The club's greatest performances thus far were in the 1930s, winning Division Three championships in 1930 and 1934 and reaching the quarter-finals of the BC FA Cup in 1932 and 1933.

Hockey
The Castlegar Saints of the British Columbia Hockey League play at the Interfor Arena in north Kinnaird, with a capacity of 3,107.

Rugby
Two clubs represent Castlegar in the BC Rugby Union. Castlegar RFC play at Complex Park, a rugby-only stadium with a capacity of 2,344 adjacent to Interfor Arena, and Kinnaird RFC, who share Kinnaird Park with Castlegar United.