Electoral Area A, East KootenayBritish Columbia

Some 2,092 people live in this town, in British Columbia. Statistics Canada places it in the East Kootenay census division.

2 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain

Population

2,092

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

42.8

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

57%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Electoral Area A, East Kootenay a good place to live?

The local economy does well (A+). Housing is expensive (D). Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B for safety, B for schools, B for health and B for walkability. It lags on hazard risk as well (C).

An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Electoral Area A, East Kootenay has its subject grades alone.

This town's rent is the 2021 census rent scaled to 2025 by its province's ratio of surveyed to census rents: no rental survey covers it, so its Cost Grade is less sure. Safety less sure: no police service names this town, so its crime figure is the nearest police detachment's, shared with a wider area. Crime here is counted against the people who live here, but many visitors or second-home owners add to it, so the rate per resident runs higher than residents' own risk. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestA⁺Jobs & incomeWeakestDCost of living

What makes Electoral Area A, East Kootenay stand out

The 3 things Electoral Area A, East Kootenay does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Jobs & income

Better than 97%

of Canadian towns on jobs & income

Its jobs & income grade: A+.

Cost of living

Behind 90%

of Canadian towns on cost of living

Its cost of living grade: D.

Population growth, 2016 to 2021

Growth

+11% more people than in 2016

Next to 4%, the median among Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2016 and 2021

How Electoral Area A, East Kootenay grades

Each subject compares Electoral Area A, East Kootenay with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.

How grading works

An overall grade comes at 2,500 residents for Canadian towns; Electoral Area A, East Kootenay has its subject grades alone.

Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the strongest comparedA⁺Open →Cost of livingIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →Hazard riskBased on earthquake losses and radon in homes; a high wildfire risk can pull it downCOpen →SafetyLess crime than in most townsBOpen →HealthClose to the middle of the towns comparedBOpen →SchoolsBased on how pupils do in exams and testsBOpen →WalkabilityAbout average among the towns comparedBOpen →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Electoral Area A, East Kootenay.

Work & commuteJobs & income A⁺

Working-age people in Electoral Area A, East Kootenay have jobs more often than in 95% of Canadian towns

The average trip to work takes 24 min. Driving is how nine in ten commuters got to work at the census.

8%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van90%

Public transit3%

Walk2%

Bicycle2%

Census 2021	Electoral Area A, East Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	24 min	26 min	26 min
Car or van	90%	87%	89%

$98,000

median household income, 2020

17%

worked from home, May 2021

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageElectoral Area A, East Kootenay’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment6.2% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work8% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to300 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Fernie

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.

HousingCost of living D

Electoral Area A, East Kootenay is a town of owners: 88% of households own their home, above British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

The median home value was $500,000, below British Columbia’s towns ($720,000) but above Canadian towns ($406,000). Just over one in ten households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%).

$500,000median home value, 2021DCost of living Grade

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Electoral Area A, East Kootenay$500,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Electoral Area A, East Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	11%	21%	18%
Households owning their home	88%	76%	74%
Rent as a share of income	25%	24%	20%
Median home value, 2021	$500,000	$720,000	$406,000

$1,500

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$795

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageElectoral Area A, East Kootenay’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters88% own their home Cost of living5.1 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $500,000, against the median household income Renting$1,500 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates.

Climate

January lows in Electoral Area A, East Kootenay: −10.7°C, against 0.5°C in British Columbia’s towns and −13.5°C in Canadian towns

The thermometer drops below freezing on 189 days a year, above British Columbia’s towns (60) and Canadian towns (159) alike. The frost-free season runs from 30 May to 7 September, 98 days. The warmest afternoons come in July, at around 24.9°C in Electoral Area A, East Kootenay.

24.9°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−1.6°C

Spring10.7°C

Summer23.1°C

Autumn10.5°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Electoral Area A, East Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Snowfall a year	280 cm	51 cm	141 cm
Days with frost a year	189	60	159
Precipitation a year	614 mm	1,152 mm	883 mm
January night low	−10.7°C	0.5°C	−13.5°C

280 cm

of snow a year

189

days with frost a year

frost-free days, 30 May to 7 Sep

108

days with precipitation a year

Full pageElectoral Area A, East Kootenay’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 24.9°C, January lows −10.7°C Rain and snow614 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow280 cm of snow a year Weather station20 km to the station · Sparwood

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Sparwood)

Natural hazardsHazard risk C

Radon is Electoral Area A, East Kootenay’s main hazard: 19% of tested homes in its area top Health Canada’s guideline

Shared with the rest of the East Kootenay health region: radon tests

Earthquake risk in Electoral Area A, East Kootenay is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.029 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030. Flood mapping exists: 3 studies, most recently by Regional District of East Kootenay. Also worth knowing: some 2.4% of the land within 25 km of Electoral Area A, East Kootenay has burned since 1986; at 0.06% a year that is moderate, not high.

Moderatewildfire bandCHazard risk Grade

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Electoral Area A, East Kootenay19%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Electoral Area A, East Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	19%	1.8%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.029	$0.36	$0.030

$0.029

expected earthquake loss a year per $1,000 of buildings

Moderate

wildfire band

1.0 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood studies on the national inventory

Full pageElectoral Area A, East Kootenay’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Radon19% of tests above the guideline WildfireModerate wildfire band · 2.4% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 Flood3 flood studies on record Earthquakes$0.029 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

SafetySafety B

Crime runs lighter where Electoral Area A, East Kootenay is policed than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns, at an index of 55

These figures come from the closest detachment: none reports for Electoral Area A, East Kootenay itself

Where it is policed, thefts, break-ins and damage came to 19.4 per 1,000 a year, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (31) and Canadian towns (31.2). Its police area records 14 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Behind Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 sits data gathered across the Fernie detachment area, with Electoral Area A, East Kootenay one part of it.

55Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202375

202442

202548

2023–2025	Electoral Area A, East Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	19.4	31	31.2
Crime Severity Index	55	83	67
Violent Crime Severity Index	67	76	86

non-violent Crime Severity Index

38%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageElectoral Area A, East Kootenay’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety55 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Electoral Area A, East Kootenay’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Electoral Area A, East Kootenay safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

Outdoors

The boundary of Waterton Lakes National Park runs along Electoral Area A, East Kootenay

The protected share within 10 km is 33%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%. Within its own boundary, 36% of the town is protected. 35 areas within 10 km are protected for nature.

33%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Electoral Area A, East Kootenay33%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Electoral Area A, East Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	33%	6.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	20	14	4

At the edge

to Waterton Lakes National Park

At the edge

to Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageElectoral Area A, East Kootenay’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas35 protected areas within 10 km · Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park National & provincial parksAt the edge to a national park · Waterton Lakes National Park Footpaths & routes11 named routes · GDT ess

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

HealthHealth B

Electoral Area A, East Kootenay’s health region reports 57% in very good or excellent health, ahead of the typical Canadian town’s 52%

Measured across the East Kootenay Health Service Delivery Area: health survey and life expectancy

Smokers make up 13% of the region’s adults, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (9%) and Canadian towns (12%). Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 80.5, women 82.7 and men 78.1 (2022/2024). What sets Electoral Area A, East Kootenay apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 11 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).

57%very good or excellent healthBHealth Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Electoral Area A, East Kootenay57%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Electoral Area A, East Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Very good or excellent health	57%	50%	52%
Smokers	13%	9%	12%
Chronic conditions (average share)	16%	15%	17%
Life expectancy at birth	80.5	81.0	81.5

80.5

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

11 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

13%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

6.5 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageElectoral Area A, East Kootenay’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey57% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care11 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 6.5 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 82.7, men 78.1 Conditions and habits16% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

SchoolsSchools B

The nearest high school to Electoral Area A, East Kootenay is 33 km away

Schooling in French is on offer at one of the 9; in British Columbia, 2% of schools teach in it. Results lean low: 6 of 7 in the lower two fifths in British Columbia.

9schools within 3 kmBSchools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Sophie-Morigeau FrenchNearest elementary school, 0.6 kmElementary	Elementary	–	French public
The Fernie Academy IndependentResults in the top fifth in British ColumbiaElementary	Elementary	–	Independent

See all 9 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public7

French public1

Independent1

Schools within 3 km	Electoral Area A, East Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Nearest secondary school	33 km	1.8 km	1.2 km
Nearest elementary school	9.9 km	0.6 km	0.5 km
School boards	2	2	3

33 km

to the nearest secondary school

9.9 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageElectoral Area A, East Kootenay’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school9 schools within 3 km · 8 elementary schools and 1 alternative or adult school Results1 of 7 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia Language1 of 9 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia The boards2 school boards · SD 5 Southeast Kootenay Questions“What schools are there in Electoral Area A, East Kootenay?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

Weather

Expect November days around 2°C in Electoral Area A, East Kootenay, nights around −6°C

Next comes December, with normal highs of −3°C and lows of −11°C. A normal November brings 72 mm of rain and snow. November usually brings some 47 cm of snow. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Sparwood.

2°Ca normal November afternoon

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November2°C

December−3°C

January−2°C

February0°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−2°C	−10°C	142 mm
Spring	11°C	−2°C	155 mm
Summer	23°C	7°C	147 mm
Autumn	11°C	−1°C	170 mm

−6°C

a normal November night

72 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageElectoral Area A, East Kootenay’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest December

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Sparwood); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Rob Morrison (Conservative Party of Canada) represents Electoral Area A, East Kootenay in Ottawa as MP for Columbia—Kootenay—Southern Rockies

Of the 43 Commons seats from British Columbia, the Liberal Party of Canada holds 20.

Full pageElectoral Area A, East Kootenay’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itRegional District Electoral Area Provincial legislatureKootenay-Rockies

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A⁻

No public library stands in Electoral Area A, East Kootenay: the closest, Fernie Heritage Library, is 11 km away

After it comes Sparwood Public Library (Sparwood), 18 km away.

Full pageElectoral Area A, East Kootenay’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong0 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

Fewer of Electoral Area A, East Kootenay’s people belong to a visible minority than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: 1.5%

17% are under 15, above both British Columbia’s towns (14%) and Canadian towns (16%). Over-65s are 18% of the population.

42.8median age

Electoral Area A, East KootenayBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

17%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree12%

Postsecondary qualification57%

Women and men · all residents

46.9% of Electoral Area A, East Kootenay’s residents are women

Here the census found 995 men and 880 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.

Who lives in Electoral Area A, East Kootenay
	Electoral Area A, East Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	17%	14%	16%
15 to 64	65%	64%	64%
65+	18%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	12%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	57%	56%	56%

Full pageElectoral Area A, East Kootenay’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants7% are immigrants · 2% belong to a visible minority Ages42.8 median age · 18% are 65 or over Households785 households · 2.4 people per household English and French9% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; British Columbia and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

Nearby attractions

Fernie Alpine Resort and 6 more in and around Electoral Area A, East Kootenay

Museums, historic sites, parks, gardens and days out in and near Electoral Area A, East Kootenay, the best known first.

All attractions →

Ski hillSki hillFernie Alpine Resortin town AttractionAttractionFossil Truck Tire Giant Ammonitein town Ski hillSki hillCastle Mountain Resort2.1 km outside town, to the southeast MuseumMuseumFernie Museum600 m outside town, to the southwest MuseumMuseumFernie And District Historical Society Museum600 m outside town, to the southwest Ski hillSki hillWapiti200 m outside town, to the northeast

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Electoral Area A, East Kootenay

15pages on Electoral Area A, East Kootenay

The big questions

SafetyBCrime Severity Index 55 Housing & costDHomes 5.1 × income Property pricesSchoolsB9 schools within 3 km HealthBLife expectancy 80.5 in its region Work & commuteA⁺66% of adults in work Natural hazardsCWildfire band: moderate

Out and about

Outdoors33% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 25°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 42.8 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Famous people from Electoral Area A, East Kootenay

3 notable people were born in Electoral Area A, East Kootenay.

See all 3 →

Stanford SmithCanadian ice hockey player · 1917–2007

Dan JackartCanadian rugby union player · born 1962

George KilpatrickTheologian · 1910–1989

Electoral Area A, East Kootenay’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

FernieSparwoodElectoral Area A, East Kootenay

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Electoral Area A, East Kootenay	2,092	—	—	D	B	B
Fernie	7,086	11	A⁻	C	C⁺	B⁺
Sparwood	4,486	18	B⁺	A⁻	C	B⁻

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Electoral Area A, East Kootenay

Who are the people of Electoral Area A, East Kootenay?

At the 2021 census, 7% were immigrants and 2% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 6% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

Is Electoral Area A, East Kootenay growing?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 1,683 to 1,875 residents (up 11.4%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 2,092.

What kind of homes are in Electoral Area A, East Kootenay?

76% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.4 people; 24% are one person living alone.

Is Electoral Area A, East Kootenay a young town or an old one?

Its median age is 42.8, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 17% of residents; over-65s, 18%.

About Electoral Area A, East Kootenay

Town in British Columbia

Statistics Canada treats Electoral Area A, East Kootenay as a single census subdivision in British Columbia, and TownRatings keeps to that line.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 2,092 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: East Kootenay
Census subdivision: 5901017

Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2023–25 (35-10-0026, 35-10-0183 to 35-10-0190) · CMHC rents as published by Statistics Canada (34-10-0133) · grades by TownRatings. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.

Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).