Electoral Area F, East KootenayBritish Columbia

3,893 people call this town in British Columbia home. Its census division is East Kootenay.

1 place within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Photo by Alan Silvester ( mascdman ) · CC BY-SA 2.0 ca

Population

3,893

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

56.8

years · British Columbia’s towns: 48

Postsecondary

63%

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%

TownGrade

B⁻

#1,338 of 2,556

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

Electoral Area F, East Kootenay’s strongest subject is jobs & income (A). Homes are dear (C). Natural hazards weigh more here (C−). Overall, that makes a B−, good for #89 of 250 in British Columbia. Nationally, it does better than half of Canadian towns. Its other grades sit near the middle: C+ for safety, B− for schools, B for health and B for walkability.

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.

StrongestAJobs & incomeWeakestC⁻Hazard risk

What makes Electoral Area F, East Kootenay stand out

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

Picked automatically from the data

Population growth, 2016 to 2021

Growth

+29% more people than in 2016

Against 4% in the median of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2016 and 2021

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

31% are 65 or over

Canadian towns centre on 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

7 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $600,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

How Electoral Area F, East Kootenay grades

Each subject compares Electoral Area F, 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

Jobs & incomeAmong the best of the towns comparedAOpen →Hazard riskBased on seismic risk and radon tests, lowered where wildfire runs highC⁻Open →Cost of livingHomes are harder to afford than in most townsCOpen →WalkabilityAhead of most towns comparedBOpen →HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesBOpen →SafetyNear typical for the towns comparedC⁺Open →SchoolsBased on how pupils do in exams and testsB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

The data

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

Work & commuteJobs & income A

Commuters in Electoral Area F, East Kootenay have a short way to work, 19 min on average, less than in both British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

90% of commuters drove, above British Columbia’s towns (87%) and close to Canadian towns (89%).

8%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van90%

Walk7%

Public transit1%

Census 2021	Electoral Area F, East Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Average trip	19 min	26 min	26 min
Car or van	90%	87%	89%

$85,000

median household income, 2020

12%

worked from home, May 2021

44%

of commuters work inside the municipality

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

Unemployment9.1% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work8% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to360 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Invermere

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.

Climate

Summers stay cool in Electoral Area F, East Kootenay: July afternoons reach 22.5°C, below British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

The coldest nights, in January, bottom out at −13.5°C, lower than British Columbia’s towns (0.5°C) and near Canadian towns (−13.5°C). June is the wettest month, with 73 mm of rain and snow on average. Also worth knowing: the frost-free season runs from 19 June to 23 August, 64 days. Most of the snow comes in April, about 30 cm.

22.5°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−2.9°C

Spring9.0°C

Summer20.8°C

Autumn8.8°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Electoral Area F, East Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Days with frost a year	220	60	159
Precipitation a year	454 mm	1,152 mm	883 mm
Snowfall a year	184 cm	51 cm	141 cm
July afternoon high	22.5°C	23.1°C	25.5°C

184 cm

of snow a year

220

days with frost a year

frost-free days, 19 Jun to 23 Aug

days with precipitation a year

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

The yearJuly highs 22.5°C, January lows −13.5°C Rain and snow454 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow184 cm of snow a year Weather station90 km to the station · Banff

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁻

Around Electoral Area F, East Kootenay, 19% of tested homes have radon above the guideline

Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the East Kootenay health region

Shaking is about as much of a worry in Electoral Area F, East Kootenay as in most places, at $0.033 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Flood mapping exists: 4 studies, most recently by Province of B.C. - Water, Lands, and Resource Stewardship. The burn rate around Electoral Area F, East Kootenay is 0.17% a year (6.8% of the land within 25 km since 1986), a moderate band.

Moderatewildfire bandC⁻Hazard risk Grade

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

Electoral Area F, East Kootenay19%

British Columbia’s towns1.8%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Electoral Area F, East Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	19%	1.8%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.033	$0.36	$0.030

$0.033

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

Moderate

wildfire band

0.2 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood studies on the national inventory

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

Radon19% of tests above the guideline WildfireModerate wildfire band · 6.8% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 Flood4 flood studies on record Earthquakes$0.033 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

HousingCost of living C

Renting in Electoral Area F, East Kootenay costs 16% of household income, less than in both British Columbia’s towns and Canadian towns

Owners make up 90% of households.

$600,000median home value, 2021CCost of living Grade

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

Electoral Area F, East Kootenay$600,000

British Columbia$720,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Electoral Area F, East Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Rent as a share of income	16%	24%	20%
Households owning their home	90%	76%	74%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	16%	21%	18%

$870

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$735

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

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

Renting$870 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of living7 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $600,000, against the median household income Owners and renters90% own their home

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.

Who lives here

Electoral Area F, East Kootenay is older than 97% of Canadian towns: a median age of 56.8

Immigrants make up 11% of residents, between British Columbia’s towns (12%) and Canadian towns (6.4%). Visible minorities make up 5.7% of the population, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (8.6%) and Canadian towns (15%).

56.8median age

Electoral Area F, East KootenayBritish ColumbiaCanada

British ColumbiaCanada

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

31%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree10%

Postsecondary qualification63%

Women and men · all residents

49.1% of Electoral Area F, East Kootenay’s residents are women

Women numbered 1,730 and men 1,795 in 2021, next to a 50.9% share of women for Canada.

Who lives in Electoral Area F, East Kootenay
	Electoral Area F, East Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Under 15	11%	14%	16%
15 to 64	58%	64%	64%
65+	31%	21%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	9.6%	13%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	63%	56%	56%

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

Ages56.8 median age · 31% are 65 or over Households1,585 households · 2.2 people per household Immigrants11% are immigrants · 6% belong to a visible minority English and French8% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Outdoors

Step out of Electoral Area F, East Kootenay and you are in Banff National Park

Swimmers have 10 beaches within 5 km, Kinsmen Beach the nearest. Protected areas cover 30% of the land within 10 km, above British Columbia’s towns (6.7%) and Canadian towns (2.3%) alike. 41 protected areas lie within 10 km. 23% of the town lies within a protected area.

30%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Electoral Area F, East Kootenay30%

British Columbia’s towns6.7%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Electoral Area F, East Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	30%	6.7%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	24	14	4

At the edge

to Banff National Park

At the edge

to Peter Lougheed Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

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

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas41 protected areas within 10 km · Banff National Park National & provincial parksAt the edge to a national park · Banff National Park Footpaths & routes2 named routes · GDT ent

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

HealthHealth B

Around Electoral Area F, East Kootenay, 57% rate their health very good or excellent, against 52% for the typical Canadian town

The health survey and life expectancy numbers here cover the East Kootenay Health Service Delivery Area

Lives in the region last 80.5 years on average (2022/2024): 82.7 for women, 78.1 for men. The region has more smokers than British Columbia, 13% of adults to 8.9%. Chronic conditions run at 16% of adults, age-standardised, above British Columbia’s towns (15%) but below Canadian towns (17%). The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Electoral Area F, East Kootenay’s is long: 11 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.

57%very good or excellent healthBHealth Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Electoral Area F, East Kootenay57%

British Columbia’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Electoral Area F, 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

11 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

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

Health survey57% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting careA pharmacy 11 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

SafetySafety C⁺

Electoral Area F, East Kootenay gets a C+ for safety

These figures come from the closest detachment: none reports for Electoral Area F, East Kootenay itself · Source area for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: the Columbia Valley detachment area

The violent index for its police area came to 60, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86). Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 72 over 2023–25, lower than British Columbia’s towns (83) yet higher than Canadian towns (67).

72Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202380

202479

202555

2023–2025	Electoral Area F, East Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Violent Crime Severity Index	60	76	86
Crime Severity Index	72	83	67

non-violent Crime Severity Index

19%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

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

Safety72 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Electoral Area F, East Kootenay’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Electoral Area F, East Kootenay safe?”

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

Weather

What November brings in Electoral Area F, East Kootenay: −8°C at night, 1°C by day

The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Invermere. November usually brings some 25 cm of snow. Expect about 28 mm of rain and snow over November. Next comes December, with normal highs of −5°C and lows of −13°C.

1°Ca normal November afternoon

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

November1°C

December−5°C

January−4°C

February−1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−3°C	−13°C	60 mm
Spring	9°C	−4°C	119 mm
Summer	21°C	6°C	167 mm
Autumn	9°C	−3°C	109 mm

−8°C

a normal November night

28 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageElectoral Area F, 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 January

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

Town hall

Columbia—Kootenay—Southern Rockies, which takes in Electoral Area F, East Kootenay, is held by Rob Morrison (Conservative Party of Canada)

For local government, Electoral Area F, East Kootenay is a regional district electoral area.

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

Provincial legislatureColumbia River-Revelstoke

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A⁻

The nearest public library to Electoral Area F, East Kootenay is Invermere Public Library, 14 km away

After it comes Invermere Public Library (Invermere), 15 km away.

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

Places to belong0.5 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

SchoolsSchools B⁻

3 of Electoral Area F, East Kootenay’s 5 tested schools score in the lower two fifths in British Columbia

Elementary school is 8.9 km away at the nearest, above British Columbia’s towns (0.6 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km) alike. The 3 km around Electoral Area F, East Kootenay counts 4 elementary schools, 1 secondary school and 3 alternative or adult schools.

8schools within 3 kmB⁻Schools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Martin Morigeau Elementary Bottom fifth in British ColumbiaIn Electoral Area F, East KootenayElementary	Elementary	–	English public
David Thompson Secondary Middle fifth in British ColumbiaNearest secondary school, 0.6 kmSecondary	Secondary	–	English public

See all 8 schools →

Schools within 3 km	Electoral Area F, East Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Nearest secondary school	14 km	1.8 km	1.2 km
Nearest elementary school	8.9 km	0.6 km	0.5 km

14 km

to the nearest secondary school

8.9 km

to the nearest elementary school

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

Results0 of 5 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in British Columbia Every school8 schools within 3 km · 4 elementary schools, 1 secondary school and 3 alternative or adult schools Language0 of 8 teach in French · 2% of schools in British Columbia Questions“What schools are there in Electoral Area F, East Kootenay?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2025/26

History

One place in Electoral Area F, East Kootenay, at the top of the registers

At the 2021 census, 2.2% of homes dated from before 1961, below both British Columbia’s towns (11%) and Canadian towns (18%).

1historic place

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations1

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

Kootenae House 1807

1807

oldest construction date on the record

2.2%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Electoral Area F, East Kootenay	British Columbia	Canada
Homes built before 1961	2.2%	11%	18%

Full pageElectoral Area F, East Kootenay’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registersOne historic place inside the town Highest designations1 top designation · Kootenae House Older homes2.2% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Electoral Area F, East Kootenay have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Nearby attractions

Panorama Mountain Resort and 4 more in and around Electoral Area F, East Kootenay

Sights in Electoral Area F, East Kootenay and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.

All attractions →

Ski hillPanorama Mountain Resortin town

MuseumWindermere Valley Museum700 m outside town, to the north National historic siteNational historic siteKootenae Housein town AttractionAttractionRK Heliskiin town Theme parkTheme parkValley Zipline Adventures4.6 km outside town, to the north

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (2)

Panorama Mountain Resort: Qyd, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Windermere Valley Museum: Matthias Süßen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Electoral Area F, East Kootenay

15pages on Electoral Area F, East Kootenay

The big questions

SafetyC⁺Crime Severity Index 72 Housing & costCHomes 7 × income Property pricesSchoolsB⁻8 schools within 3 km HealthBLife expectancy 80.5 in its region Work & commuteA52% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁻Wildfire band: moderate

Out and about

Outdoors30% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 23°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 56.8 HistoryOne place on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from around Electoral Area F, East Kootenay

No notable person born in Electoral Area F, East Kootenay is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.

How we find them →

Benjamin ThomsenCanadian male alpine skier · born in Invermere · born 1987

Christine KeshenCurler · born in Invermere · born 1978

Wade DubielewiczCanadian ice hockey player · born in Invermere · born 1979

Cassidy GrayCanadian alpine skier · born in Invermere · born 2001

Patrick MorrowCanadian mountain climber · born in Invermere · born 1952

Christina LustenbergerCanadian alpine skier · born in Invermere · born 1984

Photo credits

Benjamin Thomsen: Bidgee, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wade Dubielewicz: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Cassidy Gray: Tournasol7, CC BY 4.0

Electoral Area F, East Kootenay’s neighbours

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

InvermereElectoral Area F, East Kootenay

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Electoral Area F, East Kootenay	3,893	—	B⁻	C	C⁺	B
Invermere	4,305	14	B	D	C⁺	B⁺

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

Questions about Electoral Area F, East Kootenay

Has Electoral Area F, East Kootenay grown?

It added people: 2,726 in 2016, 3,521 in 2021, 29.2% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 3,893.

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

The median resident is 56.8 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 11% are under 15 and 31% are 65 or over.

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

Mostly 85% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.2 people on average, and 30% have just one.

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

6% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 5% have an Indigenous identity and 11% are immigrants.

About Electoral Area F, East Kootenay

Town in British Columbia

For Electoral Area F, East Kootenay, TownRatings uses Statistics Canada’s census-subdivision boundary in British Columbia, and every figure on its pages covers that whole area.

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

Population: 3,893 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: British Columbia
Census division: East Kootenay
Census subdivision: 5901046

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).