Meet Acrylic Painter Mirja Vahala

If you've visited the Kootenay Gallery of Art in Castlegar before, chances are you've seen the work of painter Mirja Vahala. Her beautiful acrylic landscapes are a regular sight at the gallery as well as at many other locations around the Kootenays. Her art studio is based in Robson, just across…


Castlegar Featured on Paddle BC

A new website called Paddle BC launched this month and featured Castlegar as a perfect paddling destination. A collaboration between paddling associations and cross-sector organizations, Paddle BC promotes the province of British Columbia as a world-class place for paddlers that offers some of the…


Meet Artist, Seamstress, and Designer Sue Reed

Sue Reed is the talented artist and seamstress behind the brand Dreamscape Studio, which specializes in custom, unique, and individualized handbags, wallets, purses, and more. Based in Ootischenia, the community on the eastern side of the Columbia River across from Castlegar, Sue designs…


Out There Outdoors Magazine Showcases Castlegar in the Autumn

Out There Outdoors magazine has featured Castlegar in its article "Visit Canada's Arrow Lakes Region This Fall." The magazine, based in Spokane, Washington and distributed across the Pacific Northwest Region, played up the world-class mountain biking and fishing around Castlegar, as well as the…


Meet Metal Artist Lisa Huth

Lisa Huth is an artist and blacksmith based in Pass Creek, just north of Castlegar. Her preferred medium is metal and she's done commissions for clients that include everything from patio railings to range hoods and she's also created pieces that have been showcased in such festivals as Castlegar's…


Meet Videographer Tyler Hadikin of Stacked Films

Tyler Hadikin is a local videographer who has done work for a variety of clients, from X Games athletes and real estate agents to East and West Kootenay businesses and all manner of events. He's created some of our favourite short films about Castlegar over the years and we've shared some of them…


Celebrate Endless Summer With These Family-Friendly Castlegar Activities

Castlegar is the perfect place for families. What with all the festivals, parks, excellent schools and heaps of outdoor recreation opportunities from swimming in lakes and paddling to skiing and snowmobiling, the little city in the valley is great for kids and their adults. We’ve listed fun things…


Meet Watercolour Painter Tara Smith

Tara Smith was born and raised in the Kootenays and like most local children she was introduced to the sport of fishing at a young age. These days she's busy teaching her own two kids how to fish but occasionally she finds some free time to paint watercolours of, you guessed it, fish. Specifically…


New Podcast Features Castlegar's Doukhobor Community

New Podcast Features Castlegar's Doukhobor Community A new podcast called The Headwaters: Stories from the Source has dedicated an entire episode to Castlegar's Doukhobor community and included interviews with such local luminaries as JJ Verigin, Chris Kalesnikoff, and Linda Wilkinson from the Mir…


Everything You Need To Know About Water Levels and Paddling Safety in Castlegar

Castlegar, and the West Kootenay region in general, isn't your typical place when it comes to water levels and safety. In fact, the height of our local rivers can change hourly and so it's important to know some basic information before you get on the water. In a recent post by local paddling and…


Stefanie Harron Shares Her Wildlife Photography Secrets

The modern age can learn a lot from Stefanie Harron. The Castlegar-based photographer specializes in wildlife and astral photography and for both disciplines she says the ability to sit still and be patient is an asset. A graduate of video journalism at George Brown College in Toronto, Stefanie…


Doukhobor Museum To Host Live Action Escape-Room Style Theatre Group

It’s part escape room, part live theatre, and part history lesson. On June 7 and 10, a new kind of interactive experience is descending on the Doukhobor Discovery Centre in Castlegar. The event is free and open to all ages and attendees can expect to work with their group and the actors to try and…