Many people believe that the Rocky Mountains extend west to the Pacific Ocean, but this is incorrect. There are at least six different mountain ranges between the BC coast and the Rocky Mountains to the east, which form the border with Alberta. The Kootenay region spans the south-eastern part of British Columbia, including four mountain ranges: the Rockies, Purcell, Selkirk and Monashee.
Again, although very popular for tourists, with skiing, its five national parks, and stunning scenery, the Kootenay is relatively sparsely populated because of its mountainous nature. The main population centres are Castlegar, Nelson, and Cranbrook.
Universities
There is none in this region (the nearest would be UBC Okanagan, or the University of Lethbridge or Calgary in Alberta).
Colleges
There are two colleges in the Kootenays:
College of the Rockies
The college was founded in 1975 as the East Kootenay Community College, changing its name to the College of the Rockies in 1995. The main campus is in Cranbrook but there are also regional campuses in Creston, Fernie, Golden, Invermere and Kimberley. It has about 2,500 students. It has a fairly extensive online and distance education offering with over 50 certificate or diploma programs available. Its first online course was offered in 1997 and it now has more than 1,000 students online, from all around the world.
The college, founded in 1966, has campuses in Castlegar, Nelson, Trail, Nakusp, Grand Forks, and Kaslo. With 2,290 full-time students and 11,225 community education learners, it has a range of online, distance and blended courses.
Last updated: 16 August, 2018
Dr. Tony Bates is the author of eleven books in the field of online learning and distance education. He has provided consulting services specializing in training in the planning and management of online learning and distance education, working with over 40 organizations in 25 countries. Tony is a Research Associate with Contact North | Contact Nord, Ontario’s Distance Education & Training Network.