Location
- The "Sunshine Valley".
- Local campus of Selkirk College.
- Gateway community to the Trans Canada Trail.
- Home to descendants of many Doukhobours.
The history of Grand Forks is strongly linked to the railroad and mining boom of the 1890s and early 1900s. It is home of the descendants of many BC's Doukhobours, a Pacifist group of political refugees from Russia that settled in the area in 1909. The Doukhobour culture is still evident in the valley today.
Grand Forks is located just north of the Canada/United States border in the Thompson Okanagan region, in south central BC. With its tree-lined streets, heritage homes and old fashioned baseball diamond, the city is a reminder of times gone by. The Grand Forks economy was founded upon mining and agriculture and today it is one of the fastest growing towns in the Kootenays.
Residents enjoy a wide range of leisure pursuits including fishing, hunting, hiking, biking, golfing, skiing and all types of water sports. With an average of over 2,000 hours of sunshine annually, the Grand Forks valley is frequently referred to as "Sunshine Valley". Temperatures range from -8 to -2 degrees Celsius in the winter and 18 to 26 degrees Celsius during the summer months.
Forestry is the largest sector in the area. Mining, quarrying, mining-related industries, tourism, and agriculture also contribute substantially to the local economy.
Information was provided by Health Match BC and from local community websites. Other information has come from a variety of sources including the BCMA and health professionals within the communities. Pictures have been provided by www.picturebc.ca or community members. Please contact us at info@rccbc.ca with any information updates for your community.
