- jcookbc
The East Shore
Updated: Jun 13
Boswell: Population 275 | Elevation 556m ~ 1824ft
Crawford Bay: Population 350 | Elevation 566m ~ 1857ft
Gray Creek: Population 125 | Elevation 585m ~ 1919ft
Riondel: Population 250 | Elevation 576m ~ 1889ft
The east shore of the West Kootenay is a region of southeastern British Columbia that borders the Kootenay Lake in the Selkirk and Purcell mountain ranges. The east shore is accessible by Highway 3A north from Creston, or by a free ferry from Balfour on the west shore. The east shore is home to several small communities, such as Boswell, Crawford Bay, Riondel and Kootenay Bay, that offer a variety of attractions and activities for visitors. Some of the highlights of the east shore include:
-The Pilot Bay Lighthouse Trail, a short hike to a historic lighthouse built in 1904.
-The Pebble Beach Trail, a scenic trail that leads to a pebbled cove ideal for swimming and picnicking.
-The Lockhart Creek Trail, a longer hike that passes through an old growth forest and reaches Baker Lake in the Purcell Range.
-The Artisan Village of Crawford Bay, where visitors can watch local artisans create pottery, weaving, ironwork, brooms and more.
-The Kokanee Springs Golf Resort, a championship golf course with stunning views of the lake and mountains.
-The Kootenay Lake Ferry, the longest free ferry ride in the world that connects Kootenay Bay with Balfour on the west shore.
The east shore of the West Kootenay is a region that offers natural beauty, cultural diversity and outdoor adventure for travelers who want to explore a less crowded and more relaxed part of British Columbia.
Kootenay Lake Ferry
The Kootenay Lake Ferry is the longest free ferry in the world. The departure/arrival locations are in Balfour, BC on the west side of Kootenay Lake, and in Kootenay Bay on the east side of the lake. As the ferry crosses time zones in the middle of the lake, be sure to be aware of the time changes. There is another little tricky aspect of the times to note as The East Shore (Kootenay Bay) does not recognize the time change. It goes by Pacific Time in the summer and Mountain Time in the winter. An easy little trick to remember in reference to Nelson is: Same in the summer, different in the winter.
The view from the ferry on every side is gorgeous, so have your cameras ready for the 40-minute sailing. In the heart of the summer season, there is a second ferry added to facilitate the higher demand in service.
There is a small cafe on board of the year-'round vessel, The Osprey.
It is about a 30 minute drive from Nelson to the Balfour terminal and about an hour drive from the Kootenay Bay terminal to Creston.
The schedule of sailings is located here.
BUSINESS
Kootenay Lake Chamber of Commerce
Box 120 - Crawford Bay, BC - V0B 1E0
Email: info@kootenaylake.bc.ca
Crawford Bay Visitor Centre
16101 Hwy BC-3A - Crawford Bay, BC - V0B 1E0
Email: info@kootenaylake.bc.ca
Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK)
(Creston Office)
531B-16 Avenue S - Creston, BC - V0B 1G5
Phone: (250) 428-5717
Email: gnymeyer@rdck.bc.ca
Office Hours: Mon - Fri 8:30 am - 1:00 pm
Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK)
(Nelson Office)
Box 590 - 202 Lakeside Drive - Nelson, BC - V1L 5R4
Phone: (250) 352-6665
Toll Free: (800) 268-7325
Email: info@rdck.bc.ca
Office Hours: Mon - Fri 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
(Closed from 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm daily)
Crawford Bay Demographics Information
Artisans of Crawford Bay
Crawford Bay is a very artistic community. For a detailed look into the local artisans, check out their website here.
SCHOOLS
Crawford Bay Elementary School (K-12)
16159 Walkley Road - Crawford Bay, BC - V0B 1E0
Phone: (250) 227-9218
Email: clerical.crb@sd8.bc.ca
HOSPITALS
East Shore Community Health Centre
15985 Highway 3A - Crawford Bay, BC - V0B 1E0
Phone: (250) 227-9006
Kootenay Lake Hospital
3 View St - Nelson, BC - V1L 2V1
Phone: (250) 352-3111
(Roughly 90 minutes with the ferry.)
Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital
1200 Hospital Bench - Trail, BC - V1R 4M1
Phone: (250) 368-3311
Toll Free: (866) 368-3314
Patient Care Quality Office: (877) 442-2001
(Roughly 2hr 15min from Crawford Bay)
TRAVEL
West Kootenay Regional Airport
Hall Road, just off of Highway 3A
Castlegar, BC - V1N 4M5
(250) 365-5151
airport@castlegar.ca
(The airport is about an hour 45 min from Crawford Bay.)
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Trail Regional Airport
Airport Operations
9019 BC-22A - Trail, BC - V1R 4W6
Phone: (250) 367-0029
(Roughly 2hr 15min from Crawford Bay)
Flights and Reservations
Pacific Coastal Airlines
4980 Cowley Crescent - Richmond, BC - V7B 1C1
Phone: (800) 663-2872
Approximate driving distance from Crawford Bay to...
Creston, BC - 76km / 47mi
Nelson, BC - 47km / 29mi (Plus 40 min ferry ride)
Castlegar, BC - 90km / 56mi (Plus 40 min ferry ride)
Kaslo, BC - 49km / 31mi (Plus 40 min ferry ride)
Kelowna, BC - 392km / 244mi (Plus 40 min ferry ride)
Vanvouver, BC - 703km / 437mi (Plus 40 min ferry ride)
Cranbrook, BC - 181km / 112mi
Calgary, AB - 573km / 356mi
Seattle, WA - 818km / 509mi
Spokane, WA - 297km / 184mi
Sandpoint, ID - 181km / 112mi