Location Castlegar, nestled in the Selkirk Mountains at the confluence of the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers, serves as a key trade and transportation hub in British Columbia’s West Kootenay region. Its economy thrives on forestry, mining, and tourism. With a population of 9,023 representing diverse nationalities, Castlegar hosts Selkirk College, a regional airport facilitating regular flights to Vancouver International Airport, a pulp mill, and multiple sawmills. Transportation As a transportation hub, Castlegar boasts an airport owned by the city, intersecting highways 3A, 3, and 22. Columbia Avenue (Highway 22) spans the city, meeting the Robson Bridge to Robson at its north end. Highways 3 and 3A cross the Kinnaird Bridge to Ootischenia, and Highway 22 connects to Blueberry. Northbound, Highway 3A leads to Nelson, southbound to Trail, east to Salmo via Highway 3, and west to Grand Forks.