Well-maintained physical infrastructure is a cornerstone of sustainable economic development. Roads, facilities, utilities and other tangible assets are essential pieces that allow business and manufacturing to take place.
The Northern Rockies is well positioned in this regard. Supported by an award-winning asset management system, roads and municipal facilities are well-maintained, with provisions in place to ensure a successful and stable future.
In the past decade, significant investments were made to upgrade the NRRM's physical infrastructure and the transition to overcome pre-existing infrastructure deficits was accelerated. These improvements have created a foundation for future growth.
Air
The Northern Rockies Regional Airport boasts a renovated terminal building with expanded airside capacity. It is ready for extra duty with a $17 million refurbishment currently underway.
Road
The Alaska Highway remains vital to the movement of goods and people, and continues to draw tourists from afar.
Highway 77 connects the region to the Northwest Territories to the east, and a network of resource roads radiate from Fort Nelson.
Rail
Bulk commodities find their way to and from the region via CN Rail, with its northern most terminus located in Fort Nelson.
Discussions are underway to enhance the rail line in preparation for the anticipated movement of wood and biomass products as the forest sector resumes local operations.
Fort Nelson General Hospital (FNGH)
FNGH has twenty-five active acute care and long-term care beds, basic ICU, Emergency, Radiography and Lab facilities, as well as space for mental health and telehealth consultations. The NRRM also owns and maintains family-sized housing units in Fort Nelson as part of a program to recruit and retain physicians.
Airport Way Medical Clinic (AWMC)
A physician-owned medical clinic is located centrally and serves patients five days a week.
Fort Nelson First Nation Health and Wellness Centre
Fort Nelson First Nation operates a recently constructed Health and Wellness Centre for the benefit of its members.
Other Services
Other medical and health-related services (physiotherapy, massage, dental, chiropractic, optometry, etc.) operate out of private premises around the community.
School District No. 81
School District No. 81 provides Kindergarten through Grade 12 out of two primary schools, a middle school, and a high school in Fort Nelson; plus a Kindergarten through Grade 12 school in Toad River.
The District takes pride in the physical condition of its schools and the provincial government actively supports maintenance through its capital funding program. The District also partners with the Fort Nelson Family Development Society to offer early years; and before and after school programming.
Northern Lights College
The Northern Lights College's Fort Nelson campus is housed in a modern structure with the capacity to sustain industrial and vocational training and academic programs. Available shop space is adaptable and portable trades equipment has been used to support instruction.
Chalo School
Fort Nelson First Nation operates Chalo School, a Kindergarten through Grade 12 facility that includes a fully-equipped commercial kitchen. The school has access to auxiliary buildings and shop facilities capable of supporting industrial programming.
Fort Nelson Public Library
The public is served by a well-stocked public library, which provides internet access and a range of programming for all ages.
Northern Rockies residents can access a range of government services at physical locations in Fort Nelson, including:
- Town Square and Public Works Offices maintained by the NRRM;
- A Government of Canada office building that includes Canada Post and Public Works Canada;
- Front Counter BC and Service BC operations;
- The District Operations Centre for the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRORD);
- The Ministry of Children and Family Development service centre.
Fort Nelson and Area
- Water provided in the immediate area with sewer services supplemented by private septic systems and lagoons in rural Fort Nelson.
- Bulk water is available for transport at the NRRM's metered bulk water station. Water is also piped to Fort Nelson First Nation under a working agreement.
Natural Gas
- Available by Fortis BC on an affordable rate structure similar to that of the rest of the province.
Electricity
- Delivered from the local BC Hydro facility and connected to the Alberta power grid.
Household Garbage Pickup
- Weekly curbside service is provided to individual households by the NRRM, with bin pick-up available for multi-family and commercial locations and in the surrounding rural area.
Solid Waste Disposal
- Solid waste is received at the NRRM's landfill where a successful vermicomposting project is supporting sustainability through the processing of green waste.
- Industrial waste can be disposed of at a licensed facility south of Fort Nelson.
- Production facilities and oil and gas infrastructure
- Reasonable land costs
- Available agricultural land
- Industrial land base
- Toad River residential lots
- Northwestel (cable, internet and landline phone services)
- Bell and Telus (mobile phone service)