| Village of Montrose | |
|---|---|
| — Village — | |
| Location of Montrose in British Columbia | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Region | West Kootenay |
| Regional district | Kootenay-Boundary |
| Incorporated | 1956 |
| Government | |
| • Governing body | Montrose Village Council |
| • Mayor | Griff Welsh |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.52 km2 (0.6 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 600 m (1,969 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 1,012 |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| Highways | 3B |
| Waterways | Columbia River |
Montrose is a village located in south-eastern British Columbia in the West Kootenay region. It is located 7 km east of the city of Trail along Highway 3B.
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The village of Montrose is built on a mountain ledge leading to Beaver Valley. Because of its limited physical area, there is very little fluctuation in population.
Originally known as "Wood's Flats," Montrose was developed as a retirement village for workers from the nearby Cominco smelter. It was incorporated in 1956 as a village, and named after a popular resort in Scotland. The construction of the "Montrose Cutoff," an extension of Highway 3B from Fruitvale to Trail, reduced travel time to Trail from ~45 minutes to 10 minutes, making the village more attractive to commuters.
There is a post office, a Chinese restaurant and one combined gasoline station/corner store in the village. Other than home-based businesses, virtually all other employment is based in the nearby city of Trail. Major employers of Montrose residents include Teck Cominco, the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital, School District 20, Ferraro Foods, and the Trail operations of such large corporations as Fortis BC, Wal-Mart, Extra Foods (Weston Corp), Canadian Tire and engineering giant AMEC Plc.
Montrose is known throughout the Kootenay region of BC for its excellent drinking water, a sample of which received silver medals in the 2008 and 2009 Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Competition.
Montrose is also the location of the "Antenna Trail" a 4 kilometre loop hiking trail that rises 250 metres above the village and affords spectacular views of the Beaver and Columbia Valleys. This trail is part of the Kootenay Columbia Trail system although it is not contiguous with the rest of the trails located near, and accessed from, nearby Rossland. The Antenna Trail is popular because it is snow-free much earlier in the spring than the higher elevation trails, and has little if any mountain bike traffic.
The village shares its territory with a variety of native BC wildlife. Elk, Whitetail Deer, Black Bears, and Wild Turkeys are frequently spotted on Montrose Mountain, and occasionally within the village proper. Hummingbirds are attacted by the numerous feeders put out by residents, with at least 7 different species recorded.
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