Community Description

Fort Nelson is a town of approximately 5000 residents in British Columbia’s Northeastern corner. It’s the administrative centre of the newly formed Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, a first for BC.

The majority of Fort Nelson’s economic activities have historically been concentrated in the energy and tourism industries, and until very recently, forestry. The forests surrounding Fort Nelson are part of Canada’s boreal forest. Fort Nelson is just on the southwest edge of the Greater Sierra oil & gas field.

The town lies east of the Northern Rocky Mountains directly along the Alaska Highway at mile 300. Year round, the town is home to over 4,500 residents while 1,600 additional residents settle in the surrounding area, which includes the Fort Nelson First Nations reserve. There are about 500 members living on the reserve, and across the region as a whole Aboriginal people make up approximately 15 per cent of the total population.

The community experiences significant seasonal population increases. In winter, drilling rig activities bring in another 2,000-5,000 seasonal residents and during the summer tourist season (April through September) about 140,000 visitors travel through the municipality, most on their way to or from Alaska.

Community Links

BC Tourism
Council of Forest Industries
Greater Seirra Oil & Gas Field
Northern Rockies Regional Municipality
Chamber of Commerce
City of Fort Nelson

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