Oso Negro attracts many people with similar views of the good life: wild natural beauty, outdoor activity, appreciation of community values, concern with environmental and social sustainability, a balance of work and play, and life within a community that embodies our aspirations. Nelson is just such a place. A mecca for people in search of things as diverse as deep powder snow, alternative lifestyles, and cultural stimulation in a small-town environment, it’s a former mining town of about 10,000 people nestled on the slopes of BC’s Selkirk Mountains and on the shores of Kootenay Lake’s West Arm.

Today, the city is home to numerous artists, many of whom are associated in some way with The Kootenay School of the Arts, some of whom run small, private galleries and art schools. There’s an annual Artwalk, which showcases local talent by turning downtown businesses into galleries. Nelson also houses a small but vigorous theatre community, with productions being housed in the restored Capitol Theatre, studios, parks—even an actor’s living room.

Mountain culture surrounds Nelson year-round. Local heroes have created mountain bike trails that attract a wide range of enthusiasts from near and far, and each August the city celebrates mountain bikers’ talent, dedication, and fun-loving community with the Fat Tire Festival. Another local favourite is the gang down at Freeride Entertainment. There are also inspirational mountain highway routes for road bike or motorcycle touring. Kokanee Glacier park offers easily (4x4) accessible hiking; Valhalla Park is more remote. There are dozens of other places to hike, and a good place to start planning is with the Don’t Waste Your Time in the Kootenays guidebook by Craig and Kathy Copeland. If your passion is paddling, Kootenay Lake is an exciting destination. You can rent boats and/ or arrange tours at the Rivers, Oceans, and Mountains store. For information on whitewater paddling, check out http://www.smilingotter.com/. And when the snow finally starts to fall, powder options explode into being. Whitewater Ski & Winter Resort is just twenty minutes’ drive from town, as is the Apex-Busk nordic ski area. The West Kootenay is home to cat-skiing operations, such as Valhalla Powdercats and Baldface Resort, with the largest tract of cat-ski powder in the world. Of course, many people strap on their skins and snowshoes and head into the hills. Before you begin your tour, check in with the Canadian Avalanche Association, which tracks snow conditions and puts out regular winter bulletins. And in the spring—but before the snow melts—the Summit-to-Summit multi-sport race provides the chance to combine skiing/ riding, skate-skiing, mountain biking, running, and paddling—either solo or in a team.

The community offers us so much that we believe in supporting it as much as we can. We’re regular contributors to Kootenay Co-op Radio, we sponsor arts events, including Kaslo Jazz Etc., the Nelson Summer Songfest, and The Moving Pictures Film Festival. We donate coffee to charity events, and we give all of our pennies to two local alternative schools: the Vallican Whole and the Nelson Waldorf. We also contribute to such athletic events as The Fat Tire Festival, the Nelson Rowing Club, the Nelson Half-Marathon, Nelson Junior Soccer and Hockey, and sponsor athletes such as downhill mountain biker Deryk Chambers.

Pura vida!