Does it really cost nothing?

Yes. Being listed is free, and claiming your listing is free too. Nobody can pay to show up higher on the page. I don't sell better spots, and I don't sell the list.

Why is my business already on here?

I built the List from public sources. The biggest source is businesses' own websites. The rest comes from chamber directories, town business licence lists, and other public lists like Technical Safety BC's. Your business showed up in one of those, so it got a listing. Your listing names the source it came from. If you sent your business in yourself, it says that instead, with the date you sent it.

Do I have to claim it?

No. Your listing works even if you never touch it. Claiming it helps people find you for what you actually do. Right now your listing says whatever the public source said. For a lot of businesses, that was one vague word like “services”. When you claim it, you can describe your work in your own words. You can add your hours, photos, a booking link, and the area you cover if you travel to jobs. You can link your Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube. And a mark beside your name shows people you claimed it.

What is the stamped date on my listing?

It's the day I last checked your listing against a public source. It's printed in the little blue stamp. Your listing names that source, so you can go and look for yourself. Every directory this region has had went out of date sooner or later, and none of them said so. That's why the List shows its dates where you can see them. When a listing gets old, it says so.

What if I do not have a website?

That's fine, and it's common. 1,849 businesses on the List have no website yet. Your listing still gives you a real page people can find. If you ever want a website, my studio, Kootenay Made Digital, builds them. There's no pressure either way.

Will you email me a lot?

No. There's no mailing list. The only email you'll get from me is a reply to something you sent. Claiming your listing doesn't sign you up for anything.

For businesses

Your business is on the List. It cost you nothing.

You're one of 5,707 businesses on The Kootenay List. Being listed is free. Nobody can pay to move up. Every listing shows the date I last checked it against a public source.

Why I built it

I'm Brett, and I live in Castlegar. Every time I looked for a business around here, the directory I found let me down. It was years out of date, half the phone numbers were dead, or the useful part cost a membership fee. The lists meant to help people here had quietly gone stale.

So I built one that's free and open to everyone. The Kootenay List is one list of every business in the Kootenays. Each listing names a source you can go and check yourself. The whole List was last updated 15 SEP 2026. Yours is on it, and it cost you nothing.

What you get, for free

01
Your own page
A real page for your business. It shows your town, your trade, and the details I could confirm. You didn't have to build it, and you don't pay for it.
02
A link to your site
If you have a website, your listing links straight to it. It's a real link, the kind that helps people and search engines find you.
03
The date it was checked
Your listing shows the day I last checked it against a public source. Anyone reading it can see how up to date it is.

See the difference

Below is a real listing. Use the two buttons to flip between what I found in public sources and what the owner added after claiming it.

Web Design & IT

Kootenay Made Digital

Castlegar · claimed by the owner

Websitehttps://www.kootenaymade.ca

HoursMon-Fri: 9:00am-5:00pm

What they doIn their own words, below

BookingStart a project or get the free check-up

ServesBased in Castlegar; builds for businesses anywhere

In the owner's words

I build websites by hand for businesses in the Kootenays and beyond, from my studio in Castlegar. Every site is custom code, designed from scratch for the business it belongs to. You own it outright, so no platform can raise your price later. Sites typically go live in two to three weeks. Websites start at $2,000, and every price is listed on my site. I also built The Kootenay List, and I keep it free for everyone.

LAST CHECKED 14 SEP 2026

This is a real listing. Both versions show the date I last checked it, because I keep that date whether a listing is claimed or not. Everything that appears after claiming is something only the owner can add.

What claiming adds

Claiming is free too. The biggest thing it gets you is being found. I list every business using whatever its public source said. For a lot of them, that was one vague word like “services”. Nobody searches for that word. They search for what you actually do.

Your own wordsSay what you actually do, so people searching for it find you.
Your real hoursDay by day, the way you actually work.
Your photos and your logoUp to four photos. People can open each one full size.
A booking or quote linkIt goes straight to your own booking page or contact form.
The area you coverIf you travel to jobs, show where you'll go.
Your social profilesLink your Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube from your listing. The links you give me replace any I found myself.
The claimed markA mark by your name that shows people you look after this listing yourself.

Claim your listing

It takes about five minutes. I read every claim myself, and I write back when your listing changes, usually within a week.

The terms, in plain words

Free to be listed. Nobody pays for a better spot.

Nothing to buyBeing listed is free. Claiming is free. You can't buy a better spot on the page.
Nobody jumps aheadPeople see results based on what they searched for. Money doesn't move anyone up the page.
Not for saleI don't sell the list. There's no mailing list to be added to.
Yours to changeAsk me to fix something and I'll fix it. Ask to come off the List and I'll take you off.

If your listing says “No website yet”

You're not alone. 1,849 businesses on the List have no website, and their listings work fine without one. If you've been meaning to get one, I also run a web studio here in Castlegar called Kootenay Made Digital. I build websites for local businesses. It's a separate business from the List, and your listing stays free either way.

See Kootenay Made Digital

Straight answers

Does it really cost nothing?: Yes. Being listed is free, and claiming your listing is free too. Nobody can pay to show up higher on the page. I don't sell better spots, and I don't sell the list.
Why is my business already on here?: I built the List from public sources. The biggest source is businesses' own websites. The rest comes from chamber directories, town business licence lists, and other public lists like Technical Safety BC's. Your business showed up in one of those, so it got a listing. Your listing names the source it came from. If you sent your business in yourself, it says that instead, with the date you sent it.
Do I have to claim it?: No. Your listing works even if you never touch it. Claiming it helps people find you for what you actually do. Right now your listing says whatever the public source said. For a lot of businesses, that was one vague word like “services”. When you claim it, you can describe your work in your own words. You can add your hours, photos, a booking link, and the area you cover if you travel to jobs. You can link your Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube. And a mark beside your name shows people you claimed it.
What is the stamped date on my listing?: It's the day I last checked your listing against a public source. It's printed in the little blue stamp. Your listing names that source, so you can go and look for yourself. Every directory this region has had went out of date sooner or later, and none of them said so. That's why the List shows its dates where you can see them. When a listing gets old, it says so.
What if I do not have a website?: That's fine, and it's common. 1,849 businesses on the List have no website yet. Your listing still gives you a real page people can find. If you ever want a website, my studio, Kootenay Made Digital, builds them. There's no pressure either way.
Will you email me a lot?: No. There's no mailing list. The only email you'll get from me is a reply to something you sent. Claiming your listing doesn't sign you up for anything.

Make it yours

Your listing is there either way. When you claim it, it stops saying whatever the public source said. It says what you'd tell someone who asked.

Claim your listing

Not on the List at all? Send your business in and I'll add it. Want to know how it works first? How the List works.

If you need money for your business, see who funds businesses out here, from your local Community Futures office up to the federal government. If you're just starting out, see which office issues your business licence in each town.