If you are wondering what it is like, living in Rossland, I'll give you a bit of info.
First of all, the natural beauty and clear mountain air is breathtaking. As long as you make sure to get out of the house or office regularly to get out and enjoy it, you won't be bored of it. The skiing in winter is world-class. The terrain at Red Mountain is as good as it gets, and the snow quality in most years is fantastic, with temperatures cooler than the coastal ranges, and warmer than the Rockies, for really comfortable winter activities most of the time. My kids are all in the Nancy Greene Ski League, race training and free skiing starting from age 5, and the Red Mountain Racers have a fantastic reputation for creating really competitive racers who compete nationally and internationally - as well as building solid skills and solid friendships. The Black Jack nordic ski centre is very well groomed and offers lots of trails, as well as a large community of outdoorsy people to spend time with. Big Red Cats (which I also own), provides fantastic off-piste adventure, though admittedly most of the locals who ski with us are people who either work for us or volunteer for us, because they get so much great untracked skiing at the ski resort after every storm anyway. Other winter activities of course include hockey (as we are in Canada), and swimming, recreationally at the Trail Aquatic Centre, just 15 minutes down the hill, or with the Trail Stingrays Swim Club.
As soon as the snow starts to disappear, the mountain bikes come out, and riders are enjoying the lower elevation trails even before the skiing has stopped up high. The Trails Society has created a huge network of groomed, mapped, and signed biking trails -all marked intermediate, advanced, and expert, just like ski runs. The Seven Summits ride is the most well-known, but there are tons of great rides, many of which can include car drops and downhill pickups. Rossland has its own outdoor swimming pool in summer, and Nancy Greene Lake is only 20 minutes up the road. For a larger, warmer lake, Christina Lake is 45 minutes away, and many locals also have cabins there, where they spend much of the summer. Check out www.christinalake.com for more details. I also have a house there, and sell real estate in Christina and Rossland. There are about half a dozen good golf courses within an hour's drive, including kid's programs, ladies and men's nights, and lots of tournaments. You name the sport, and you can play it around here. Between Rossland's own sports, and what Trail offers, there is nothing you can do in larger cities that you can't do here.
What are the schools like? Really good, I think. My kids go there, and I have no complaints. The teachers are really supportive and my girls have learned a lot in a caring environment. Not only that, but they have a fantastic playground with equipment donated by the Nelson & District Credit Union. While budget constraints periodically threaten K-12 in Rossland, and someday it may be reduced to K-9 in Rossland and a beefed up senior curriculum at Crowe in Trail, let's put it in perspective: it is just 15 minutes away. At the moment, we have a K-5 elementary school called MacLean, as well as middle school and high school in Rossland Secondary, and it's fantastic to have all of our children in our community. The schools consistently perform well in rankings, and RSS also offers a Ski Academy and Dance Academy.
We are lucky to have a regional hospital only 15 minutes down the road in Trail. I've been down there countless times with various family members, and have hardly ever had to wait more than 20 minutes to be seen. The building may not be new, but the people inside it are what makes the difference, and they have always treated us well.
I've lived in a lot of places, and I can honestly say that Rossland and Christina Lake are a couple of my favourites. While I do sometimes miss the beaches of Australia, if I left here, I know I'd miss this wonderful mountain town, with its family-like community.