B.C. invests $1M into new clean-manufacturing and repair hub in Cranbrook

Cranbrook will soon be the home of B.C.’s first-ever rural facility for clean manufacturing and repairs, thanks to a new investment from the province.

The B.C. government has granted $1 million through the Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Enterprise Society (KORE) to establish the ReHub Circular Technology Centre at College of the Rockies.

“This is a world-leading initiative, […] where industry, education, and community intersect- building capacity to design, repair, upcycle, prototype, and small-batch outdoor gear production, while reducing waste and strengthening onshore manufacturing,” said KORE Outdoors co-founder Powder Matt Mosteller.

“Outdoor recreation is more than a lifestyle in the Kootenays, it’s a growing economic engine, but also a huge contributor to the health and well-being of the people of British Columbia.”

The project is meant to encourage circular innovation while training workers, leading to more local manufacturing, skilled jobs and sustainable economic diversification in the Kootenays.

It’s being funded through the province’s Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP), under the B.C. outdoor recreation strategy.

“Outdoor recreation is a defining part of life in B.C., supporting people, their well-being and their communities,” said Tamara Davidson, minister of environment and parks. “It also attracts visitors from around the world, bringing people to our businesses and sustaining jobs.”

The program has also allotted a total of $500,000 to two other projects in the province.

KORE is set to travel across the Kootenays this summer on its ReHub mobile tour to repair outdoor gear and raise awareness of the new Centre.

The exact timeline for the Centre project has yet to be announced.