BC Transit’s new operations and maintenance facility in Genelle is expected to provide long-term stability for the West Kootenay transit system.
The transit operator announced a $4-million project this week to upgrade a building in Genelle to house its new maintenance facility as it prepares to leave a space it has leased from School District 20 for years.
The new site, located at 1175 Lower China Creek Rd. in Genelle, was purchased by BC Transit in November 2025.
Errol Nordstrom, BC Transit’s program manager of facility capital projects, said the current location at 8178 Old Waneta Rd. in Trail is no longer available.
“The school district advised BC Transit that they’re intending to reoccupy and renovate the building. And so as of July 1, we’re having to find a new place.”
Nordstrom said the news prompted BC Transit to focus on a space it owns outright instead of continuing under short-term lease agreements.
“The new Genelle operations facility will provide a long-term space configured specifically to support transit bus operations, including bus storage, maintenance and future fleet growth,” he said.
“Owning the facility supports business continuity by removing uncertainty around future lease renewals.”
The new site is located in an existing industrial building. Nordstrom said it was chosen partly because of its central location in the region.
“That makes it an ideal hub to support transit services in Trail, Castlegar and surrounding communities,” he said.
“It also provides an opportunity in that it repurposes an existing industrial building, which allows us to deliver the project at a significantly lower cost than new construction would.”
The upgraded space will also be able to accommodate up to 36 buses, which Nordstrom said is intended to support long-term growth and evolving vehicle technology.
“The current fleet consists of 20 buses, including 15 medium-duty buses and five light-duty vehicles. The new facility is going to be able to accommodate a broader range of vehicle types, which is essential as products evolve in market,” he said.
“This allows us to meet evolving service needs, address new vehicle technologies and energy sources as those things change over time. The size and layout of the Genelle facility is going to provide sufficient flexibility to support service expansion for the next 25 years.”
Nordstrom said BC Transit is working under a constrained timeline, meaning some finishing work will continue after the facility opens on July 1.
“The current timeline is very constrained for us to get the work done, but it allows us to complete essential upgrades to ensure the facility operates safely and meets all regulatory requirements by July 1,” said Nordstrom.
Work continuing through the summer includes landscaping and final site improvements.
“This work will be planned to occur while transit operations are underway and will not impact service delivery.”
Nordstrom emphasized the project as a long-term investment in transit infrastructure.
“It really sets up BC Transit to operate smoothly and effectively within the region for the long term,” he said. “It’s just a good investment and it will serve the community for many, many years.”
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