About Us

Who we are

KVR Outfitters Ltd is a business that is being operated as a social enterprise.

We are wholly owned by the non-profit Trails to the Boundary Society: https://www.westboundary.com/about-us/

Trails to the Boundary Society was formed in 2015 by a group of individuals from across the West Boundary who shared a vision for regional community development.

In 2024 we purchased the business assets of Kettle Valley Railway Cycle Tours, who operated tours in the Boundary since 2011. Many of our readers will have interacted with Paula & Swade over the years and will understand their passion for the economic benefits of sustainable tourism in small rural communities. They saw the impact of rail trail development in rural New Zealand, where they call home for most of the year. Their website and promotion of our rail trail brought thousands of people to our area over the years.

If you want to see what Paula and Swade are up to now, check out their boat tours in New Zealand https://www.okaritoboattours.co.nz/ and the Trust they’re involved with: https://www.okaritonursery.co.nz/

A social enterprise is an organization or program that is driven by a public benefit mission, and sells goods or services to earn a revenue, while also helping achieve its positive social, cultural or environmental objectives. Social enterprises can help promote resilience in rural communities by enabling community members to create positive, sustainable change.

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How we came to start a social enterprise

Trails to the Boundary has held a Partnership Agreement with the Province of British Columbia for management of 155 km of rail trail since 2015. Our oversight includes trail maintenance, promoting the trail, working with neighbouring property owners, business development, advocating for resourcing and protection of the trail. We also operate a full service Visitor Information Centre through Destination BC.

We worked with Paula & Swade for years to support their business. When it was time for them to retire, they asked if we knew of potential buyers. In true Paula & Swade fashion, they were seeking local buyers, to keep the benefits in the area. After 3 years of trying to convince others to take on the business, and fearful of the impact of losing the business altogether, we thought “Why not us?!”.

With an ETSI-BC grant (Economic Trust of the Southern Interior), we were able to contract consultants from Purppl to help us develop our social enterprise and business plans. We leveraged this funding to get a Pacifican Tourism Growth Fund grant to provide seed money and to rewrite the website. We are very grateful for this support on our road to increasing business capacity around active recreation.

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Our values

We believe in local, community ownership of assets.

We believe in re-investing in our communities.

We believe in the power of regional collaboration.

We value the enormous contribution of our many volunteers, without whom none of our projects would exist.

Our goals and our impact

Immediate Impact is Business Retention for:

15 accommodators
2 caterers
11+ restaurants
3 shuttle services
2 bike repair businesses

Plans Moving Forward:

Hire a Tour Manager
Addition of other tour types (walking, bird watching, snowshoeing)
Expand to 4 seasons

Benefits to Our Communities:

Increase local employment
New business starts
New resident attraction
Reduced dependence on resource-based industries
Increase awareness of Indigenous history & culture
Promote Indigenous tourism development
Develop assets for travellers that will also benefit local communities
Keep food businesses open year-round
Increased sales of locally produced food
Increase awareness of environmental issues: invasive species, drought, trail degradation, riparian areas, wildlife habitat & interactions
Increase awareness of agricultural activities so recreation can co-exist
Reduce climate change impacts by working around weather events
Create attachment to our area to encourage return visits