Named by a Finnish settler after his native town of Vasa in Finland, Wasa is based around the small Wasa Lake. The village features most tourism amenities and is a growing recreational area.

Location: Wasa is located on Highway 93/95 in the Kootenay River Valley, between Skookumchuk and Fort Steele, 24 miles (38 km) northeast of Kimberley and 16 miles (25 km) north of Cranbrook.

• Right on the doorstep is Wasa Lake Provincial Park, one of the best recreational lakes in the East Kootenays. The beaches here are very good, with excellent swimming conditions and sandy shores from which to launch car-top boats. In winter, the cross-country ski trails are well-groomed and there's even a lit, maintained ice rink.

• Wasa features excellent wetlands stemming from the Kootenay River, providing great bird and wildlife watching opportunities. Just 8 km south of the village is Bummer Flats, a series of potholes created by Ducks Unlimited to accommodate waterfowl. Along the way to Wasa, look for painted turtles, great blue heron, osprey, bald eagle, downy woodpeckers and turkey vultures, as well as the ever popular Canada Geese.

• The Wasa Slough Wildlife Sanctuary is worth a visit by nature lovers, where you can view Canada Geese nesting on top of Muskrat mounds..

• Live the excitement of an 1890s Boom Town, and kick up your heels in Fort Steele Heritage Town, the restored capital of the Kootenays, located 18 km south of Wasa.

• Moyie Lake Provincial Park occupies the north end of Moyie Lake, a large scenic lake on the lower eastern slopes of the Purcell Mountains. This 61 hectare park encompasses lightly forested landscape, a small pond and several trails.

• Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park is a favourite destination for anglers. Campsites are spread out among four locations in the park, all easily accessed from Whiteswan Forest Rd. Lussier Hot Springs is located near the western boundary of Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park.

• Whether you're looking for night skiing, recently groomed runs, mogols, tree skiing, a half-pipe or an untouched fresh powder run, Kimberley Alpine Resort has it all. The resort's challenging runs and friendly local ambience draw skiers and snowboarders of all abilities. Skiing and Winter Recreation in the BC Rockies.

• Golf: Golfers can head north to play the Th'Flats Golf Course in Canal Flats, where every hole presents a different challenge on this beautifully maintained executive 9-hole, par 30 public course. To the southwest, golfers can choose from 3 golf courses in Kimberley. The Kimberley Golf Club winds through towering ponderosa pines high above the St. Mary’s River, Trickle Creek Golf Resort is a thrilling course to play on North Star Mountain, and Bootleg Gap Golf Course is a 27-hole public golf facility located off Highway 95A in South Kimberley. Golf Vacations in the BC Rockies.

• See the best of the area on The Okanagan and BC Rockies Circle Tour. Travel the sunny interior of British Columbia, north through the Okanagan to Sicamous, following Highway 1 into the mountains of the BC Rockies. From Golden, head south through the Columbia Valley to Creston, and west through Boundary Country and the Southern Okanagan to complete the loop. Circle Tours in BC.