Warfield has always been a little bit of a middle child — tucked between Trail and Rossland, close enough to both to borrow the good stuff, but quite content doing its own thing. The village grew up around the mining and smelting boom, when Cominco built 150 homes for its workers in 1938. Those distinctive little houses, with their bright colours, steep roofs and small windows, eventually earned Upper Warfield the wonderfully unofficial nickname “Mickey Mouse Town.”

Today, Warfield is less company town and more outdoor-loving community, with parks, walking and cycling trails, an outdoor pool and water park, sports fields and easy access to the mountains. It’s also blessed with a useful little trick: sitting lower than Rossland means warmer temperatures, an earlier spring and less snow — handy when you want mountain access without committing quite so enthusiastically to winter.