Vanderhoof is a district municipality that lies near the geographical centre of British Columbia, Canada. It has a population of roughly 4,500 residents within town limits. Due to nearby rural communities without services Vanderhoof actually supports nearly 10,000 people. Vanderhoof's economic drivers are the forest industry, agriculture, and related industries. Tourism is growing, but has yet to challenge any of the established industries. Mining is growing in importance, with a number of mines being developed in the area. Vanderhoof has many elementary schools and one major secondary school—Nechako Valley Secondary School (NVSS), teaching grades 7-12—which are all part of School District 91 Nechako Lakes. The College of New Caledonia has a regional campus in Vanderhoof.Via Rail's Jasper–Prince Rupert train calls at the Vanderhoof railway station.SchoolsElementary: Evelyn Dickson W.L. McLeod  Sinkutview  Mapes Prairiedale - now closedSecondary: Nechako Valley Secondary School (NVSS)Valhalla HighVirtual School: EBUS Academy www.ebus.caGeographyVanderhoof is named after Herbert Vanderhoof.Nearby communities include:Fort Fraser - 38 km (24 mi) westFraser Lake - 59 km (37 mi) westFort St. James - 61 km (38 mi) north