With food security increasingly top of mind, the Kootenay Farms Food Hub is playing an important role in the Creston Valley. After just a year in full operation, it already had a waiting list for its services – including access to commercial equipment/kitchen space and assistance with marketing and sales. Support from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) enabled the Hub to increase its capacity by adding three specialized contractors to the food hub team. Multiple benefits are being realized as more food entrepreneurs navigate the journey from start-up to selling their products in the retail marketplace.

The Trail Skills Training Centre has long provided valuable supports to youth, families, low-income and other vulnerable community members to help them develop their skills and employability. With the goal of a larger, permanent location to enhance its services and programming, it purchased a 1930s era building which was structurally sound but needed significant upgrades. A major eco-renovation resulted in one of the most accessible, sustainable and energy efficient commercial buildings in Trail. With support from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC), the Centre is telling its story through multi-purpose videos.

ETSI-BC is pleased to share an Economic Analysis of the BC Southern Interior, prepared by CIEL, the Centre for Innovative & Entrepreneurial Leadership. This report draws on the data used by ETSI-BC’s regional economic dependencies data tool, EDD, and supplemented by 2011 Census data, for context. The data analysed for this report is based on the 2021 Census, conducted in May 2021, during COVID. While the timing of that Census skewed some of the data, there are many conclusions from this analysis that are meaningful for the region today. The next Census in May 2026 should be revealing.

BCMeats has a long history of supporting the province’s meat industry (producers, processors, retailers, butcher shops and chefs) who collectively provide sustainable and safe meats for BC consumers. The association provides advocacy and professional development, as well as encouraging partnerships in the meat value chain. The issue of food security and rising consumer demand for local food is the inspiration behind a pilot project by BCMeats in the North Okanagan. The project will raise the profile of regional producers and processors, making it easier for consumers to source the products they want, and it aims to be a model for cluster development in other parts of the province. This project was funded by the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC), through its Innovating & Advancing Key Sectors funding stream.

The vibrant lifestyle and culture of the Kootenays is the inspiration for the “Kootenay Approved” marketing campaign by the Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Enterprise Society (KORE), a 70-member alliance of outdoor recreation gear makers from across the Kootenay region. With a presence at the annual Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival to promotional videos, advertisements and blogs, the campaign sees KORE collaborating with partners in economic development and tourism to promote the region’s people, places, and products. The project is the latest KORE initiative supported by the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC).

In rural areas of BC, food hubs are an important way for local producers to grow their businesses through kitchen and equipment rentals, networking, mentoring and more. One food hub in the Southern Interior of BC is The Stir in Kamloops, an initiative of the Kamloops Food Policy Council. In addition to providing access to commercial kitchen, the Kamloops Food Policy Council is leading a region-wide food supply chain project, with funding from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior. The project is helping producers in the Thompson Nicola Valley to market and distribute their products more efficiently and effectively, while also increasing access to local grown food.

Behind many successful entrepreneurs in the Southern Interior region are post-secondary institutions that provide entrepreneurial training. A powerful example is the Kootenay Entrepreneurship Program (KEP), which is the result of a unique partnership between Selkirk College, College of the Rockies and the Kootenay Association for Science and Technology (KAST). These organizations decided to work together to broaden entrepreneurial skills development for youth, students and recent graduates in the Kootenay region. With support from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC), the highly collaborative project is inspiring new products, businesses, services and jobs within the region.

As increasing electricity costs and regulatory restrictions encourage the transition to solar energy, the Okanagan Circular Society (OCS) is demonstrating an innovative approach to community solar adoption. A feasibility study by the OCS confirmed the economic benefits of moving to community-powered solar in the region and it has created a scalable framework for implementing solar that builds community wealth and well-being. The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) supported the 2024 study.