June 18, 2026 – The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) is pleased to announce that its next Funding Intake will launch on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 and close on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
2027-30 Strategic Planning and DAAP 4.39 Updates
Strategic Plan 2027-30
Thanks to all those who responded to survey and participated in our focus groups in May and June.
The findings will directly shape ETSI-BC’s 2027–30 strategic plan. This comprehensive consultation process, which has already gathered input from over 43 focus group participants, Board members, operational team, and 33 community interest holders, ensures that our next strategic direction reflects the voices and priorities of the communities we serve. The Board received a preliminary summary of input received at its June 19 board meeting held in Summerland BC. All the suggestions and ideas will be summarized and presented in more detail at the October 2 Board meeting taking place in Creston BC.
The new plan, launching April 1, 2027, will position ETSI-BC to build on the strengths which stakeholders identified while addressing emerging opportunities and challenges in economic development across our region.
DAAP 4.39 Update
To recap actions to date:
- Engagement was carried out with all 32 First Nations in the ETSI-BC service area in 2024-25, including in-depth presentations to 26 of those First Nations. Following that, 3 Steering Committee meetings were held to develop detailed recommendations. All 5 Nations in ETSI-BC service area were represented at those meetings.
- In June 2025, the consultant’s recommendations were submitted to the Province of BC, with First Nation, RAC and Board endorsement.
- Since that time, the ETSI-BC CEO has met regularly with the ADM and ED from the Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth (JEG), along with the other two Trust CEOs to discuss next steps.
- In November 2025, JEG struck a Working Group consisting of First Nations representatives from each of the 3 Trust regions to co-develop changes to our legislation to enable the region’s First Nations to become part of the decision-making of the Trusts (ie part of the RACs and Board).
- That Working Group has met 3 times, and different versions of the Intentions Paper have been reviewed. Trust CEOs attended these Working Group meetings. The last meeting was on March 31. The final draft Intentions Paper was promised shortly thereafter, but it has not been circulated. The plan was to submit the Request for Decision to Cabinet once the Intentions Paper was endorsed by the Working Group.
- Working Group members from the Southern Interior and the Independent Legislative Review Committee for ETSI-BC, in its latest report dated March 2026, have recommended that ETSI-BC RACs not be required to have equal numbers of Indigenous and non-Indigenous members. This is consistent with the recommendations we put forward in the submission of June 2025.
- JEG has developed a public engagement plan to vet the Request for Decision once it is submitted, which includes a separate session for local government, RACs and Trust Boards. The timing of these sessions is not confirmed, and it is not clear whether the proposed changes to our Acts will be brought forward in the fall 2026 sitting of the legislature, as previously planned.
- We will continue to keep all our interest-holders updated on DAAP 4.39 developments. We are hopeful that the changes to our Act will be enabling and not prescriptive, and that local government will have an opportunity for meaningful input.
More News & Stories
ETSI-BC Spring Funding Intake Invests Over $1 Million to Strengthen the Southern Interior Economy
June 8, 2026 – Communities across British Columbia’s Southern Interior are set to benefit from a new round of investment through the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior. On June 5, 2026, ETSI-BC approved $1,011,000 in funding for 33 projects, representing a combined project value of $3 million. The funded initiatives will help communities diversify their local economies, support innovation, and respond to regional opportunities
Helping Shape the Future of ETSI-BC Support in the Southern Interior
May 11, 2026 – ETSI-BC is inviting partners from across the Southern Interior to participate in a series of virtual focus groups as part of an Impact Assessment that will inform its next three-year Strategic Plan, covering the period from April 1, 2027 to March 31, 2030.
Similkameen Economic Vitality Plan Drives Growth and Resilience
Keremeos, one of the fastest growing rural communities in British Columbia, has evolved from its agricultural heritage to a business hub at the heart of the Similkameen region with a robust tourist sector and vast potential to develop new business opportunities. In 2024, the Similkameen Country Development Association initiated a comprehensive Economic Vitality Initiative to better address the pressing needs of local businesses. Collaboration by many stakeholders along with funding support from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) drove the plan to completion, and the strategies it contains are now being implemented.
Ktunaxa Business Showcase Links Indigenous Businesses to Procurement Opportunities
The Ktunaxa Business Showcase, led by the Ktunaxa Nation Council (KNC), is expanding, improving and helping members secure new business contracts in southeastern BC. The success of the most recent 2025 Showcase event reflects strategic changes to the program’s timeline and format, and was supported by funding from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC).
Strong Demand for ETSI-BC Spring Funding Intake
April 15, 2026 – The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) closed its 2026 Spring Funding Intake, with a strong response from communities and organizations across the region. The intake closed on April 9, 2026, with 48 applications requesting nearly $1.7 million in funding, representing a combined project value of almost $4 million.
2026 ETSI-BC Legislative Review
March 30, 2026 – We are pleased to present the findings and recommendations of the 2026 ETSI-BC Legislative Review Committee. The Committee reviewed the Act that governs ETSI-BC and the proposed changes that the Province has put forward this year. A Legislative Review is conducted every 5 years by an independent committee. This year in particular, their report has several important recommendations of relevance to First Nations and local governments in the Southern Interior, and to the Province.
Stepping up the PACE of Inclusive Employment in Penticton
Creating flexible, part-time job opportunities for workers with barriers has been the driving force behind The Penticton & Area Cooperative Enterprise (PACE) for more than 20 years. Hundreds of employees have found sustainable jobs with local employers based on PACE’s job-sharing model to fill full-time positions.
With support from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC), PACE has standardized and expanded its model to ensure more people can access paid work in the community and employers have access to labour market solutions, which are increasing economic growth in the Penticton area and beyond.
Columbia Valley on a Roll as Film Production Provides Region-Wide Benefits
With its spectacular landscapes and the small-town charm of communities like Radium, Invermere and Fairmont Hot Springs, the Columbia Valley in the East Kootenay region has been the backdrop of film productions for decades. In 2024, Columbia Valley Community Economic Development (CVCEDO) built on this momentum by hiring a Film Coordinator to ensure the Columbia Valley was the location of choice for two new productions and create a strategy for long-term growth of the film sector. The project was supported with a grant from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC).
CF Central Okanagan Leadership Program Teaches Businesses Sustainability Practices
An innovative program to help new and expanding businesses build sustainable business practices (SD) into their ventures has resulted in a model for long-term business growth and economic capacity building in the Okanagan. The Sustainable Business Development Leadership Program created by Community Futures Central Okanagan was supported by the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC). It provides valuable insights into Sustainable Business Practices and the training serves as a model that could be shared with Community Futures clients in other regions.