?aq’am Community Enterprises (ACE) is the economic development arm of the ?aq’am First Nation, the largest member of Ktunaxa Nation. Known for its progressive business development goals, ACE undertook a comprehensive review of its strategic priorities. The result is a dynamic new five-year strategic plan that will guide more efficient, tactical, and resilient delivery of ACE’s programs and services. The project was supported by the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC).
Selkirk College Inspires Entrepreneurs and Helps Manufacturers Grow
Selkirk College is innovating with two programs that support rural communities in the Columbia Basin-Boundary region, with funding support from the ETSI-BC. One of the programs helps participants of the college’s tech programs to develop employable skills and explore entrepreneurship. The other project provides research students to help local outdoor recreational gear manufacturers solve problems and increase efficiencies.
Classroom Skills to Entrepreneurship
The Classroom Skills to Entrepreneurship: How to Create a Career from your Education program, delivered at the Applied Research and Innovation Centre in Castlegar, targets students in Digital Fabrication and Design, Web Development, Digital Arts, Computer Science, and Geographic Information Systems.
“These students have amazing skill sets,” says Dr. Sarah-Patricia Breen, BC Regional Innovation Chair in Rural Economic Development. “They already gain some experience in the business world through their studies, but we wanted to amp this up with an intensive, short course about how to turn their skills into a job.”
The program kicked off in March 2022 with two half-day seminars. Experienced Kootenay entrepreneurs shared what being an entrepreneur means to them, the lessons they’ve learned along the way, and some key tips and pointers. At the end of that first seminar, students were assigned entrepreneurial scenarios to work on.
During the second seminar, students discussed their assignments as a group and identified the tools they would need to implement them. To highlight local resources, the Kootenay Association for Science and Technology (KAST) also gave a presentation on its programs and services for entrepreneurs.
Since the seminars took place on two consecutive Saturdays, each student received a stipend of $175 towards the cost of daycare and/or time off work that might otherwise prevent them from attending. A student intern was hired to coordinate the seminars, and presenting speakers received an honorarium.
Project Coordinator Jenna Annett, a recent Selkirk graduate in Environmental Planning, says the program quickly filled up to its 15-student capacity. Several registered students said they already had an interest in starting their own businesses after graduating but didn’t know where to start. “Another 14 students, all from business programs, formed a wait list,” notes Jenna. “This suggests there is potential for a second set of entrepreneurship seminars geared to business students.”
Developing Local Talent for the Outdoor Recreation Sector
The second program takes advantage of the resources available through the Selkirk Technology Access Centre (STAC) in Castlegar to support prototype design and the commercialization of products and services.
The Building the Outdoor Recreation Sector project focuses on the region’s burgeoning outdoor gear manufacturing industry. Most of these manufacturers are members of KORE, the Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Enterprise Society. This emerging industry group already has over 40 member companies, which collectively design, develop, and make products for skiers, snowboarders, cyclists, climbers and more.
STAC was already working with KORE members on numerous projects through an Interactive Visit Program delivered in collaboration with Tech-Access Canada. Companies participating in this program normally receive 20 hours of access to equipment, facilities, and expertise within STAC for a $200 fee.
The funding from ETSI-BC enabled STAC to help more companies in the KORE network, by covering the cost of materials and supporting two interns to assist the students as they work on real-world business solutions under the supervision of faculty researchers. “Access to talent is essential to creating long-term economic growth and development in our region,” says Breen. “With the support of ETSI-BC on these two new programs, Selkirk College is able to contribute even more to prepare students to graduate with the diverse skills needed in today’s workforce.”
More News & Stories
Thompson-Okanagan Launches New Economic Development Practitioners Network
After a year of work connecting economic development practitioners across the Thompson-Okanagan, the region’s first Economic Development Practitioners Network (EDPN) is now in place. Modelled after the Kootenay Boundary EDPN created in 2014, the Thompson Okanagan EDPN includes community and municipal and First Nations economic development practitioners, Chambers of Commerce, Community Futures and other stakeholders. The group came together for the first time on April 8, 2026, where they learned, shared ideas and information, and further planned future activities. The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) is committed to supporting both the Kootenay Boundary and Thompson-Okanagan networks of economic development practitioners.
2027-30 Strategic Planning and DAAP 4.39 Updates
June 25, 2026 – The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) is grateful for the input from partners, funding recipients, committee members and other regional stakeholders who have taken the time to help inform our next three-year Strategic Plan for 2027-30. We are also pleased to provide an update on the status of the DAAP 4.39 action item.
ETSI-BC Fall 2026 Funding Intake: Up to $1M Available for Projects
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.
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.