A new 200-acre business park is taking shape in the District of Lake Country. The development will create space for new types of businesses, attract investment, support local jobs, and provide housing options close to where people work. With support from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC), the project is helping one of BC’s fastest-growing communities prepare for the future.
Entrepreneurship Training at the Post-Secondary Level Boosts Economic Development in the Region
The six public post-secondary institutions in BC’s Southern Interior are helping grow the region’s economy by supporting students and graduates build entrepreneurial and work-readiness skills.
The positive economic impacts of entrepreneurship and work-integrated learning were the focus of the recent PSI roundtable hosted by ETSI-BC. ETSI-BC began targeting its PSI funding on this important priority as part of its “Developing Human Capital” Strategic Pillar. Through this funding stream, the Trust invests in initiatives that help students and graduates find meaningful jobs in the region, support new venture creation and facilitate connections between industry, students and academia.
Public Post-Secondary Institutions in the BC Southern Interior
| College of the Rockies | Cranbrook |
| Selkirk College | Castlegar |
| Okanagan College | Kelowna |
| UBC Okanagan | Kelowna |
| Nicola Valley Institute of Technology | Merritt |
| Thompson Rivers University | Kamloops |
While each institution tailors its programming to the needs of its community, common themes have emerged on how to best support students on their employment skills and entrepreneurial learning journey. The roundtable provided opportunities for the PSIs to share their FY2023 program offerings funded by ETSI-BC and success stories.
Experiential Learning
The colleges and universities all offer experiential, hands-on training which helps bridge the gap between classroom theory and active participation. The well-established Entrepreneurship@UBCO program (e@UBCO), includes a Mentor2Market core program that helps participants build and validate their concepts by working with experienced mentors, and the recently added Startup Sprint event which focuses on essential skills for successful entrepreneurs.
Through the nationally acclaimed Enactus entrepreneurial development program, students at Okanagan College are guided and supported by faculty members and business leaders while developing social, economic and environmental projects that meet needs in their communities. They are involved at every stage of a project, from planning through implementation to tracking outcomes, and have the opportunity to present their concepts at regional, national, and international competitions. Many Enactus alumni remain in the community after their education, using their entrepreneurial skills to start and run businesses, serve as community leaders, and inspire others to engage in entrepreneurial pursuits.
At Thompson Rivers University, the model of technology incubators was the inspiration for the Tourism Innovation Lab. Students apply their skills and critical thinking to creating tourism product ideas and turning them into proposals which may lead to entry in the Tourism Venture Acceleration Program.
Two new tourism businesses that began in the Tourism Innovation Lab are up and running in the community: Shred Loops Mountain Biking, and McAbee Fossil Beds tours.
Collaborating to Encourage Youth Entrepreneurship
One of the unique approaches developed with funding from ETSI-BC was the collaboration between College of the Rockies, Selkirk College and KAST (Kootenay Association for Science & Technology. They partnered in 2022 to create the Kootenay Youth Entrepreneurship, a multi-faceted program that aims to introduce entrepreneurial skills to youth across the Kootenay Region, including high school and college level students, and youth outside of educational institutions. This program aims to expose youth aged 16-30 (at no cost) to the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and provide skills training and experiences to aid in skills and career development.
The program has three main parts: fundamentals of entrepreneurship, meet-ups and events, and an advanced training series called “Getting from Idea to Launch” which will culminate in a pitch event. The educational institutions will co-lead the first two parts of this program, and KAST will deliver the third part. This ground-breaking program demonstrates how three organizations can achieve more together.
Developing Employability Skills
Whether a student chooses to work for an employer or start their own business, basic employability skills are critical to finding the work they want to pursue. The Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT) is BC’s Indigenous public post-secondary institution, serving 1,200 learners in remote and rural communities. Their Co-operative Education Preparation course helps students develop pre-employability skills and gain confidence in their ability to pursue their work/career goals with local employers.
Investing in our Region’s Human Capital
“Entrepreneurship is an exciting career option and entrepreneurial skills are highly transferable,” says Laurel Douglas, CEO of ETSI-BC. “Projects like these help grow our region’s economy by generating more skilled employees and new businesses.”
For more information some of these initiatives and other projects that ETSI-BC has supported, visit the Stories page on the ETSI-BC website.
More News & Stories
How One Region Overcame the Tourism Impacts of a 5-Month Ferry Strike
When the Central Kootenay communities of Balfour and the East Shore of Kootenay Lake were hit with a lengthy ferry strike in late 2024, economic development and tourism partners worked closely with businesses on both sides of Kootenay Lake to address the impacts of a significant loss of visitors to the area. With support from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior, (ETSI-BC), the area’s Destination Marketing Organization, Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism (NKLT), quickly launched the “No Better Time, No Better Place” marketing campaign as soon as the strike ended, encouraging visitors to return to the communities most affected.
ETSI-BC in the Spotlight
October 14, 2026 – The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) ) was featured today in BC Business Magazine, alongside our fellow regional trusts, Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT) and Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICET).
ETSI-BC Fall Funding Intake Draws Impressive Regional Interest
October 8, 2026 – The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) received an impressive response to its 2026 Fall Funding Intake from communities and organizations across the region. The intake closed on October 8, 2026, with 43 applications requesting nearly $1.9 million in funding for projects with a combined project value of over $3.8 million.
Township of Spallumcheen Digs Deep in Planning New Agriculture Business Hub
Since 2021, the Township of Spallumcheen has been exploring the development of a regional Agri-Hub to strengthen local food distribution and support agricultural growth. With support from ETSI-BC, the Township is developing a phased business plan to help build a resilient and profitable agricultural sector for the future.
New Tourism Strategy Transforms Grand Forks from a Highway Stop to a Destination
The Southern Interior community of Grand Forks has completed a major rebuild and relaunch of its original tourism strategy, shifting the community from being a quick stopping point on Highway 3 to a tourism destination. With support from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC), the strategy served to develop new tourism assets attracting more visitors and generating increased revenue for local businesses.
Sicamous Tourism Strategy Builds a Path for Sustainable Growth
From houseboating to sledding, hiking, biking, and birding, Sicamous is the tourism hub of the Shuswap region. While summer visitors fill Sicamous with activity, off-season visitations drop sharply, prompting the community to pursue a more diversified and sustainable year-round tourism future. The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) supported the District of Sicamous Development Corporation in revitalizing the community’s tourism sector with a dynamic, five-year tourism strategy to 2030.
Forestry Strategy Positions ?aq’am First Nation for New Opportunities
Increased timber harvest allocations for BC’s First Nations are opening the door to new business opportunities for enterprising First Nations communities such as ?aq’am in the East Kootenays. With funding support from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC), ?aq’am developed a forestry business scan, a strategy to build capacity for projects made possible by the expanded forest tenure. The scan is guiding ?aq’am to increase its role in forestry as it pursues a resilient and sustainable future.
ETSI-BC Welcomes Krista Mallory as Regional Project and Strategic Initiatives Manager
July 29, 2026 – The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC)) is pleased to announce that Krista Mallory will be joining the organization as its new Regional Project and Strategic Initiatives Manager effective October 1, 2026.
Wayfinding in Barriere for Economic Resilience and Growth
When a major fire destroyed the Tolko sawmill in the North Thompson region near Barriere in 2003, residents and stakeholders rallied to rebuild and redefine the community’s economic future. As the community has evolved, so have the systems that help residents and visitors navigate in and around Barriere, including a multi-phase Wayfinding Strategy launched in 2024. The project, supported by the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) is aimed at boosting visitor traffic and attracting more business investment, ensuring a strong and resilient future.