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
From Numbers to Insight to Action
Data is a vital tool to help make better decisions for economic developers, organizations, communities, and regions. It allows for evidence-based decision-making about important issues such as: where to put time and effort, how best to support current and new projects or businesses, and which projects are the most important at any given time. Good data helps measure the impact of these decisions over time too.
ETSI-BC understands the importance of data in telling the stories of our region, and is committed to supporting individuals, organizations and communities to use data to their advantage.
Regional Data Platform
The ETSI-BC regional data platform helps tell those stories by providing a regional context in terms of data on population size, labour force, industry sectors and business counts that can be used to complement community-level data and provide context. This platform can also be used to support funding applications (i.e. growing population may justify a new need), to provide relevant data to attract developers (i.e. seniors housing) or to support private sector businesses seeking a new location with specific demographics.
Supporting the Region’s Data Appetite
During the 2020 ETSI-BC consultations with stakeholders, the need for help accessing and using data was identified. To help the practitioners throughout the Southern Interior access and utilize data more effectively, ETSI-BC also commissioned two data webinar training series in 2022 and 2023.
Both webinar series were developed and delivered by Community Futures East Kootenay with a focus on supporting smaller and rural communities. In total, more than 500 participants from all corners of the Southern Interior took advantage of the 10+ sessions of training, which was a resounding success.
“The goal is to turn data into information, and information into insight.” ~ Carly Fiorina, former CEO of HP
Outcomes of Using Data to your Advantage Webinars
The first webinar series was hosted in early 2022, facilitated by the knowledgeable CED Coordinator af CFEK, Robyn Peel. The webinars provided a strong introduction to the concepts, a helpful resource document for anyone to use, and featured numerous experts from around the region.
Finding data can be a challenge for smaller communities, so guest speaker Jayme Jones from the State of the Basin spoke about the data that is available and how to use it. Participants then learned from Dr Sarah Breen from Selkirk College about how to look to fill data gaps through primary research tools such as surveys and interviews as well as looking for proxy data. Mike Stolte of the CIEL ensured everyone knew how best to tell their story with the data they had.
Data 201 Topics and Insights
In Spring 2023, the second webinar series brought together a community of practice by highlighting examples from around the Southern Interior. Participants learned how data could help drive economic and tourism strategies. Communities such as Salmon Arm, Grand Forks, Hope and Creston shared how they are using data to support planning and decision-making for housing and labour market needs, disaster planning and recovery and how they are accessing data to measure economic and event impact. Recordings of these inspiring presentations can be found on the ETSI-BC website.
“This entire series is helping me develop my new role further and building a strong foundation for upcoming and future projects.”
~ Data series participant
Next Steps
The feedback from the two series has been incredibly positive, with more than 90% of participants rating each session at least an 8/10, and almost half of those rating the sessions with a 10/10. High praise for a topic some would consider a bit dry!
As a result, ETSI-BC has again engaged Community Futures East Kootenay and the intrepid Robyn Peel, their CED Coordinator, to roll out the introductory training session again in early 2024. This new and improved series will allow even more individuals and organizations across the region to use data to their advantage, and connect with a community of others who value data-driven decision-making and storytelling. These linkages with other practitioners are vital to strengthening the fabric of collaboration in the BC Southern Interior, and helping all our region’s communities succeed.
More information about the 2024 Data Series will be shared in December 2023. Make sure to sign up to be part of this growing community of practice!
More News & Stories
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.
Benefits of Social Enterprise Explored in the Boundary
Backed by ETSI-BC, the Trails to the Boundary Society (TTTBS) are helping nonprofits move beyond grants to build sustainable revenue.