?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).
Laurel Douglas Appointed New CEO of SIDIT
March 10, 2020 – The Board of Directors of the Southern Interior Development Initiative Trust (SIDIT) is pleased to announce the appointment of Laurel Douglas as its CEO effective May 4, 2020.
“Laurel brings to our organization significant economic development, leadership and development lending experience,” says Chris Pieper, Chair of the Board of SIDIT and Mayor of the City of Armstrong. “She also brings a strong understanding of the SIDIT territory, having lived and worked in both the Thompson-Okanagan and Columbia-Kootenay regions.”
Laurel`s background includes 15 years as CEO of the award-winning Women`s Enterprise Centre (WEC), which supports women entrepreneurs throughout BC with business loans, advisory services, mentoring, training and export support. Over that time, WEC provided direct and leveraged financing totalling $67 million to hundreds of women-led businesses, which helped create or maintain approximately 3,650 jobs in the province.
Under her leadership, WEC has become recognized as an important part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in BC and a best practice internationally, which led to Laurel being invited to represent Canada on the W20 engagement group of the G20 since 2016. She has been part of the external advisory committee of UBCO since 2012 and was appointed to the Board of Governors of the Justice Institute of BC in 2019. She was named one of BC`s most Influential Women in 2017 and 2019 by BC Business Magazine, and was recognized by the BC Economic Development Association with an Economic Developer of the Year Silver Medal in 2009.
Prior to joining Women`s Enterprise Centre, Laurel spent many years in the tech sector. She led what is now known as Accelerate Okanagan from 1997-2001, then spent several years with an affiliate of the National Research Council`s IRAP program, providing IRAP clients in the Southern Interior with business advisory services to help them access financing and reach new markets.
Douglas lived in the Kootenays for several years in the 1990`s, providing contract regional economic development services to the Ministry of Small Business, Tourism & Culture in the East and West Kootenays. She also taught business planning at Selkirk College during that time.
Before moving to BC, Laurel lived and worked in France, Germany, the UK and Southern Ontario in the telecom and financial services industries. She has an MBA from a leading international business school and a post-baccalaureate diploma in Community Economic Development from SFU.
Laurel has been very involved in numerous economic development initiatives. She is a long-term advisory board member of the Economic Development Commission of the Central Okanagan. While living in Nelson, she was appointed to the founding Advisory Council of the Columbia Basin Trust, was a member of the Kootenay Regional Advisory Group and served on the board of the Nelson & Area Economic Development Commission.
“Laurel’s extensive background, network, development lending experience and her commitment to our region will be of great benefit to SIDIT as we support strategic investments in economic development projects in the Southern Interior region of our province,” says Board Chair Pieper.
“I’m looking forward to joining SIDIT as its new CEO in early May, and to working with the organization`s Board, staff and partners to help SIDIT continue contributing to the economic prosperity and quality of life in our region,” says Douglas.
The Board of Directors would like to recognize Helen Patterson, who served in the dual roles of Interim CEO and Chief Financial Officer during the past year. “We appreciate Helen’s long-term dedication to the Trust and the extra support which she and the team have provided over the past year,” says Board Chair Chris Pieper.
SIDIT was created in 2006 to make strategic investments in sustainable development initiatives in the Southern Interior. As of March 31, 2019, it had made $13 million in grants supporting regional initiatives, helped create over 3,400 jobs in the region, invested almost $50 million in loans, and provides about 300 scholarships per year to Southern Interior post-secondary students.
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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.