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.
Budding Success: Cannabis Transition Program Cultivates Thriving Economic Landscape in Central Kootenays
The game is changing for the cannabis industry in the Central Kootenay region with support from the Kootenay Cannabis Council (KCC), an outcome of the Cannabis Business Transition Initiative led by Community Futures Central Kootenay (CFCK).
Prior to the 2018 legalization of cannabis, the Central Kootenay region was home to approximately 2,000 licensed cannabis producers and an additional 500 unauthorized producers. Together they generated an estimated 20 to 30 percent of the regional economy. Although many of the region’s producers have been operating for years, the heavily regulated legal market requires a steep financial commitment and imposes strict limitations on marketing and packaging. Even well-established growers may lack the capacity and skills to navigate the regulatory environment on their own.
A United Voice for Cannabis-Related Businesses
The KCC, previously known as the Cannabis Economic Development Council, was formed in 2020 to support the development of the legal cannabis sector in the region. It responds to government engagement with one voice while reducing stigma and misconceptions about cannabis history and culture. Council members represent the sector’s diverse stakeholders including industry, government, economic development practitioners, researchers, and educators.
CFCK received grant funding from the Economic Trust of Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) in 2022 to help take the Council from its formative stage to the next level. The project was a good fit with the strategic pillars that guide ETSI-BC funding including building economic development capacity, developing human capital, and advancing key sectors. The funding supported the hiring of Council Coordinator Abra Brynne, a nationally respected food systems advocate and policy analyst. Additional funding for the role was provided by the Regional District Central Kootenay.
Collaboration With Multiple Partners
With a dedicated Council Coordinator on board, the KCC gained capacity to actively promote review and recommend changes to government policies while supporting growers as they navigate the transition process. The KCC has informed governments at all levels about the need for policy reform and reducing red tape. It engaged with the Provincial Government in the development of marketing initiatives such as the Farm Gate and Direct Delivery programs and collaborated with Selkirk College and Kootenay Rockies Tourism to explore cannabis tourism opportunities. The Council also endorsed an initiative by a Kaslo-based publisher to produce BC’s first cannabis directory, and supported BC’s first Cannabis Summit hosted by the BC Craft Cannabis Coop and the Association of Canadian Cannabis Retailers in 2021. The summit is now an annual event.
Between 2019 and 2022, Investment into the Kootenay cannabis sector included 19 loans from CFCK totaling $3,447,500 to support startup businesses with costs for construction, working capital, equipment purchases, retail fixtures and inventory. More than 135 jobs were created in the region’s legal cannabis industry.
Velvet Kavanagh, a Kootenay-based consultant with 20 years’ experience as a business owner and manager in agriculture, assumed the Council Coordinator role in November 2022.
“With the support of ETSI-BC, the KCC now has a solid foundation to continue its effort to create a more positive business environment around the cannabis industry,” says Kavanagh.
“Future cannabis-related opportunities could relate to destination tourism, education about cannabis use and production, and growth of ancillary businesses that serve the sector.”
More News & Stories
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.
Five-Year Plan Strengthens ?aq’am Community Enterprises
?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).
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.