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.
ETSI-BC Launches EDD, the Economic Dependencies Dashboard
The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) has introduced a new economic visualization tool, named EDD – the Economic Dependencies Dashboard. Launched in June 2024, EDD provides economic insights at three different levels: for the Southern Interior as a whole, for each of 8 regional districts in our service area, and combining our region’s communities (including First Nations) into 32 ‘local areas’.
EDD aims to help residents, economic development practitioners, and local governments understand the impact of economic changes and industry transitions in their communities. The tool was developed for ETSI-BC by CityViz, a data visualization company. It utilizes Statistics Canada Census data (2016 and 2021) combined with the BC Stats proprietary macroeconomic model, licensed to ETSI-BC for non-commercial purposes.
Key features of EDD include:
- Visualization of economic data at regional, district, and local levels
- Analysis of industry diversity, location quotients, and employment impact ratios
- Insights into population changes, job distribution, and income dependencies
- Forest sector vulnerability index
The dashboard offers both current snapshots and five-year change data, allowing users to track economic trends over time. It provides a range of indicators, from basic population and job data to more complex economic metrics such as industry diversity indices and local supply shares.
EDD is designed to be user-friendly, featuring drop-down menus, printable graphics, and easy comparisons. It also allows for the download of raw data for custom analysis. You can explore the EDD tool to gain a deeper understanding of the Southern Interior’s economic landscape and to inform decision-making processes.
“We are pleased to partner with Cityviz on this project,” says Laurel Douglas, CEO, ETSI-BC. “EDD will help our communities and regional districts better understand their economic landscape, supporting more informed decision-making and strategic planning.”
Economist Mike Stolte, who is President of the CIEL and author of the EDD User Guide enthusiastically noted, “This dashboard is unique in Canada and speaking on behalf of the region’s economic development practitioners, we are very impressed with EDD and leadership that ETSI-BC has shown through this project.”
Join us on September 18, 1:30-2:30 Pacific time where the ETSI-BC team, assisted by CityViz and CIEL demonstrate how to use this dashboard. REGISTER HERE
We invite you to explore EDD, the Economic Dependencies Dashboard today and discover more about the economic dynamics of our region.
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.