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).
Fostering Entrepreneurship at Post-Secondary Institutions in 2024
Public post-secondary institutions are an important part of a region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) has supported the 6 public post-secondary institutions (PSIs) in the Southern Interior of BC since 2008 with funding of over $7.3 million. That funding has helped support trades programming, co-op education, a medical school, bursaries and scholarship for students from around the region to build their skills and help them get employed locally.
More recently, ETSI-BC funding is provided to encourage entrepreneurship, support work-integrated learning initiatives and promote research partnerships and technology transfer.
For the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, ETSI-BC has approved funding of $105,000 to support each of the 6 public post-secondary institutions in our region to deliver projects which will help students to become better employees or entrepreneurs. These projects were funded as part of ETSI-BC’s Strategic Pillar of Developing Human Capital. Below are the details of the projects supported in FY2024:
| Institution | Project | ETSI-BC Funding | Project Summary |
| College of the Rockies & Selkirk College | Kootenay Youth Entrepreneurship | $32,500 | Provide business creation and development resources for students, staff and local entrepreneurs, in partnership with KAST, the local tech accelerator. |
| Nicola Valley Institute of Technology | Co-op Employment Preparation | $12,500 | Help students to develop pre-employability skills and participate in a 4-month work placement with employers, who will receive a wage subsidy through the co-op program. |
| Okanagan College | Work-Integrated Learning Preparation Workshops | $20,000 | The Okanagan College Careers Hub will develop a series of online workshops for Co-op students and employers that will prepare both students and employers for Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Co-op education opportunities. |
| Thompson Rivers University | Tourism Innovation Lab | $20,000 | Students will develop an innovative tourism venture based on their research and with the support of industry mentorship. |
| UBC Okanagan | e@UBC Support | $20,000 | Students, staff and recent graduates will benefit from training and mentorship support as they explore start-up ideas and build connections within the Okanagan innovation ecosystem. |
“We’re thrilled to support these projects and convene the region’s public post-secondary institutions around these themes. Our mission at ETSI-BC is to support economic development projects that will have long-lasting and measurable impacts throughout the Southern Interior region,” says ETSI-BC CEO Laurel Douglas. “These post-secondary initiatives will help strengthen economic development ecosystem by helping grow the local skilled talent pool and supporting innovative new ventures in our region.”
More News & Stories
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.
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.