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
Innovative Food Distribution Model for the Kootenay/Boundary Region
Another milestone has been reached in the development of an innovative model for food distribution in the Kootenay and Boundary areas of southeastern BC and beyond.
Food distribution in the region is challenged by its large geographic area, distances between distribution points, lack of a single source of supply chain data, and limited collaboration among food industry stakeholders.
The Southern Interior Food Distribution Model Expansion and Implementation project is addressing those challenges, building on work that began in 2021 to create a model for food distribution across the Southern Interior. It uses the Grow and Connect customized software platform, supply chain modelling software developed in the Kootenays.
Unique Grow and Connect Software
LCCDTS supply chain research resulted in the creation of a basic food supply chain model that served as the foundation for Grow & Connect. Once the need for more robust software solutions and supporting distribution activities became apparent, the LCCDTS transferred the project to associations with specific food and agriculture sector mandates.
The initial Grow and Connect software provided a basic picture of what food was being moved to which communities, and it detailed the type of transportation and frequency of deliveries. “We realized that a more robust model which includes input from both the supply and demand sides of the sector would be required to plan and test actual distribution routes,” says Rebecca Richards, lead consultant on the project.
The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) supported the Grow and Connect initiative in its early stages and saw the value of a larger project. A grant provided through the Trust’s Innovating and Advancing Key Sectors funding stream enabled a major outreach to participants in the regional food supply chain to help them understand how food supply chain processes work and get on board as a Grow and Connect participant. There are many other partners and supporters of this important supply chain initiative as well.
Regional Partnerships and Routes Established
Instead of overhauling the existing Grow and Connect model, a new set of tools was developed and is now available at growandconnect.ca, which enables users to communicate key information to each other about routes, loads, opportunities to collaborate, and order tracking.
Participation in growandconnect.ca recently expanded to include Kamloops, increasing the number of system users from 35 to 390 businesses across the Kootenay, Boundary and Kamloops areas.
In addition, relationships were established with five refrigerated/freezer carriers serving the Central Kootenay who piloted the software in late 2024. They have agreed to collect direct user feedback. An additional four small to medium-sized carriers have expressed interest in participating.
In addition to the carrier engagement, collaboration between one retailer, one carrier and up to five producers is helping with development of a primary testing route. “Several other active partnerships are in place and regional collaboration among all food system stakeholders has greatly improved,” notes Richards.
New Services Identified
The project also developed new services for businesses, including a ‘load board’ where available carrier trucks are posted and loads can be accessed with just a few clicks. A new online directory lets users search public information about businesses they are interested in working with. A community connections forum, order status tracking application and aggregation support services have also been added, and positions for a Project Coordinator and Communications Manager have been created.
These developments have set the stage for next steps, which include implementing the Beta software platform and coordinating regional aggregated shipping routes.
“These new services and transportation routes will make operations more efficient, profitable and sustainable for food retailers, restaurants, producers, processors and carriers as the number of participants continues to grow. This integration is strengthening our region’s food sovereignty and our agri-food economy,” says Laurel Douglas, CEO of ETSI-BC.
Jessica Piccinin, who operated a diversified farm, Root and Vine Acres, for 17 years before her current role as Executive Director of the Creston Chamber of Commerce, participated in a test run between Creston and Nelson in 2021. “We delivered an order with products from 20 producers, and it really hit home for me how this project can bring more food to more people throughout the region,” says Piccinin.
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