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
Labour Shortage Addressed by North Okanagan Immigration Pilot Project
In this time of unprecedented labour shortages, 11 rural communities in Canada, including the North Okanagan, have been participating in an immigration pilot project that is demonstrating a solution to filling the job gap. The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) is a community-led immigration program designed to bring skilled permanent residents to rural communities by matching them with employers grappling with job vacancies. Community Futures of North Okanagan (CFNO), through a partnership with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is delivering the program in the region with funding from the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia.
Vernon is the largest city in the North Okanagan Regional District. Growth and demographic changes in the Vernon area made it a good candidate to deliver the Pilot. Recent data indicates over 90,000 job openings will exist in the Thompson-Okanagan region by 2028, due to retirement and economic growth. To support the North Okanagan in filling labour gaps and remaining competitive, CFNO successfully applied to be one of the communities delivering the program.
CFNO partners in the program with the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, and various local community organizations. All the groups work together in consultation with employers, municipalities, provincial/federal departments, and settlement services providers in the delivery of this rural workforce development initiative.
ETSI-BC Supports Communications Efforts
The Pilot also aligns with many strategic priorities of ETSI-BC, including economic sustainability of small communities, job creation, job preservation or enhancement, economic diversification, and community collaboration. To further assist in the project`s success, ETSI-BC provided a $25,000 grant to fund the development of an online platform that connects regional employers who have permanent full-time job vacancies with interested skilled immigrants, as well as the creation of a digital marketing plan for the program. Communication is key in initiatives like this one, and the website that ETSI-BC helped fund plays an important role in the project`s success.
In Vernon, both employers and immigrant workers must apply to participate through the new website and demonstrate that they meet qualification requirements. “Already, 115 new immigrants to the North Okanagan have been recommended for positions in sectors such as manufacturing, health care, tourism and the trades,” says CFNO Executive Director, Leigha Horsfield. By December 2022, the target is to recommend 300 applicants who can apply for permanent residency after participating in this project.
New Immigrant Residents Contribute to Economic Growth
In addition to filling labour market needs, the Pilot helps new immigrants deal with the challenges of settling into a new community. Collaboration and partnering with immigrant settlement service providers have established a “new pathway to permanent residence” for skilled immigrant workers by creating a welcoming environment that attracts, integrates, and retains newcomers. New residents and their families contribute to economic growth by paying taxes and buying goods, housing, education, and services in the community.
Successful employers are required to provide a living wage which equates to $40,000 a year. With the initial 115 placement already made, salaries of $4,600,000 a year are being injected into the local economy, plus the benefit that those employees generate for the businesses they work for.
Justin Sharma, the owner of City Furniture and Appliances in Vernon, hired skilled immigrant workers, Alexander Schoepp from Germany, and Manpreet Singh Sidhu from India. “The RNIP program is about finding experienced candidates who can apply their expertise in helping a business operate and grow,” says Sharma.
“This Pilot is a strong pipeline to bridge the job gap in our region,” says Horsfield. “Contributions such as the funding from ETSI-BC have been key to the Pilot`s success and creating a framework for long-term solutions to labour market challenges.”
CFNO has created two videos to tell more stories about the RNIP program. Hear about the success of the program by clicking on the links to Interior Homecare Solutions and SilverStar Resort located in the North Okanagan.
More News & Stories
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.
Stepping up the PACE of Inclusive Employment in Penticton
Creating flexible, part-time job opportunities for workers with barriers has been the driving force behind The Penticton & Area Cooperative Enterprise (PACE) for more than 20 years. Hundreds of employees have found sustainable jobs with local employers based on PACE’s job-sharing model to fill full-time positions.
With support from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC), PACE has standardized and expanded its model to ensure more people can access paid work in the community and employers have access to labour market solutions, which are increasing economic growth in the Penticton area and beyond.
Columbia Valley on a Roll as Film Production Provides Region-Wide Benefits
With its spectacular landscapes and the small-town charm of communities like Radium, Invermere and Fairmont Hot Springs, the Columbia Valley in the East Kootenay region has been the backdrop of film productions for decades. In 2024, Columbia Valley Community Economic Development (CVCEDO) built on this momentum by hiring a Film Coordinator to ensure the Columbia Valley was the location of choice for two new productions and create a strategy for long-term growth of the film sector. The project was supported with a grant from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC).
CF Central Okanagan Leadership Program Teaches Businesses Sustainability Practices
An innovative program to help new and expanding businesses build sustainable business practices (SD) into their ventures has resulted in a model for long-term business growth and economic capacity building in the Okanagan. The Sustainable Business Development Leadership Program created by Community Futures Central Okanagan was supported by the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC). It provides valuable insights into Sustainable Business Practices and the training serves as a model that could be shared with Community Futures clients in other regions.
Benefits of Social Enterprise Explored in the Boundary
Backed by ETSI-BC, the Trails to the Boundary Society (TTTBS) are helping nonprofits move beyond grants to build sustainable revenue.