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.
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
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.