Recovery Advisors Soon To Be Deployed To Support Southern Interior Communities and Businesses

Recovery Advisors Soon To Be Deployed To Support Southern Interior Communities and Businesses

March 30, 2021

Communities and businesses in the Southern Interior will soon be receiving new support for economic recovery. ETSI-BC, the newly re-named Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (formerly SIDIT), announced today that it has selected the successful funding recipients of the Rural Business and Community Recovery (RBCR) Program.

“We are very excited with the interest shown by communities and business support organizations in the Southern Interior to add Recovery Advisors through this funding. This funding intake was oversubscribed. Applications were received from 27 different organizations, and requests totalled $2 million,” said Laurel Douglas, CEO of ETSI-BC. “We’re delighted to provide this assistance in our region with support from the Province of British Columbia as it delivers on its StongerBC Plan.”

After careful consideration, the adjudication team selected 20 successful applicants, whose projects will create a total of 30 part-time and full-time Recovery Advisor positions, to assist businesses and rural communities in the Southern Interior with COVID-19 economic recovery. Of the 30 positions approved so far, 14 are based in the Thompson-Okanagan and 16 are in the Columbia-Kootenay regions.

The RBCR Program will provide up to $1.5 million in grant funding to support economic business recovery initiatives within rural communities in the Southern Interior. Eligible communities have a population of less than 25,000 and applicants are required to be local, municipal, or regional governments, First Nations, or non-profit business support organizations serving the region.

Successful applicants will be receiving up to $75,000 to create Community and/or Business Recovery Advisor positions. Recovery Advisors will support businesses with marketing, e-commerce, capital planning, referrals, research, business retention, and other economic development initiatives.

“It’s inspiring to see so many innovative ideas come forward. We assessed the applications as quickly as we could, to make this support available as soon as possible,” said Douglas. “Our team is working with the successful proponents to finalize their workplans and funding agreements so the Recovery Advisors can be engaged and begin providing much-needed recovery support.” There are 59 communities in all 9 ETSI-BC regional districts being served with these projects, including 10 First Nations communities.

We’d love to hear from you!

201 – 384 Bernard Avenue, Kelowna, BC V1Y 6N5
Phone: 236-420-3680 ext. 0
info@etsi-bc.ca

More News & Stories

AI Workshops for Economic Developers

Join us for a series of three one-hour online workshops to introduce economic developers to the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) and its practical applications in economic development.

Network of Economic Development Practitioners Growing in the Thompson-Okanagan with the Help of ETSI-BC

Read more about Robyn Cyr and the Thompson-Okanagan EDPN.

ETSI-BC Injects Over $800,000 to Fuel Economic Growth Across Southern Interior

December 9, 2024 – This season, communities in BC’s Southern Interior have a reason to celebrate. On December 6, 2024, the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) approved $804,230 in funding to support 26 innovative projects worth $2.4M that will help grow and diversify the economy of the Southern Interior of BC.

ETSI-BC Spring 2025 Funding Intake Opens March 10

December 3, 2024 – ETSI-BC is pleased to announce Spring Funding Intake is open March 10 – April 11, 2025.

Grow and connect Interior Bolsters Access to Local Food Across the Region

November 21, 2024 – ETSI-BC is delighted to announce new developments in the Grow and Connect Food Supply Chain initiative serving BC’s Southern Interior. As a funding partner, we’re helping local farmers and producers overcome transportation costs and other barriers to get their products into regional stores and restaurants, making local food more accessible throughout the Interior.

Oliver’s Station Street Plaza Plan Drives Downtown Revitalization

The Town of Oliver is advancing its downtown revitalization efforts with an updated Station Street Plaza Plan. The project aims to transform underutilized land into a mixed-use area with housing and businesses. This initiative, part of a broader economic development strategy, seeks to create a vibrant community hub and attract new residents and businesses to the town center. The project was supported during FY2024 with funding from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC).

District of Elkford Puts New Economic Development Strategy into Action

From its beginnings as a mining town in the early 1970s on the eastern edge of the Kootenays, Elkford is now home to diverse businesses, adventure tourism and a high quality of life. To manage the area’s growth and to develop emerging sectors, the District of Elkford recently created an Economic Development Strategy that builds on years of community planning and research. The ambitious project, carried out with support from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC), is already having positive impacts and will serve the community for years to come.

Mitacs Research Projects Receive Extra Support from ETSI-BC

The Economic Trust of Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) is delighted to announce the nine successful grant recipients that will receive funding in 2024 through our funding partnership with Mitacs. These grants support collaborative research initiatives that help solve local issues while also encouraging collaboration between the region’s public post-secondary institutions and our businesses and local governments.

A New Independent Development Corporation Signals Major Growth for Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc

With a new economic development structure and brand, the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc (formerly the Kamloops Indian Band) is changing the economic landscape of its 1,700-member community. An outcome from the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc (TteS) strategic plan is the creation of Sc.wén̓wen Economic Development Corporation, which increases the band’s capacity to pursue and support more diverse, larger scale projects. This increased capacity is being marketed through a new branding campaign, created with support from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC).

Peachland Pursues Downtown Revitalization to Keep Pace with Growth

After years of record development and building activity, the Okanagan community of Peachland is nearing completion of a Downtown Redevelopment Implementation Strategy. The plan, to be completed this fall, will reinvigorate the downtown area, preserving what residents value most while optimizing available land for its highest and best use. The project is supported by the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC).