Business and Development

Airport

The Kelowna International Airport (YLW), Canada’s 10th-busiest airport, is situated 22km to the north east of Westbank First Nation, ranked tenth in Canada by passenger traffic, and serves 1.6M passengers per annum (non-stop to Vancouver, Calgary, Seattle, Phoenix, Las Vegas and beyond). The flight hub of the Okanagan Valley now includes New Leaf, Canada’s newest ultra-low-cost carrier, launched July 2016.

Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission (COEDC)

The COEDC provides resources, information, and connections to new, existing and expanding businesses. Visit their website at investkelowna.com.

INVEST KELOWNA

Infrastructure and Capital Projects

Partnered with B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation, WFN has managed and administered the largest provincial infrastructure development projects on a reserve in B.C. over the past few years, including a $41M highway intersection, and two road extension overpass projects valued at $9.3M and $17M.

WFN’s Capital Planning projects for Fiscal Year 2017 total $7.4M including $2M in capital housing, as well as additional & improved lighting, sidewalks, transportation systems, water/drainage upgrades, and a new $5M Youth Centre at 14,000 square feet over two floors including wood from WFN’s community forest, an outdoor learning garden & classroom, a passive ventilation system, external green screens that grow in the summer to block the sun, and many other environmental features.

Commercial and Residential

Among First Nations across Canada, WFN has the largest commercial development, the highest non-Indigenous population, and created the first Aboriginal Economic Development Commission (EDC) in Canada. Supporting 400 businesses on reserve, including many international box stores and over a dozen major financial institutions, WFN’s EDC prioritizes business retention, facilitation, attraction and provides an advisory role to Council. As commercial developments on WFN continue to grow, it also allows residential taxpayers to continually pay a lower share of total property taxes.

Cost and Labour

According to KPMG’s Competitive Alternatives Report, April 2016, Central Okanagan is ranked #1 most cost effective place to do business in the Pacific Region of North America, and 11th in Canada. Canada ranks as the 2nd most competitive country worldwide, with a cost advantage of 14.6% relative to the United States.

Partnered with its regional counterpart, the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission, the award-winning MakeItHereOkanagan.com website and videos were released for the use of individual businesses in their labour recruitment efforts, as well as okanaganjobmatch.com, an online job-matching platform, launched February 2016.

Energy

WFN is involved through a partnership with two wind farms--one near Pennask Lake off the Coquihalla Connector towards Merritt, and another between Summerland and Peachland. Together, they are expected to create 15 megawatts of power at each station, enough to power up to 4,000 homes.

Health Care

Affiliated with UBC’s Medical School, Kelowna’s General Hospital (KGH) is one of the most modern healthcare facilities of its kind, serving residents of the Central Okanagan including WFN. Its $632 million redevelopment over the last ten years includes a new Heart and Surgical Centre with 15 operating rooms that opened in 2014 and a new Cardiac Catheterization Lab set to open in 2017.

Wine and Tourism

Within reach of over 200 wine estates, microbreweries and distilleries, the Okanagan boasts nearly 82 percent of total vineyard acreage in the entire province. The Okanagan Valley has been named one of the 10 best wine destinations by the Wine Enthusiast magazine, ranked #1 wine region in the world by The Huffington Post, and dubbed the second best wine region to visit by USA Today.

Supported by Thompson Okanagan Tourism and National Aboriginal Tourism, both organizations recognize the value Aboriginal Tourism plays in economic development. Tourism supports approximately 19,000 businesses and 127,500 employees in B.C., and, within that, Aboriginal tourism more than doubled in its value in 2015 to $42 million. To learn more about the activities, traditions, attractions and culture on the Westside and in Kelowna, visit sncewips.ca or visitwestside.com.