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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.
Westbank First Nation has a strong economy, in part due to its self-governing status. Read on below to learn more about WFN's history and development, and download our February 2017 WFN Business Profile for a snapshot of current statistics and information regarding development, capital projects, residential and commercial neighbourhoods, number of businesses, and partnerships.
WFN Business Profile
Business Watch is a free RCDO crime prevention program through a partnership with Westbank First Nation, Greater Westside Board of Trade, City of West Kelowna and RCMP. Business Watch provides business owners and their staff with crime prevention advice and hands-on solutions solutions to crime related incidents.
BUSINESS WATCH PAMPHLET
The COEDC provides resources, information, and connections to new, existing and expanding businesses. Visit their website at investkelowna.com.
INVEST KELOWNA
WFN operates as a Limited Partner (40%) with Anthem Properties (60%) in the Snyatan Shopping Centre, as well as a 50-50 partnership with Churchill International for ownership of the Okanagan Lake Shopping Centre.
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.
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.
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.
University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan and Okanagan College are two leading tertiary education institutions based in Kelowna, serving local, regional and international students including Westbank First Nation Members. UBC’s 10-year-old Okanagan campus is now home to 8,500 students studying various disciplines including the well-regarded education, medicine and technology programs. With an annual payroll of $86 million spread across seven faculties, UBC Okanagan is estimated to inject $1.5 billion into the local economy, with Okanagan College injecting another $0.5 billion.
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.
WFN has a timber license that allows for an annual cut of 100,000 cubic metres across 150,000 acres of WFN’s traditional territory, creating skills, training and job opportunities for Members.
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.
In 1989, WFN began negotiating with Canada for self-government and signed a framework agreement in 1990. After years of community consultation and lobbying, the WFN Constitution was ratified in 2003, and WFN’s Self-Government Agreement, a bi-lateral (government to government) agreement with the Government of Canada, providing owner-type rights and powers to WFN over its lands and resources, including the authority to grant interests and licenses in relation to the land, along with powers that often supersede Provincial Authority, was implemented in 2005.
Rather than being governed under Canada’s Indian Act, WFN is now governed under a modern and comprehensive set of community laws, with full jurisdictional control over its lands and resources. A modern taxation system and lands registry was also implemented in 2005, ensuring investments to be safe. Being the first Reserve in Canada supported by ‘Land Title Insurance’, WFN’s land tenure system is guaranteed.
State-of‐the‐art infrastructure, governance controls, decision-making powers and Land Title Insurance all provide confidence for investors, with attractive mountain-lakeview locations being prime for development. WFN works hard to responsibly manage its 5,340 acres of reserve land, protect its resources, environments and watersheds, while also continuing to expand its land base.
The impact the WFN Land Code and Self-Government Agreement has had on WFN includes increased accountability and transparency of the WFN Government, political and financial stability, security of land tenure (individual and collective), increased property values, increased opportunities for members (employment, business and education), improved standards of living and social web of community, increased capital investment on WFN Lands (infrastructure and associated land development), increased cultural awareness and cultural programming, community pride in being self-determining and not governed under Canada’s Indian Act, and significant fiscal and economic contribution to the local, provincial and federal economies.
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.
Westbank first Nation processed $500 million in business permits since 2009. 2021 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 179 $85.9m (447) $12.9m $0 $98.8m 2020 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 130 $70.6m (472) $1.75m $41,700 $72.4m 2019 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 104 $36.5m (175) $16.5m $53m 2018 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 197 $28.5m (120) $5.5m $7m $41m 2017 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 169 $38m (149) $6m $1m $45m 2016 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 137 $21m (91) $2m $23m 2015 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 154 $27m (109) $3m $5m $35m 2014 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 161 $33m (148) $3m $36m 2013 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 127 $17m (76) $10m $27 million 2012 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 172 $26m (115) $8m $34m 2011 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 159 $19m (73) $31m $13m $63m 2010 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 150 $27.5m (174) $11.5m $39m 2009 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 154 $28m (164) $5m $33m 2008 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 248 $24m (113) $20m $44m 2007 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 215 $37m (187) $32m $69m 2006 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 188 $39m (285) $13m $0.5m $53m 2005 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 169 $5.5m (52) $0.5m $4m $10m Full permit overview
Westbank first Nation processed $500 million in business permits since 2009.
2021 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 179 $85.9m (447) $12.9m $0 $98.8m 2020 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 130 $70.6m (472) $1.75m $41,700 $72.4m 2019 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 104 $36.5m (175) $16.5m $53m 2018 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 197 $28.5m (120) $5.5m $7m $41m 2017 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 169 $38m (149) $6m $1m $45m 2016 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 137 $21m (91) $2m $23m 2015 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 154 $27m (109) $3m $5m $35m 2014 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 161 $33m (148) $3m $36m 2013 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 127 $17m (76) $10m $27 million 2012 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 172 $26m (115) $8m $34m 2011 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 159 $19m (73) $31m $13m $63m 2010 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 150 $27.5m (174) $11.5m $39m 2009 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 154 $28m (164) $5m $33m 2008 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 248 $24m (113) $20m $44m 2007 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 215 $37m (187) $32m $69m 2006 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 188 $39m (285) $13m $0.5m $53m 2005 # of permits Residential (new units) Commercial Institutional Total 169 $5.5m (52) $0.5m $4m $10m
Full permit overview