Our Partners
Diamond
FortisBC delivers natural gas, electricity and innovative energy solutions to approximately 1.2 million customers in 135 communities throughout the province. We believe in building stronger communities. That‘s what drives us to be innovators in the energy sector, offering renewable and alternative energy solutions for homes, businesses and transportation in BC and beyond. We‘re also rethinking BC‘s lower carbon future with our 30BY30 target to reduce our customers‘ emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 and all the ways we‘re working with British Columbians to create a cleaner energy future together.
Indigenous Services Canada works collaboratively with partners to improve access to high quality services for First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Our vision is to support and empower Indigenous peoples to independently deliver services and address the socio-economic conditions in their communities.
Destination British Columbia (Destination BC) is a provincially funded, industry-led Crown corporation that supports a strong and competitive future for BC‘s tourism industry through a combination of global marketing, destination development, industry learning, cooperative community-based programs, and visitor servicing. Destination BC receives approximately $52 million each year, out of a Provincial investment of about $140 million in BC‘s tourism ecosystem as a whole. These investments help to improve the visitor experience, support businesses and communities, and strengthen BC‘s worldwide reputation as a destination of choice.
Nestled between two lakes, Penticton enjoys long, hot summers, dry winters and more than 2,000 hours of sunshine each year. We’re located in the southern Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, which is easily accessed by major highways and airports.
We're known for our beaches, wine and orchards, not to mention a wide range of outdoor recreational activities. Hop on your bike to discover award-winning wineries and trails with stellar views. Shop at the bustling outdoor market, peruse art galleries or go skating at the modern Community Centre. Ski champagne powder slopes or take in a hockey game or concert at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Penticton is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Syilx/Okanagan people. Its name, from the Interior Salish word snpintktn, is commonly translated as "a place to stay forever," or more accurately, a place where people live year-round. It’s the kind of place where people come to visit for the holidays – and never want to leave.
Platinum
BC Hydro is a Crown corporation, owned by the government and people of British Columbia. It’s our job to safely provide our customers with reliable, affordable and clean electricity throughout the province. For new customers, our Business & Economic Development team provides a single point of entry for businesses wanting to locate in British Columbia. We are here to help prospective customers understand how to get connected to our clean electricity grid, anticipated electricity costs, electrification incentives and possible options for where to locate. To get in touch with the team, please visit: bchydro.com/newbusiness
Cando (Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers) is a federally registered, non-profit society that is Indigenous controlled, community based, and membership driven. Cando is directed by a national regionally represented volunteer board of elected EDOs representing every region of Canada.
Cando has been instrumental in facilitating partnerships with EDOs, academics, Indigenous leaders and senior corporate and government representatives. Cando is unique because it is the only national organization that focuses on education and professional development for EDOs working in Indigenous communities or organizations.
Jon Schallert is the only consultant and professional speaker who teaches businesses and communities how to turn themselves into Consumer Destinations. Schallert speaks to thousands annually on his proprietary 14-step Destination Business process, which he developed over the course of twenty-four (24) years by studying and interviewing over 10,000 independent business owners in over 500 cities and towns.
Jon’s Destination Business Strategy has been used around the world by businesses large and small to help them capture more market share, even when larger, better-capitalized competitors seemingly have the advantage. His process examines how a business elevates their unique qualities that a targeted customer finds most important. When independent business owners apply Schallert’s strategy, they naturally attract more local consumers along with customers from outside their traditional marketplace. Businesses also begin to attract more free publicity from the media, which in turn attracts more consumers than traditional advertising could ever reach.
Gold
EMC has grown to become Canada's largest manufacturing consortium and with over one thousand industry events annually, is one of the most active manufacturing organizations in North America! For more than a quarter century EMC has been responsible for contributing significant knowledge, expertise and resources towards the success of over 13,000 consortium and online member manufacturers, representing every province across Canada. EMC's total manufacturing audience includes 40,000+ employers and 600,000 manufacturing employees. Founded in the mid-1980's and incorporated in 1997, EMC facilitates events in more than 60 consortium regions, across more than 450 communities. Offering a broad range of hands-on programs and services, EMC is helping manufacturers to lower costs, access greater opportunities to compete for business and improve efficiencies in dealing with the day-to-day complexities of running a manufacturing operation. Become a member today.
Silver
Co-operatives First is a non-profit organization funded by Federated Co-operatives Limited and the Co-operative Retailing System. Founded in 2015, the organization provides co-op start-up resources, such as feasibility studies, business plans, and incorporation support to rural and Indigenous co-op entrepreneurs across western Canada. Our goal is to help leaders in these communities build new businesses, grow local economies, and support community development.
The Prince Rupert Port Authority is responsible for the overall planning, development, marketing, and management of the commercial port facilities within the Port of Prince Rupert. This includes ensuring competitive, efficient, and timely responses to customer needs and business opportunities. It also means ensuring that we facilitate these opportunities in a manner that is safe, responsible, and sustainable.
Localintel provides online location marketing tools that hundreds of economic developers have added to their website to promote their community's advantages and assist businesses. Our clients range from the small rural Village of Hazelton to the Government of British Columbia, Invest Ottawa and the cities of New Westminster, Coquitlam, Terrace and Penticton. Learn more at www.ecdev.org.
Bronze
The Cityviz data platform is a comprehensive, highly modular, customizable and affordable solution for communities and regions of all sizes. We keep adding new features and datasets to Cityviz at no additional cost. We are focused on helping economic development professionals, investors and entrepreneurs have all relevant data in one place, always up to date, pre-processed and ready to use. Our mission is to deliver exceptional data products and customer service. We listen to your needs and adapt our solutions to suit your requirements.
We help clients grow their economies with best-in-class online GIS data tools for investment attraction.
GIS Planning is the world leader in online economic development solutions for corporate site selection. Our suite of tools provide real estate, demographic, labor force, and industry data to help investors select optimal geographic locations through powerful online mapping analysis. GIS Planning’s software as a service helps regions create jobs, nurture existing companies, and grow their economies through business investment.
Our Economic Trust contributes to economic growth and diversity in the Southern Interior of BC.
We add value to our region through
- Helping build the regiohttps://www.etsi-bc.ca/n’s economic development capacity
- Assisting our partners as they support local businesses
- Encouraging entrepreneurship and the creation of meaningful jobs
- Providing support to key sectors of our region’s economy to innovate and be more sustainable
Since 1998, Vann Struth Consulting Group has specialized in economic development and analysis at local, regional and national levels.
Headquartered in Vancouver, B.C., Vann Struth Conshttp://www.vannstruth.com/ulting Group represents clients across Canada. Our firm specializes in all areas of economic development, with a particular expertise in statistical analysis and forecast modelling. We work with our public and private sector clients to tailor specific strategies built on extensive research.
Established in 2013, Green Technology Asia Pte Ltd (GTAsia®) is a private limited consulting group specializing in Asian economies.
We are headquartered in Singapore. Our network of Affiliates, Associates and Researchers in Asia, Europe, Middle East and North America offer their world class expertise in international trade and investment, econometrics, finance, supply chain management, energy and renewable energy, clean technologies, waste and waste water management, ICT, environmental assessment, public affairs, conferences and exhibitions, tourism and destination marketing and political and economic relations.
Our clients have included state and provincial governments, international organizations, NGO’s and public sector businesses.
Futurpreneur Canada has been fueling the entrepreneurial passions of Canada’s young enterprise for two decades. We are the only national, non-prot organization that provides nancing, mentoring and support tools to aspiring business owners aged 18-39. Our internationally recognized mentoring program hand matches young entrepreneurs with a business expert from a network of more than 3,000 volunteer mentors.
WeBC is a not-for-profit that has been supporting women business owners across the province for over 25 years. Working with our regional partners, we’ve provided thousands of entrepreneurs with business loans and expertise, training, resources, and peer network support to help businesses grow and thrive.
ExecutivePulse is the only Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution built by economic developers, for economic developers. Our CRM’s intuitive design allows users to easily create at-a-glance reports and presentations, optimize their internal and external communication, and track the progress of their initiatives.
We are a community of learning, rich with cultural diversity and academic support. Learners are at the heart of everything we do – evidenced with smaller class sizes, industry-experienced professors, hands-on learning in addition to co-op, field and practicum opportunities.