Kelowna starts process to divorce from regional development

Kelowna city council has voted narrowly to effectively divorce itself from a long-standing economic development model with its regional neighbours.

The city started the process towards implementing an independent in-house model. That could take anywhere between a few months and 18 months.

Kelowna contributes nearly 70 percent of the regional economic development budget but does not have that level of control or influence.

Senior staff noted the City’s scale, contribution level, and economic opportunities warranted a more direct approach to setting priorities.

The report added the City of Kelowna remained the primary growth centre in Central Okanagan and was expected to accommodate a significant share of the region’s future population and employment growth. More than 70 per cent of Kelowna’s future employment growth was anticipated to occur within and around the City’s Urban Centres.

Over the long term, Kelowna had generally grown at a faster rate than Metro Vancouver and British Columbia as a whole, the report stated. Entrepreneurial dynamism and promising new industries such as digital media, agri-tech, aerospace and cleantech are characteristics of the local economy, alongside diversifying educational pathways at local post-secondary institutions.