West Kelowna Economic Development Corporation Strategic Plan

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The West Kelowna Economic Development Corporation (WKEDC)) is inviting residents, businesses, investors and community partners to help shape the organization's inaugural Strategic Plan. The plan will establish WKEDC's long-term vision, strategic priorities and economic development direction.

The Strategic Plan will serve as WKEDC's foundational roadmap to 2030, establishing the organization's vision, mission, goals and priorities. Community feedback, stakeholder engagement and economic research will help identify the opportunities and challenges that should shape WKEDC's work over the coming years. As the organization's first Strategic Plan, it will play a critical role in guiding decision-making, investment priorities, partnerships and economic development initiatives.

WKEDC is committed to engaging Indigenous partners and incorporating the principles and values of economic reconciliation into the development of the inaugural Strategic Plan. Engagement activities will include opportunities for dialogue with our neighbours Westbank First Nation and other regional partners.

Take our survey

Help us shape our economic future, we want to hear from local residents and businesses. Your feedback will help us understand challenges, opportunities and priorities for economic development.

The survey takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Anyone who lives, works, owns property or runs a business in West Kelowna can take part. Anyone who completes a survey can enter their email address for an opportunity to win one of three local gift baskets.

The survey is open until December 21, 2026.

Your answers will remain anonymous. After the survey closes, we will publish a summary of what we heard, and the final strategy will show how community input helped to shape it.

If you would like to know more, or want to get a head start on growing, starting or moving your business to West Kelowna, contact WKEDC CEO Ryan Malcolm at ryan.malcolm@wkedc.ca

About the Strategic Plan

WKEDC was established to champion economic prosperity and resiliency in West Kelowna, dedicated to supporting business success, investment attraction and long-term economic prosperity. As the organization prepares for its next phase of growth, this inaugural Strategic Plan will define WKEDC's vision, priorities and actions for 2027 to 2030, ensuring it remains focused on delivering measurable results for businesses, investors, and the broader community.

The Plan will:

  • Set WKEDC’s vision, mission, goals and priority actions

  • Define WKEDC’s role alongside the City, Westbank First Nation, the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission and industry partners

  • Name early projects WKEDC can deliver quickly

  • Set the measures WKEDC will report on each year

It will cover:

  • Business retention, expansion and competitiveness

  • Workforce development, attraction and retention

  • Investment attraction and key sector growth

  • Entrepreneurship, innovation and small business development

  • Pathfinding for economic reconciliation and respectful collaboration with Westbank First Nation

  • Sustainability, resilience and long-term economic prosperity

What your input can shape

Your feedback will help ensure WKEDC's first Strategic Plan reflects the realities, opportunities and aspirations of West Kelowna's business community. It will help inform:

  • Strategic priorities for economic development over the next three years

  • Opportunities to support business retention and expansion

  • Investment attraction and key sector development efforts

  • Workforce, infrastructure and competitiveness challenges facing local businesses

  • Partnerships and initiatives that can strengthen economic prosperity

  • Performance measures and outcomes to track progress through 2030

How to get involved

Take the community survey, October 26 to December 21, 2026

Tell us how you see the local economy: what’s working, what gets in the way, and where WKEDC should focus first. The survey takes 10 to 15 minutes.

It’s open to anyone who:

  • Lives or works in West Kelowna

  • Owns property or runs a business here

  • Is thinking about starting or moving a business here

  • Has economic ties to the community

You don’t need to own a business to take part. Business owners will see a few extra questions about their operations, workforce and plans to grow.

Take the survey!

Spread the word

Know a business owner, employee or neighbour who should weigh in? Share this page, or pick up a survey postcard at [partner locations]. The more sectors and neighbourhoods we hear from, the better!

Targeted Engagement

Alongside the survey, WKEDC is holding sector roundtables and one-on-one conversations from late October to mid-November. These sessions are by invitation and organized by sector, so each one has a voice in the Strategic Plan.

We’re hearing from:

  • Wine and viticulture

  • Tourism and hospitality

  • Rotorcraft

  • Manufacturing

  • Forestry and lumber

  • Post-secondary education and local educators

  • The local business community, including SMEs and homebased businesses, and entrepreneurs

Westbank First Nation

The economies of West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation are closely linked, and economic reconciliation and partnership is a core principle of this strategic plan. WKEDC is engaging Westbank First Nation and Ntityix Development Corporation.

WKEDC Board of Directors

The Board set an early direction for the Plan in August 2026, and each voting member is meeting one-on-one with the project team this fall. The Board reviews the work at each stage.

Next Steps

After the survey closes, WKEDC will share engagement feedback showing how it shaped the strategic plan. The draft plan then comes back to the community and business owners for review. The WKEDC Board will consider the final plan for endorsement in spring 2027.

If you want to follow along with the project, enter your email address at the end of the survey to be kept up to date.

The West Kelowna Economic Development Corporation (WKEDC)) is inviting residents, businesses, investors and community partners to help shape the organization's inaugural Strategic Plan. The plan will establish WKEDC's long-term vision, strategic priorities and economic development direction.

The Strategic Plan will serve as WKEDC's foundational roadmap to 2030, establishing the organization's vision, mission, goals and priorities. Community feedback, stakeholder engagement and economic research will help identify the opportunities and challenges that should shape WKEDC's work over the coming years. As the organization's first Strategic Plan, it will play a critical role in guiding decision-making, investment priorities, partnerships and economic development initiatives.

WKEDC is committed to engaging Indigenous partners and incorporating the principles and values of economic reconciliation into the development of the inaugural Strategic Plan. Engagement activities will include opportunities for dialogue with our neighbours Westbank First Nation and other regional partners.

Take our survey

Help us shape our economic future, we want to hear from local residents and businesses. Your feedback will help us understand challenges, opportunities and priorities for economic development.

The survey takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Anyone who lives, works, owns property or runs a business in West Kelowna can take part. Anyone who completes a survey can enter their email address for an opportunity to win one of three local gift baskets.

The survey is open until December 21, 2026.

Your answers will remain anonymous. After the survey closes, we will publish a summary of what we heard, and the final strategy will show how community input helped to shape it.

If you would like to know more, or want to get a head start on growing, starting or moving your business to West Kelowna, contact WKEDC CEO Ryan Malcolm at ryan.malcolm@wkedc.ca

About the Strategic Plan

WKEDC was established to champion economic prosperity and resiliency in West Kelowna, dedicated to supporting business success, investment attraction and long-term economic prosperity. As the organization prepares for its next phase of growth, this inaugural Strategic Plan will define WKEDC's vision, priorities and actions for 2027 to 2030, ensuring it remains focused on delivering measurable results for businesses, investors, and the broader community.

The Plan will:

  • Set WKEDC’s vision, mission, goals and priority actions

  • Define WKEDC’s role alongside the City, Westbank First Nation, the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission and industry partners

  • Name early projects WKEDC can deliver quickly

  • Set the measures WKEDC will report on each year

It will cover:

  • Business retention, expansion and competitiveness

  • Workforce development, attraction and retention

  • Investment attraction and key sector growth

  • Entrepreneurship, innovation and small business development

  • Pathfinding for economic reconciliation and respectful collaboration with Westbank First Nation

  • Sustainability, resilience and long-term economic prosperity

What your input can shape

Your feedback will help ensure WKEDC's first Strategic Plan reflects the realities, opportunities and aspirations of West Kelowna's business community. It will help inform:

  • Strategic priorities for economic development over the next three years

  • Opportunities to support business retention and expansion

  • Investment attraction and key sector development efforts

  • Workforce, infrastructure and competitiveness challenges facing local businesses

  • Partnerships and initiatives that can strengthen economic prosperity

  • Performance measures and outcomes to track progress through 2030

How to get involved

Take the community survey, October 26 to December 21, 2026

Tell us how you see the local economy: what’s working, what gets in the way, and where WKEDC should focus first. The survey takes 10 to 15 minutes.

It’s open to anyone who:

  • Lives or works in West Kelowna

  • Owns property or runs a business here

  • Is thinking about starting or moving a business here

  • Has economic ties to the community

You don’t need to own a business to take part. Business owners will see a few extra questions about their operations, workforce and plans to grow.

Take the survey!

Spread the word

Know a business owner, employee or neighbour who should weigh in? Share this page, or pick up a survey postcard at [partner locations]. The more sectors and neighbourhoods we hear from, the better!

Targeted Engagement

Alongside the survey, WKEDC is holding sector roundtables and one-on-one conversations from late October to mid-November. These sessions are by invitation and organized by sector, so each one has a voice in the Strategic Plan.

We’re hearing from:

  • Wine and viticulture

  • Tourism and hospitality

  • Rotorcraft

  • Manufacturing

  • Forestry and lumber

  • Post-secondary education and local educators

  • The local business community, including SMEs and homebased businesses, and entrepreneurs

Westbank First Nation

The economies of West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation are closely linked, and economic reconciliation and partnership is a core principle of this strategic plan. WKEDC is engaging Westbank First Nation and Ntityix Development Corporation.

WKEDC Board of Directors

The Board set an early direction for the Plan in August 2026, and each voting member is meeting one-on-one with the project team this fall. The Board reviews the work at each stage.

Next Steps

After the survey closes, WKEDC will share engagement feedback showing how it shaped the strategic plan. The draft plan then comes back to the community and business owners for review. The WKEDC Board will consider the final plan for endorsement in spring 2027.

If you want to follow along with the project, enter your email address at the end of the survey to be kept up to date.

  • Economic Development Strategic Plan Survey

    The West Kelowna Economic Development Corporation (WKEDC) is building its first Economic Development Strategic Plan, and we want your input to help shape it.

    The WKEDC’s goal is to lead business growth, resilience and retention, investment attraction and community prosperity building. Our inaugural three-year Plan for 2027–2030 will use research and community feedback to create a vision for West Kelowna that’s representative of the people who live, work, and play here. We acknowledge that West Kelowna is located on the traditional, unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan People.

    We’re curious to hear how you see the local economy — what works, what gets in the way, and where to focus first. This short survey takes 10-15 minutes. It’s open to anyone who lives, works, owns property, or runs a business in West Kelowna, has interest in starting a business here or who has economic ties to our community. You do not need to own a business to take part.

    Your answers will remain anonymous. After the survey closes, we will publish a summary of what we heard, and the final strategic plan will show how community input helped to shape it. Final decisions about the strategy rest with the WKEDC Board.

    If you would like to know more, or want to get a head start on growing, starting or moving your business to West Kelowna, contact WKEDC CEO Ryan Malcolm at  ryan.malcolm@wkedc.ca.

    Take Survey
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Page last updated: 02 Nov 2026, 10:42 AM