Economic Development

The Village of Fruitvale is Creating Economic Development Strategy
-About Economic Development-

What do you see for the future of Fruitvale? Further, what if we could achieve the exceptional as a community? What kind of community do we want to leave behind for our children and grandchildren? How do we create the transformative in our plans that help get us to our aspirational horizon line?

The Village of Fruitvale is creating an Economic Development Strategy that aims to answer these questions. Economic Development Strategies speak the language of jobs…the heartbeat of community vibrancy. It can be the ONE plan that answers the question: who is Fruitvale in future and why does it matter to us as residents, to visitors, and to new investors? We can embrace big ideas about the future. We also need to focus on clear actions that generate progress toward our vision of the future.

Think of economic development as being about encouraging local employment, where we focus to varying degrees on: investment attraction and new job creation, retention and expansion of existing business, tourism development, municipal policy that helps create jobs, marketing the community to attract investment and visitors, and an economic development program/people/organization to undertake initiatives.

Fruitvale’s strengths in healthcare, retail, and public administration generally describe a services-focused bedroom community. An exception is wood products manufacturing – the 3^rd largest industry sector in Fruitvale - but a sector that also has 50% less local employment than it did 10 years ago. Other community strengths to consider as you think about future opportunities for Fruitvale are relative housing affordability, competitive business costs, location of choice for sports and culture (community centre) events, and easy access to the Trail economic corridor with its employment opportunities. It’s also important to think about challenges, and to be realistic about future opportunities.

Communities typically work to build on strengths. But change, innovation, globalization, a pandemic that is altering work patterns, and digital-everything in a technology era provide new opportunities to consider. 

As the Canadian and BC economy continues to transition to a more knowledge-based economy, an increasing share of our economy belongs to independent entrepreneurs, creators, makers, technology workers, and online spaces where people choose the community they want to live in for lifestyle reasons, and bring their job with them. Research says important lifestyle factors are: airport access, population diversity, strong/unique lifestyle amenities, entertainment experiences, authentic/interesting sense of place, and a tolerant society open to newcomers.

Jobs also don’t exist in a vacuum. Exceptional communities that are great places to live are forward thinking, and create policies and programs that facilitate and support: affordable housing, healthcare, education, a downtown as the “heart” of community, quality basic infrastructure (roads, pipes), great recreation amenity, and social supports for our most vulnerable.

An Economic Development Strategy puts these pieces together in a plan of action that accelerates development of industry sector strengths, enhances business retention and expansion, makes enterprise-friendly policy adjustments, and implements new ideas that nurture job growth and positive community development.

Click here to complete the survey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Fruitvale

The Lower Columbia Initiatives Corporation with direction and recommendations from the LCCDTS, undertakes programs and projects designed to grow and diversify the local economy (Lower Columbia / Kootenay Region) by attracting new business, retention and expansion of existing businesses. The LCIC also actively supports and leads our community on priority initiatives, projects and programs that have been identified as regional economic drivers and strives to stimulate and facilitate sustainable economic development within the Lower Columbia communities to create a strong, vibrant, and diverse regional economy that supports community development, growth, and economic prosperity.  For more information and to learn about the LCIC, click here.

LCIC WINS 2015 BCEDA SALES AND MARKETING INITIATIVE AWARD CONTINUING TO SHOWCASE A THRIVING COMMUNITY! 

Congratulations to the LCIC!! 

Click here to read more about their award.

For information on economic development in our region, please visit the Lower Columbia Initiatives Corporation's (LCIC) webpage - LCIC

Click on the 2015 Investment Guide brochure to view it.

The Lower Columbia Region is thriving!