Employment and Business in the District

The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in our villages, and small and home-based businesses dominate the business landscape. Business opportunities abound, and many regional organizations offer support for business people and investors.

People work in logging, mining, construction, agriculture, manufacturing, retail, transportation, education, health care, accommodation and food services, and administration. There are also many artists in the area. High-speed Internet (ADSL available in New Denver; wireless and satellite available in all communities) has attracted urban refugees to set up home-based businesses here, where they can own a home and business for far less than it would cost elsewhere, and enjoy magnificent scenery out the office window. For a taste of the businesses here, see the Chamber’s Member Directory and the .

See the economic studies done for the area.

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Buy/Sell Businesses

Advertise here if you’re looking to buy or sell a business.

Job Ads

Advertise here if you have jobs to offer.

Outreach Employment – Website:

Kootenay Career Development Society – Website:

Employment Services

Kootenay Career Development Society

Kootenay Career Development Society provides employment counselling and resources, and support for employers. The society has storefronts in Nelson and Castlegar, and an outreach office in Slocan at the W. E. Graham Community Service Society building.

Website:

W.E. Graham Community Service Society

W.E. Graham Community Service Society provides space for employment outreach services by the Kootenay Career Development Society. Dedicated to helping individuals and small businesses with their technical needs, the society offers the use of computers, internet access, and is a wireless hotspot. Colour printing, scanning, copying, and minor computer repairs are also provided.

Website: www.wegcss.org

WorkBC Employment Services Centre

WorkBC Employment Services Centre is based in Nakusp and provides its services in New Denver out of the Arrow & Slocan Lakes Community Services office on the main street. Services include career counselling, employer wage subsidy and more.

Website:

YERC

Rural Youth Employment Facilitator (YERC) provides job assistance for Kootenay youth age 15-30.

Website:

Business support organizations

Community Futures Central Kootenay

Community Futures Central Kootenay assists people in the Central Kootenay region to start up, expand or buy a business. The organization offers self-employment grants, business loans, counselling and training. The main office is in Nelson  and an outreach office for the north Slocan Valley is located in Nakusp.

Website:

Rural Development Institute and Regional Innovation Chair in Rural Economic Development

Columbia Basin Trust and Selkirk College combined forces to create the Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute (RDI) out of Selkirk College in Castlegar. The RDI brings together the work of the CBT’s State of the Basin Initiative and Selkirk College’s Regional Innovation Chair in Rural Economic Development (RIC). The State of the Basin Initiative monitors and reports on social, environmental, economic and cultural indicators and trends in the Basin. The RIC collects data and does research and analysis about the regional economy, and the website has many reports of use to businesses – on employment projections, demographics, agriculture, housing, business succession, labour force, manufacturing and technology, tourism, economic sustainability, data about communities, and more.

• CBT’s State of the Basin Initiative webpage:
• Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute (RDI) website: www.cbrdi.ca
• Selkirk College RDI webpage: http://selkirk.ca/research/ric/

Columbia Basin Trust (CBT)

The Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) was created in 1995 to support efforts to create social, economic and environmental well-being in the Canadian portion of the Columbia River Basin—the region most affected by the Columbia River Treaty dams. CBT offers the following programs to support businesses.

Website:

CBT PROGRAMS

Basin Business Advisors Program

Owners of established businesses in the Columbia Basin have access to the CBT’s Basin Business Advisors (BBA) program, which provides one-on-one, confidential business counselling services. Most services are free.

Website: http://www.cbt.org/bba

Summer Works Program

Summer Works Program provides Basin small business employers and organizations with a wage subsidy to hire students during the summer.

Website:

School Works Program

School Works Program provides Basin small business employers and organizations with a wage subsidy to hire students during the school year.

Website:

Kootenay Association for Science and Technology

Kootenay Association for Science and Technology (KAST) is a registered non-profit society whose members represent a broad range of interests in local industry, business, education and government. Its mission is to promote science, technology and innovation and facilitate meaningful connections to stimulate entrepreneurial and economic development. Free mentoring and business consultation is available.

Website:

Slocan Valley Economic Development Commission

The Slocan Valley Economic Development Commission facilitates economic growth and initiatives in the Slocan Valley.

Website: www.slocanvalley.com

BC Jobs Plan

The BC Jobs Plans is the province’s economic development plan. It identifies what is needed for new investment in eight key industries.

Website:

Kootenay site: www.bcjobsplan.ca/regions

Trade and Investment British Columbia

The official government website about trade and investment in the province has information about B.C. communities and economy, business opportunities by sector, government assistance for investors and businesses, trade missions, and information for visitors and new residents.

Website: www.britishcolumbia.ca

Canadian Rural Research Network

The Canadian Rural Research Network (CRRN) facilitates sharing of research among a broad spectrum of rural stakeholders from academia, the public and private sectors. Subjects include agriculture, business, economy, technology, tourism etc.

Website:

Links

Economic studies

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B.C. Stats

B.C. Stats Community Facts

B.C. Stats Community Profiles

Statistics Canada http://www.statcan.gc.ca/

Statistics Canada Community Profiles