Our blog

Just in time for the dawn of a new year, Economic Development Cowichan (EDC) is releasing two exciting new videos. “Cowichan: Hipper than You Think” celebrates a new generation of business owners and trendsetters attracted to the lifestyle, recreational and cultural amenities in the Cowichan region. The music video features more than a dozen businesses across the region and offers a quick glimpse of Cowichan’s appeal as a destination for cycling, rowing, festivals and culinary experiences. The...

The Vancouver Island Land Linking Workshop in Cobble Hill on November 24, 2018 was an inspiring day! Cowichan Land Matcher Azja Jones Martin, was thrilled with the attendance of 65 farmers and landowners from across Vancouver Island.   Participants were keen to learn more about land lease arrangements through the B.C. Land Matching Program. The room was buzzing with great conversations and important connections were made to move the program forward in the region. Economic Development Cowichan...

On November 29, 2018, renowned architect Dewey Thorbeck was the latest guest in the CVRD’s Place-Making Vancouver Island Speaker Series. Professor Dewey Thorbeck is a practicing architect, emeritus adjunct professor of architecture at the University of Minnesota, emeritus founder and director of the Centre for Rural Design, and now a senior research fellow in the Minnesota Design Centre.  He believes the spirit of a place exists in the feelings that people generate about it and that a...

In 2018, Community Futures Cowichan took the lead in bringing together the CVRD, the Town of Lake Cowichan and Ts’uubaa-asatx (Lake Cowichan) First Nations to create a Tourism Action Plan focused on hiking and cycling for the Cowichan Lake Region. The now completed plan promotes collaboration in the business and community members and the creation of a more robust tourism identity for the Cowichan Lake region based on pumping up the volume on its acclaimed hiking and cycling assets. These...

Come join the 31st annual Ladysmith Light Up celebration! From the last Thursday in November until the second Sunday in January, Ladysmith is ignited with the life of thousands of twinkling Christmas lights. Since 1987, each year, over 1,000 volunteer hours are put into setting up the festive decorations and 200,000 sparkling lights.  The Town of Ladysmith, services clubs like the Rotary Club and Eagles, Kinsmen Club and many other organizations and downtown merchants have been major...

The Government of Canada has granted Foreign Trade Zone Point designation (FTZ-VI) to Vancouver Island, through the efforts of Vancouver Island Economic Alliance (VIEA). The designation has been a priority project for VIEA, and Economic Development Cowichan has contributed financially to this island-wide initiative to mature and diversify a sustainable island economy. The FTZ will help island businesses produce goods for export through programs designed to defer duties and taxes to improve...

Economic Development Cowichan is working in partnership with the provincial Young Agrarians to promote a new land match program in the Cowichan Valley. The program will be profiled at the Vancouver Island Land Linking Workshop on Saturday, November 24, 2018 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Cobble Hill Farmers Institute Hall. If you’ve got land or you’re a farmer looking for land, the workshop is a great opportunity to network and learn more about land lease arrangements through the BC Land...

A new economic development strategy for Ladysmith is highlighting how partnership and collaboration will lead to new opportunities for the town and surrounding communities. The strategy, authored by lead consultant and economist Jamie Van Struth, is the result of a collaboration between the Town of Ladysmith, Stz’uminus First Nation, the Nanaimo Airport, the Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce, the Ladysmith Downtown Business Association, and Community Futures Central Island. Economic Development...