Our blog

Economic Development Cowichan is working in partnership with the Small Scale Food Processor Association to help food producers and processors reach new opportunities. The current project will include engagement with regional food producers and processors, education and health institutions, beverage-sector producers and others to quantify demand for local food inputs and new production opportunities.  The second phase will outline the infrastructure needed to support increased shared food...

Economic Development Cowichan (EDC) is excited to announce that Canada’s largest commercial real estate marketing platform, Spacelist, is now available directly from the EDC website. Spacelist is a Vancouver-based tech company that was launched in 2011, that strives to make available office, retail and industrial real estate easily accessible on one platform. A listings website provides a one-stop shop for investors and business owners to browse through available real estate, to find the...

The Vancouver Island Economic Alliance (VIEA) is hosting its 2019 Wood Industry Forum this June with support from Economic Development Cowichan and other forest industry partners. The forum is a follow-up to an event held in March 2018 at the Cottonwood Golf Club, where more than 100 industry representatives came together to discuss key challenges and opportunities in the forestry sector, including access to wood fibre on Vancouver Island. Since 2018, the Province has placed new emphasis on...

Nitinaht Lake, a world-renowned destination for windsurfers and kiteboarders, will soon be home to new visitor recreation amenities. Developed by the Ditidaht First Nation, the Caycuse Recreation Site project is receiving $237,000 in funding support from the Island Coastal Economic Trust. The Caycuse Recreation Site project will feature the development of new facilities including 52 new campsites and related cultural tourism amenities. The project will also include the development of 5.1 km...

This May, the Chemainus Art Group is proudly celebrating 50 years creating art within their community. The “Big Five Oh” art show is a showcase of the people and communities that have helped the Chemainus Art Group flourish from 1969 to 2019. The group began with 12 artists who started the Chemainus Sketch Group and met at the home of founding member, Edith Harris. Now with 65 members, the group has updated their name to the Chemainus Art Group. True to their original vision, participating...

Nature lovers, native plant gardeners and curious ecologists of all ages are invited to attend the annual In Bloom Wildflower Festival at the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve (1241 Maple Bay Road) on April 27 . Hosted by local volunteers from the Oak Park Preservation Society, the event offers local residents at chance to tour the nationally renowned site, which is now owned by the Nature Conservancy of Canada.  The preserve is ecologically sensitive, so visitors are asked to leave pets at home for...

artfinds.me is an art show that goes where visitors to the Cowichan region go.  It weaves visual art into the fabric of everyday experiences and connects people and places. Visual artists are incredible storytellers, and artfinds.me is a mobile art gallery that is the brainchild of local writer and arts entrepreneur Jenny Farkas. artfinds.me uses location-tagged original art to helps tourists discover the unique beauty and character of the Cowichan region, while they are planning their trip or...

A newly completed Cowichan Industrial Land Use Strategy has identified the connection between creating and preserving industrial lands in the Cowichan region and creating the jobs of the future. Commissioned by Economic Development Cowichan (EDC), the strategy examines the vital role industrial lands play in shaping the economic future and social health of our region. Working with the consulting firm Urban Systems, EDC launched the strategy in 2018 to engage with current industrial land users,...