Our blog

This month David Miller, Board Chair of BC Infrastructure Benefits (BCIB), gave an update to the CVRD and member municipalities about local employment statistics and the Cowichan District Hospital Replacement Project (CDHRP). BCIB is a provincial Crown corporation...

In December 2023, the Malahat Nation and Vancouver-based company Energy Plug announced that they are joining forces to build a 100,000 sq ft. battery assembly and storage facility inside Malahat's 52-acre business park. This will be the first Indigenous-led...

Synergy Foundation is seeking early-stage start-ups and established businesses and non-profits with new ideas for sustainable products or services to join their sixth cohort of the Project Zero Incubator Program. Accepted participants will receive support to write...

Dear members of the Cowichan community, As we bid farewell to another incredible year, we’re thrilled to have you join us on this journey of reflection and celebration of the work Economic Development Cowichan (EDC) has accomplished in 2023. At the beginning of 2023,...

The Vancouver Island University Centre for Experiential Learning and Career Studio recently launched an employer directory. The directory compiles businesses and organizations from all industries across Vancouver Island and Canada, connecting VIU students and...

As the overall cost of living continues to rise and the housing crisis and labour shortage worsen, Cowichan’s regional living wage has climbed to $25.20 per hour for 2023. This marks an increase of 7.1 per cent from last year, when the living wage was set at $23.53...

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is hosting a virtual learning series from November 22-December 13, 2023. The series will help employers learn how to benefit from Canada's immigration programs and services. IRCC will feature a new topic each week...

Young Agrarians are hosting a Land Linking Workshop on November 18, 2023, from 1-5 p.m. at The Hub at Cowichan Station. The purpose of the workshop is to teach about the nuts and bolts of land access. Through the B.C Land Matching Program, Young Agrarians offers...

The 2023 State of the Island Economic Report is now live! At the recent Vancouver Island Economic Association's (VIEA) annual summit in Nanaimo, Susan Mowbray, Partner, MNP's Consulting Group and lead author introduced and launched the 9th edition of the report as a...

Economic Development Cowichan has partnered with Scale Collaborative to offer game-changing learning for non-profit leaders. Thriving Non-Profits is a learning program that helps non-profit organizations diversify their revenues to become financially powerful agents...