Our blog

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...

News release - Vancouver Island Coast Economic Developers Association (VICEDA) VANCOUVER ISLAND – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JULY 7, 2023 – The Circular Economy Accelerator Program concluded its pilot last month, spurring the transition to a sustainable, resilient economy...

Build resiliency into your business with help from the Rural Advisory Program Recognizing the importance of small and medium sized business in our regional economy, Community Futures Central Island has launched a program for businesses that provides free one-on-one...

Island Health and Our Cowichan Communities Health Network (OCCHN) have launched a first-of-its-kind health and wellness survey for residents of Cowichan Valley. The goal of the Our Health, Our Community survey is to capture local data on the health and well-being of...

A recently published Cannabis in the Cowichan Valley report provides a baseline from which to track the emerging legal industry in the region, as well as recommendations for supporting local businesses as they mature. Non-medical cannabis was legalized in Canada in...

As wildfires continue to impact Vancouver Island, we would like to remind businesses of the British Columbia Economic Development Association's (BCEDA) resource: Top 10 Steps to Prepare Your Business for Evacuation. Now is a great time to review your business’s...

Economic Development Cowichan recently hosted a series of invite-only workshops to discuss targetted workforce housing solutions for Cowichan: short-term rental regulations, a potential Cowichan housing authority, and accelerated workforce housing solutions. Feedback...