Farmers, tech entrepreneurs, newcomers: Kelowna’s boom prompts calls for support

Local government is struggling to keep up with rapid change in the Okanagan city, prompting a call for federal attention.

KELOWNA, B.C. — British Columbia’s iconic wine country is transforming into an economic powerhouse, but with a building boom and influx of new residents come calls for the federal candidates to help to address affordability and core services, while supporting the agricultural industry.

Newly-constructed towers now greet visitors to downtown Kelowna, with cranes peppering the skyline as new homes are built to accommodate an influx of new residents: from retirees drawn to the hot summers, to remote workers and tech entrepreneurs.

The mayor is pleased to describe his city as one of the fastest-growing communities in the country as its morphs from a popular lakeside getaway of city-slickers from Vancouver and Calgary, but the building boom has come with challenges that could be mitigated with stable federal supports.

”Municipalities are very dependent upon continual, consistent regular infrastructure funding from levels of higher levels of government,” said Tom Dyas. “That assists with regards to our roads, our transit, our water, our sewer, all of those items that municipalities and the residents depend upon.”

As it increasingly looks like a major urban centre, Dyas also acknowledges that homelessness, crime, and the availability and affordability of housing have him advocating for bail reform and the sustained funding for a housing accelerator fund that’s already pumped $16 million into new homes.

Traditional industries in limbo

As Canadians prepare to cast their ballots in the federal election, the iconic vineyards and orchards of the Okanagan are budding in what could be a bumper crop of stone fruit and healthy harvest of wine grapes.

It’s a profound relief to farmers who’ve been hit by a double whammy: wildfires in 2023 damaged some farms while destroying hundreds of homes in the region, while a surprise and profound cold snap shocked crops in January of 2024 and scuttled most of last year’s harvest.

“We really are working together to figure out ways to survive as an industry,” said Joanna Schlosser, co-founder and CEO of Niche Winery in West Kelowna.

She’s one of several farmers diversifying to mitigate against climate change-driven crop unpredictability. Their tasting room with a patio overlooking the valley now has several neighbouring cabins and the company has partnered with a local beekeeper to sell honey harvested from bees pollinating their orchard, while her husband is fine-tuning a new specialty tractor designed to harvest vegetables planted between vines.

When CTV News asked what federal political leaders could do to support an agricultural sector repeatedly walloped by Mother Nature, Schlosser said “an investment in farmers is a good investment, and I feel like we don’t have farmers, we don’t have food and we don’t have wine, and we need all those things.”

Tech sector thriving

Vancouver has an international reputation as a tech hub, but after remote work became commonplace during the pandemic, the Okanagan’s tech sector has exploded in size and now the industry estimates some 32-thousand workers support 800 companies in the region with economic activity in the $5 billion range.

As a non-profit organization, Accelerate Okanagan is now connecting those businesses with investors and researchers to help grow the industry, which is benefitting from a dark fibre investment from the city.

“Agritech is definitely an area of focus for us we’re continuing to see grow given agriculture being the backbone of the economy here, but we also see clean tech, aerospace and definitely a cluster around gaming animation here in our region,” said CEO Brea Lake.

She spoke to CTV News at the Innovation Centre in downtown Kelowna, where tech workers can rent co-working space, book boardrooms, and make use of other common amenities in what’s become a meeting place for the critical mass of entrepreneurs and programmers generating the next wave of apps, gadgets, and eco-friendly products.

And there’s room for more growth.

“One of the ways government can help is with immigration reform and making it easier to access visas for highly skilled workers that have specific jobs that aren’t currently being served by Canadians,” said Lake.

With more career opportunities in a sunny climate and housing that’s affordable – when compared to Vancouver’s astronomical prices – the region’s growth pattern shows no sign of slowing down.