If you’ve recently moved to Penticton, the City would like to offer you a free ‘Welcome Home’ package containing materials to help you settle into your new community.
“This initiative gives us an opportunity to provide a warm welcome to our newest residents, while also helping us learn more about where they have come from and how we can connect them with the resources they may need,” says Anthony Haddad, General Manager of Community Services. “This may involve providing information about how to set up a business, or simply pointing them in the right direction for accessing community or City-related services. We look forward to connecting with you.”
Anyone who has arrived in Penticton after July 1, 2022 is eligible to register for the pack at penticton.ca/welcome-home. These are designed as one per household, while supplies last. The pack contains information about City services, free passes to ride transit and explore the Community Centre, plus information from Travel Penticton, the Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce, Okanagan College, Community Futures Okanagan-Similkameen, OneSky Community Resources, and South Okanagan Immigrant and Community Services (SOICS). The first 50 respondents will also get tickets to an upcoming Penticton Vees home game.
This Economic Development initiative is back for a second round following a successful pilot project in 2022, in which 128 people filled out forms to receive the Welcome Home packs over a four-month period, representing 301 new residents. The campaign builds upon the City’s 2018-2022 Economic Development Strategic Plan’s key strategies involving attracting and retaining skilled labour and businesses.
This 'Start Here Penticton' program was recognized with a provincial award for Marketing Innovation by the BC Economic Development Association earlier this year, recognizing B.C.’s best economic development programs, partnerships, economic reconciliation, resiliency and marketing initiatives.
“Penticton is growing – and it’s wonderful to see the energy our newest residents bring to our community. We welcome you and hope you enjoy exploring this beautiful place we call home,” says Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield.
Visit penticton.ca/welcome-home to find out more and be sure to follow Start Here Penticton’s social media channels @StartHerePenticton.