During its February 2 Regular Meeting, Penticton City Council heard an update from the Economic Development team outlining its priorities for 2021.
Recently reorganized through a consolidation that saw the economic development function combined with the City’s Sports and Events portfolio and relocated within the Community Services Division, the Economic Development team, now led by Carly Lewis, will continue to build on the work outlined in the 2018-2022 Economic Development Strategic Plan.
Key priority areas for 2021 include efforts focused on communication, collaboration, retention and expansion, resident and labour attraction and organizational excellence. Working with the business community to support them through COVID-19 recovery will also be an important role for economic development in 2021. In addition, the EcDev team will continue efforts to enhance the marketing and service levels at the Penticton Airport as well as continue building the City’s brand as a destination of choice for remote workers.
Resident and labour attraction have been a focus for Economic Development over recent years, a trend that will continue in 2021 with the EcDev team investing in local and regional marketing campaigns with the goal of adding new talent to our region, filling the gaps in the skilled labour market and highlighting the unique lifestyle that Penticton has to offer. Working closely with the development industry, the EcDev team will also seek out opportunities for increasing the City’s housing stock – one of the most critical issues facing our city and impacting all employment sectors in our community.
“As we head into the second month of 2021 and the continuation of the pandemic, we are confident that the priorities for 2021 will continue to move our community forward in the right direction,” said Economic Development Manager, Carly Lewis. “The key areas of focus are consistent with the direction provided by the City’s Economic Development five-year strategic plan. We will continue to be flexible and reactive to ensure that we provide our businesses and the community support throughout the pandemic recovery process, and position ourselves for success when we begin our return to normal.”