industries

Letter From the Chair, BC Economic Development Association

By Ina Bowerbank / July 21, 2020

BCEDA and Our B.C. Communities

Welcome to the 2020 edition of Invest in BC. The British Columbia Economic Development Association (BCEDA) is pleased to partner with BCBusiness to produce this informative publication.

Inside the pages of this magazine, you will find great information on the communities of British Columbia, and the many and varied opportunities that they have to offer. Whether it’s natural resources, energy, technology, food production, tourism, international education or transportation and shipping, B.C. has a multitude of investment opportunities. The province’s many other advantages include a highly skilled workforce, low corporate tax rates, world-class infrastructure and services, as well as welcoming and inclusive communities.

British Columbia is truly “open for business.” We do not just say the words; we put them into practice. Municipalities, regional districts and Indigenous communities invest over $80 million annually in economic development and tourism programming. They do this because they are committed to ensuring the economic and social well-being of their residents. BCEDA is the leader in so many areas, whether in our efforts to support communities in crisis through our Economic Disaster Recovery Program, providing tools so communities can further engage businesses, or our partnerships to encourage and support local businesses. But it really is the EDOs that are leading the way. They are responsible for assisting and supporting every company in the community regardless of size. They are change agents, team leaders and believers that we can together build healthy, prosperous and resilient local economies.

In closing, I want to encourage all who read this publication to use it as a primer to further explore the investment opportunities that abound in all regions of the great province of B.C. BCEDA is here to assist economic developers, local, Indigenous, and provincial governments and businesses working together to build a robust and sustainable economy through education, collaboration and partnerships.

Maureen Czirfusz

Chair, British Columbia Economic Development Association