CFDCCO is actively working with the arts community to provide support where needed and where possible. CFDCCO will continue to develop a partnership between the three CFDC’s in the Okanagan to study and support the creative economy.

The CFDC’s of the Okanagan are seeking additional funding assistance for supporting a regional creative economy that is driven by knowledge and innovation where people are paid to think … where employment for creative workers crosses all sectors and industries including manufacturing and agriculture. We know quality of life is important.

One of the best vehicles for providing this opportunity to more people is through the creative economy, where jobs are growing but require digital, social and business connectivity. We need to understand that creative economy jobs often are project oriented, assembling and disassembling and repeating the cycle over and over. To support this model, business networking is required to help form these new collapsible alliances.

To facilitate this, the CFDC’s of the Okanagan require additional resources to help structure, participate in and fund these activities. We will work to coordinate stakeholders, nurture and support talent, brand and market the region and continue to map and inventory the resources. Building on initiative such as the Our Okanagan Database project, architecture that is now in development, the Okanagan CFDC’s will work to make it possible for people to find one another in ways that they can build partnerships and collaborative enterprises in the creative economy. We will seek out and develop synergies and facilitate collaboration.

The Okanagan has its own special qualities and sense of place. This needs to be defined and embraced while creating opportunities for niche market development of local based products and services in the fields of information technology, graphic design, food, wine, hospitality to name a few. The consortium will focus on unlocking the untapped creative potential of groups that often suffer marginalization such as rural women, youth, farmers, migrant workers, ethnic minorities, disability groups and seniors. Publicity will focus on telling success stories of those who have embraced the creative economy while maintaining a high quality of life. This success has often found by leveraging these businesses with the larger centres like Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto and further. The Okanagan wants to do business with these markets while continuing to capitalize as much as possible on serving the local marketplace. The Okanagan has a strategic advantage. It is the ideal place to live, work and play. We have attracted and retained high skilled people and need to continue to build linkages between industry and educational institutions. Self employment opportunities must be encouraged and supported since they often present the best way to find self sufficiency and a greater degree of happiness. Research and development opportunities need to be found and supported. Local food industry initiatives need to be incubated and funded.

Strong support from Government is critical. Additional funding from Government will allow the CFDC’s of the Okanagan to develop plans, coordinate stakeholders, collaborate with Government, businesses, intermediaries, educational institutions and non profits. The Okanagan CFDC consortium will work towards enhanced networking, building an environment of creativity, nurturing creative enterprises and people and then develop ways to market our Okanagan products, services and lifestyle.