Thompson-Okanagan, British Columbia
The Thompson-Okanagan stretches across the interior of the province and is a popular tourist destination, renowned for its sunny climate and beautiful landscapes. The region is an area of remarkable geographical diversity, comprising desert, mountains, lakes, and rivers. Its many fertile valleys and benchlands grow tree fruits, vegetables, grains, flowers, and the grapes used to make the region’s award-winning wines.
Its diverse economy is based on the key industries of health care, manufacturing, technology, agriculture, livestock, forage production and ranching, mining, logging, and tourism. Key growth industries include information and communications technology, film and digital media, clean energy, viticulture and wine production, aviation and health care.
Regional Advantages
GROWING TECH
With over 700 tech companies employing over 12,000 people, and annual revenues surpassing $1.7 billion, technology thrives in the Thompson-Okanagan.
BC’S WINE-MAKING HUB
The Okanagan Valley, its sub-regions, climates, and soil conditions are suited to growing a range of varietals and support an industry with over 240 wineries and 10,300 related jobs.
FOUR SEASON PLAYGROUND
With over 2000 hours of sun annually, the region features four distinct seasons to enjoy everything from skiing, snowmobiling, golfing, cycling, hiking, and boating.
METRO KELOWNA
Kelowna is one of the fastest growing in Canada, the third largest metropolitan area in B.C., with the 10th busiest airport in Canada facilitating connections both national and internationally.
Key Sectors
Agrifood, Seafood
& Food Processing
Aerospace
Clean Energy
Digital Media & Entertainment
ICT
Life Sciences
Critical
Minerals
Mass Timber
Clean Tech
Agri Tech
Hydrogen
Kamloops
It is the third largest city in British Columbia outside the Lower Mainland and the transportation hub of BC’s southern interior. The City and surrounding area offers an abundance of economic, social and lifestyle assets.
Vernon
A casual lifestyle matched with spectacular outdoor recreation opportunities has led Vernon to become one of the most diversified communities in BC. Serving a regional population of over 100,000, the community is surrounded by three lakes and is well known for its hot summers and mild winters, which has attracted businesses and residents from across the globe. As one of the fastest growing communities in BC, Vernon is seeing strong employment growth in our professional services sector, the traditional resource sectors of forestry and agriculture, as well as the tourism, technology, manufacturing and service sectors.
Kelowna
Kelowna and the Central Okanagan is the largest trading centre between greater Vancouver and Alberta. The Okanagan has a diverse economy with prime industry sectors including agriculture, tourism, retail trade, manufacturing, forestry and construction. Key growth industries for the Valley include information and high technology, film, viticulture and wine production as well as aviation and health care. With much in the way of available business resources, the Valley is an ideal destination for business start-ups, expansion and relocation. The Okanagan has become a prime destination for residential and small business relocations due to the exceptionally moderate climate, strong transportation, trained labour force and availability of diverse recreational opportunities.
Penticton
With opportunities across industries as diverse as construction, winemaking, custom manufacturing, precision agriculture, tech and tourism, Penticton offers something for everyone. The City is continually recognized as one of the most entrepreneurial cities in Canada, with low municipal taxes and a business-friendly climate. Our residents and bussiness community value our local regional airport flying daily to Calgary & Vancouver, the robust reliable infrastructure, the high speed of fibre internet connections and of course the lifestyle of living in a small centre in the heart of wine country.
Communities
Kelowna, Vernon and Kamloops are all key cities that contribute to the region’s population of 609,300 people. Well serviced by multiple transportation links to the Lower Mainland, northern B.C. and Alberta, the Thompson-Okanagan is well located for investment in any sector. The Thompson-Okanagan’s warm climate, rich soils, and generous sunshine makes it an important agricultural centre for the province as well as a popular tourism and recreation destination.
Discover more facts and statistics about this region:
Regional Economic ProfileEconomic Development Organizations
- City of Penticton
- City of Vernon
- Venture Kamloops
- Central Okanagan Economic Development
- Village of Ashcroft
- Town of Osoyoos
- Salmon Arm Economic Development Society
- City of West Kelowna
- District of Clearwater
- City of Merritt
- Shuswap Economic Development
- District of Sicamous Development Corporation
- Town of Princeton
First Nations
The region’s economy is a diverse mix of industries that are predominantly service based, although its historic industrial base of forestry, mining, and agriculture remains important. Health care and social services are the economic region’s top employers, followed by various forms of manufacturing, accommodation, and food services.
Development corporations— owned collectively by aligned First Nations or by individual First Nations— are the primary vehicles by which First Nations pursue and advocate for sustainable economic development in the region.
Learn more about First Nations in BCEconomic Development Organizations
Regional Profile
Educational Institutions
The University of British Columbia has a campus located in Kelowna, providing science, grad studies, engineering and applied science, and other valuable programs to the local community.
Okanagan College is the region’s largest higher education institution. Offerings range from bachelor’s degrees to diplomas, trades, vocational training, professional development, corporate training and adult basic education.
Located in Kamloops, Thompson Rivers University’s main campus offers over 140 on-campus programs and 60-plus Open Learning programs, from traditional academics to trades, from certificates to graduate degrees.
Connect With A Regional Expert
Regional experts can help familiarize you with the amenities, infrastructure, and opportunities in each region. They can introduce you to the economic development offices and industry associations that will support the integration of your business into the province.