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South Okanagan Photos

Grow Oliver – Denise Blashko is the new Program Co-ordinator

Denise Blashko, MP Dick Cannings and Dennis Knechtel – President at Outreach Neon (2016)

The Town of Oliver Economic Development Strategy – Grow Oliver – is Oliver’s strategic and community-based plan for strengthening and growing Oliver’s economy. Grow Oliver includes a range of actions developed to take Oliver’s economy in the direction that residents and stakeholders want to see.

Grow Oliver has its roots in the Town’s 2016 Official Community Plan which identified the need for a coordinated and strategic approach to economic development in Oliver. The plan also highlighted the need to support and revitalize Downtown Oliver, the historic and cultural heart of the community. This work was followed in 2017 with the production of a Downtown Action Plan for Oliver. This plan outlined 11 phased and prioritized actions organized under three inter-related strategy areas:

Strategic Capacity; Business Support and Attraction and Development. An Economic Development Strategy was one of the actions identified in this plan. Grow Oliver was developed over a one year period.

Project engagement reached out to residents, business owners, and other stakeholders at inperson events and through online surveys. We also heard from around 50 local youth at the high school and engaged members of the business and development community. The Strategy was directed by the Downtown Advisory Committee.

Grow Oliver’s Objectives were developed based on feedback from the community and the Downtown Advisory Committee. The Objectives are at the heart of this Strategy and identify what it will help achieve.

They are presented here as they were prioritized by community members and the project working group.

1. Create an attractive and vibrant Downtown
2. Support and grow local businesses
3. Attract investment and jobs
4. Create local benefits from regional tourism
5. Encourage affordable housing and commercial spaces
6. Foster a robust and resilient local economy
7. Promote innovation and a green local economy
8. Strengthen relationships with regional partners