Vernon Chamber hopes new provincial government addresses key economic priorities

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Building off that point, the Chamber representative said predictability would be another key in helping propel the economy forward.

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“We need to see business confidence and affordability in the sense of predictability for the businesses,” Harkness explained.

“What we’re hearing is people are fatigued from all the changes and unpredictability, so we need to see some structure, we need to see predictability for our businesses, and ideally lowering operating costs.”

On the affordability topic, Harkness stated lowering building costs, improving approval times, and continuing investments in affordable housing all would benefit for the workforce, which would translate to benefits for employers and the economy as a whole.

In discussing key sectors that form the local economy, such as agriculture and tourism, Harkness said engagement was another necessity in order to make sure policies take into account input from those working directly in and with the industries.

The Chamber representative added the discussions around economic policies should also take into account input from other area communities so the needs of the entire North Okanagan are known and included in developing those plans and achieving regional economic growth.

Harkness noted the Conservative Party had proposed Provincial Sales Tax exemptions for businesses purchasing machinery, equipment and software. She said that could provide some meaningful relief to businesses, though also stated there still needed to be more clarity on eligibility and implementation before she could comment on the exact impacts it would have on the key local sectors such as tourism and agriculture.

The Conservatives’ platform included expanding resource extraction, which Harkness said could be beneficial to the local area as forestry is a key sector in the North Okanagan that could fall under that umbrella.

“Forestry is of course important to our regional and local economy and the businesses connected to it, so predictable access to the fibre and efficient approvals could be very relevant, but the long term sustainability, market conditions and community impacts also matter,” the Chamber Executive Director stated.

“So we’re looking to see what that will look like and what policy will be actually implemented.”

While awaiting those policies to be drafted and announced, Harkness said she and the Chamber remain committed to working with local businesses and acting as advocates for them and the region in engaging with the province.