West Kelowna urged to reach out to business on new social media

The City of West Kelowna can improve the way it engages the business community, council will hear Tuesday.

New social media channels should be created that are devoted entirely to the interests and activities of the business sector, a report suggests.

The target audience would be owners of existing and potential businesses, investors, landlords and developers, economic development officer John Perrott says.

As well, when plans for new projects or developments come forward from the private sector, Perrott suggests the initiatives be evaluated for their “economic impacts, benefits and/or disadvantages.”

And the idea is put forward of the city taking more of a role to promote tourism in West Kelowna, in co-operation with the Westbank First Nation.

One proposal that may raise eyebrows is the suggestion that West Kelowna officials establish a “visitation” program in which municipal representatives reach out to owners of businesses that operate on WFN lands.

The City of West Kelowna encircles the WFN, and the centrally located band lands have about 400 small-, mediumand large-sized businesses.

“WFN has the largest number of businesses on reserve lands within the country,” reads part of a new West Kelowna economic development program to be considered by council.

Including the 10,000 residents of WFN lands, the Westside has a population of 44,000, making it the second largest community in the Okanagan after Kelowna.

New development in West Kelowna in recent years has been made up primarily of residential construction, rather than industrial or commercial development.

Permits worth about $180 million were issued last year, with single-family homes accounting for virtually all of the new development.