With funding from the Invest Canada Community Initiatives program, Island Coastal Economic Trust, Cowichan Valley Regional District, City of Port Alberni, and Port Alberni Port Authority, VIEA gathered information to develop a portfolio of business cases for specific investment opportunities across the Island, with direct benefit to local government. Public and private stakeholders were invited to help identify local investment opportunities to be marketed internationally.
This work is a direct complement to existing regional and community economic development objectives by developing and marketing sector-specific, site-specific, tangible, vetted business cases designed to attract the attention of targeted foreign direct investors. These business cases and the reports accompanying them are available below.
Wood Industries
This report took the recommendations that arose from the stakeholder roundtable discussions held in 2016 by the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance (VIEA) and the BC and Canadian Wood Councils in seven communities across Vancouver Island. The Wood Industries business cases include The Case for Pressure-Treated Lumber Production, The Case for Mass Timber Production, and The Case for a Wood-Based Thermal Insulation Manufacturing Business.
Aquaculture
Aquaculture on Vancouver Island consists of the cultivation of finfish, shell fish and the harvesting of aquatic plants. Atlantic Salmon is the prime finfish farmed in BC while Chinook, Coho and Sockeye are also cultivated. In addition to salmon species, Steelhead Trout, Sablefish, Sturgeon and Tilapia are also farmed
Clean Tech
The Vancouver Island Clean Tech sector is aligned with global, national and provincial priorities to profitably capitalize on initiatives to reduce dependency of fossil fuels and improve efficiencies in the future delivery of goods and services.
Tourism
Tourism is loosely defined as various activities of people which include travelling and staying in places different from their usual environment either for business or leisure purposes. Vancouver Island has a global brand as the place to see natural beauty at its finest.
Waste Wood
In a 2017 report on value-added wood manufacturing, VIEA suggested there were viable business opportunities for new ventures. One challenging aspect to the discussion was the availability of raw materials.
Infrastructure Map
View the regional districts, transportation infrastructure, and post-secondary institutions located across Vancouver Island
Foreign Direct Investment
See our portfolio of business cases for Vancouver Island investment opportunities
