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SUSTAINABILITY IS THE THEME OF THE OLYMPICS AND A WAY OF LIFE FOR MANY OKANAGAN BUSINESSES

Kelowna, BC….The legacy of the 2010 Olympics is all about sustainability, something the Okanagan Valley has embraced for many years. The Valley boasts many businesses that operate with “green” influences, from Canada’s first carbon neutral winery, Tinhorn Creek Vineyards in the South Okanagan to the internationally acclaimed organic winery of Summerhill Pyramid Winery in Kelowna. Sustainable practices are found in every area of business in the Valley including transportation initiatives in rapidly growing local communities, geothermal products and services, reduction of excess water usage for both residential and agriculture in a semi-arid climate and the use of “green” materials for housing construction and lifestyle management.

Known as the “Salad Belt” of Western Canada, from north to south the Valley provides organic and/or sustainably harvested fruit and vegetables both for the local consumer and the export market. Cheese companies such as Armstrong Cheese in Armstrong, BC and Carmelis, located just outside of Kelowna, have flourished using their own farm raised livestock to provide the dairy or goats’ milk for award winning cheese. Covert Farms in the South Okanagan community of Oliver, BC is a family owned organic farm which has been in business since the Coverts relocated to Canada from California in 1959.

Leading the way in disposable cutlery, located in the North Okanagan city of Vernon, BC is Aspenware, producing environmentally friendly, biodegradable, durable wooden cutlery. Using pre-harvested, undervalued wood such as Aspen and Birch trees, Aspenware has a commitment to the environment and the sustainability of one of BC’s greatest resources, lumber.

The new Centre for Excellence in Green Building Technology at Okanagan College, Penticton is being built to target gold certification under the LEEDS program and will accommodate new programming for green construction and trades education throughout the Province of British Columbia.

The Okanagan Valley has long been a destination for both travel and relocation. The Valley offers a commitment to sustainable practices, with infrastructure and support services in place for all aspects of trade and development. For further information please visit www.okanaganstories.ca

The Okanagan Valley Economic Development Society (OVEDS) is a joint initiative between the Economic Development Commissions throughout the Okanagan. Its primary objective is to design and implement economic development initiatives that support collective opportunities for the region. Its members include Penticton, Summerland, Central Okanagan Regional District – Kelowna (CORD), Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) and Vernon.

For additional information please contact OVEDS regional members:

Summerland | Scott Boswell | 250.404.4042 sboswell@summerland.ca

Kelowna | Corie Griffiths | 250.469.6283 corie.griffiths@cord.bc.ca

TOTA | Glenn Mandziuk | 250.860.5999 gmandziuk@totabc.com

Penticton | David Arsenault | 250.493.3323 darsenault@penticton.org

Vernon | Kevin Poole | 250.550.3249 kpoole@vernon.ca

Osoyoos | Jo Knight | 250.495.5070 jknight@destinationosoyoos.com