Government of Canada provides over $1.6 million to spur innovation and economic growth in Kamloops

PacifiCan funding will support local entrepreneurs and community leaders who are driving forward a vibrant economy

August 1, 2024 – Kamloops, British Columbia – PacifiCan

Exciting things are happening in Kamloops and the Central Interior. From food to forestry, local innovators are coming together to build a strong economy for the region. PacifiCan shares this ambition for growth and is committed to partnering with entrepreneurs and community leaders across British Columbia to realize their vision, create quality jobs, and promote regional prosperity. 

Today, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (PacifiCan), announced over $1.6 million in PacifiCan funding for three Kamloops-based businesses and organizations, including:

• $978,175 for Axis Forestry Inc. to commercialize its hydraulic tree processor and software system and optimize its manufacturing facility; and, 
• $650,650 for the Kamloops Food Policy Council and Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) of Central Interior First Nations (CIFN) to strengthen the local food supply chain in the Central Interior, including expanding the reach of the Kweseltken Kitchen – a mobile food processing trailer serving Indigenous farmers and remote communities.

The projects announced today build on Kamloops’s growing reputation as home to community-minded innovators. They will also support Indigenous communities and promote economic development in the Central Interior region. 

This funding comes from PacifiCan’s Business Scale-up and Productivity program and Jobs and Growth Fund. More details about the organizations receiving funding can be found in the backgrounder.