Key sectors driving West Kelowna’s economy
Six sectors anchor the local economy, from estate wineries to helicopter operators. Each one below shows the numbers, the businesses and where the opportunities are.
Viticulture and Agriculture
Vineyards and orchards cover the benches above Okanagan Lake, from estate wineries with international reputations to family farm-gate producers.
Farmland is protected here: more than 1,400 hectares, about 11 percent of the city, is zoned for agriculture, most of it in the Agricultural Land Reserve. The Westside Wine Trail links 16 wineries, and producers sell into a regional market of more than 250,000 people.
Notable local businesses
Quails’ Gate, Mission Hill Family Estate, Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery, Little Straw Vineyards, Volcanic Hills Estate Winery
Where the opportunities are
Tourism and Culinary
Lake, trails and wine country draw visitors through the year, and Kelowna, next door, is Canada’s first UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.
Visit Westside, run by the City of West Kelowna in partnership with Westbank First Nation, markets the Westside as a destination. Westbank First Nation also co-led Kelowna’s successful UNESCO bid with the City of Kelowna, Tourism Kelowna and Okanagan College.
Notable local businesses
Quails’ Gate (Old Vines Restaurant and The Market), Mission Hill Family Estate, the Westside Wine Trail, Visit Westside
Where the opportunities are
Rotorcraft and Aviation
Helicopter operators and an aircraft maintenance and manufacturing specialist have made West Kelowna one of the Okanagan’s aviation bases.
Alpine Helicopters has been based in Westbank since 1968. Wildcat Helicopters and Valhalla Helicopters fly firefighting, heavy-lift and logging work from West Kelowna, and Alpine Aerotech maintains, repairs and manufactures helicopter components. Kelowna International Airport is about 30 km away.
Notable local businesses
Alpine Helicopters, Wildcat Helicopters, Valhalla Helicopters, Alpine Aerotech
Where the opportunities are
Forestry and Lumber
Forestry built West Kelowna’s industrial base, and it is still here: Gorman Bros. has been in business on the Westside since 1951.
The Gorman Group’s West Kelowna mill makes about 130 to 150 million board feet of appearance-grade boards a year, and the group now employs more than 1,000 people. Westbank First Nation’s Ntityix Resources manages a community forest of more than 47,000 hectares, part of it directly west of West Kelowna.
Notable local businesses
Gorman Bros. Lumber (Gorman Group), Ntityix Resources
Where the opportunities are
Light Industrial
Fabrication, trades, construction and distribution businesses cluster along Highway 97, on more designated industrial land than anywhere else in the Central Okanagan outside Kelowna.
The Official Community Plan designates 165.7 hectares of industrial land, most of it already in use. The West Kelowna Business Park on Stevens Road is zoned for light industry, with highway access via Ross and Westlake roads. A regional study forecasts 1,220 to 1,660 new industrial jobs in West Kelowna by 2046.
Notable local businesses
Armada Steel, Alpine Aerotech, Gorman Bros. Lumber
Where the opportunities are
Technology
The Central Okanagan’s tech sector employs nearly 20,000 people, and West Kelowna offers the lifestyle that helps attract and keep them.
Tech had a $3.01 billion economic impact in the Central Okanagan in 2023, across 467 companies, and nine in ten Okanagan tech firms use Kelowna International Airport. Quantech Software, founded in 1998, builds software for vehicle dealerships from Main Street in West Kelowna.
Notable local businesses
Quantech Software
Where the opportunities are
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Which sectors does WKEDC focus on?
These six reflect the City of West Kelowna’s focus areas and the sectors WKEDC’s CEO named on his appointment. The Board’s first strategic plan, now in development, may refine the list.
Is there land for industrial or commercial use?
Yes. The Official Community Plan designates 165.7 hectares of industrial land, with about 17.6 hectares vacant in 2025, and directs mixed-use growth to the Westbank and Boucherie urban centres. See Real Estate and Development, or tell us what you need.
Does WKEDC handle City approvals?
No. The City of West Kelowna reviews and decides all applications. We can help you understand the steps involved and where to start. Development applications begin with a pre-application meeting with a City planner.
Does WKEDC offer grants or incentives?
WKEDC doesn’t run grant programs today. We connect businesses with funders such as Community Futures, BDC, WeBC and PacifiCan, and help you find the right fit.
Where can I find data for a business case?
Start with the West Kelowna Data Portal for population, labour force and economic indicators, or tell us what your project needs and we’ll pull together the data.
Building something in one of these sectors?
Tell us what you’re planning. We’ll connect you with sites, data and the people who can help you move it forward.