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From YouTube: FEBRUARY 28 2022 Statements Ben Stewart
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
3rd Session
42nd Parliament
A
A
Our
region
has
grown
dramatically
over
the
past
two
decades
and
we
have
become
a
hub
for
economic
development
and
technological
innovation
in
our
own
right
back
in
1999,
the
national
research
council,
cluster
economic
study
identified
key
economic
drivers
in
areas
of
future
growth
within
the
okanagan,
including
value-added
forest
products,
innovative
technology,
aerospace
and,
of
course,
the
wine
industry.
Most
of
these
areas
have
exploded
in
prosperity
and
leading
to
many
new
opportunities.
A
The
central
okanagan
is
now
canada's
fastest
growing
metro
area,
seeing
a
14
population
growth
between
2016
and
2021
outpacing,
both
provision,
provincial
and
national
rates,
we've
seen
a
22
percent
increase
in
the
young
professional
demographics.
Not
only
not
only
are
the
opportunities
and
lifestyles
attractive,
but
we
also
have
two
incredibly
successful
post-secondary
institutions
producing
new
talent,
okanagan
college
and
ubc
okanagan.
A
These
two
schools
deliver
first-rate
education
to
more
than
ten
thousand
students
each.
There
are
also
plans
in
place
for
a
two
billion
dollar
investment
in
a
new
private
university
in
the
region
of
peach
land
called
new
monaco,
which
will
bring
further
skilled
people
to
the
okanagan
to
begin
their
careers.
The
central
okanagan
is
home
to
the
successful
aerospace
sector,
including
kf
aerospace,
canada's
largest
maintenance
repair
and
overhaul
provider.
Additionally,
our
tech
sector,
which
is
comprised
of
694
different
companies
employing
over
twelve
thousand
five
hundred
people.
A
It
has
witnessed
15
percent
year-over-year
compound
growth
since
2013
and
contributes
1.67
billion
in
economic
impact.
So,
mr
speaker,
while
the
central
okanagan
has
no
shortage
of
beautiful
beaches,
excellent
fruit
producers,
we
have
so
much
more
to
offer.
We
are
a
hub
of
innovation,
an
area
where
companies
want
to
invest
in
and
most
importantly,
a
place
where
people
want
to
live
and
raise
their
families.
Thank
you.