The District of Sparwood has published results from its Business Retention and Expansion Survey, revealing the overall business climate in the district is “good.”
The report was a result of support from Columbia Basin Trust and the Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute.
Highlights from the report stated that 22 per cent of businesses reported annual sales between $1 and 4.49 million and that a major draw to business in Sparwood was its proximity to both Alberta and the United States as well as the number of mines in its vicinity.
“The results of the survey have informed council’s strategic planning process and have been integrated into the priorities for the current council term,” said business development liaison Jude Smith in a press release. “It promotes job growth by helping communities to learn about the concerns of, as well as opportunities for, local businesses and to set priorities for projects to address those needs,” he continued.
The report also stated that the business climate in Sparwood is expected to improve over the next five years and that the highest rated industries in Sparwood were local government.