KELOWNA, B.C. — The B.C. NDP is promising $20 million over four years to support industrial and commercial development at Kelowna International Airport, adding a provincial funding commitment to a project intended to attract investment and create jobs in the Okanagan.
The pledge, announced by NDP Leader David Eby on Oct. 13, is conditional on the party forming government following the Oct. 24 provincial election. The proposed investment would help extend essential utilities to more than 165 acres of undeveloped airport land known as the East Lands.
The work would involve extending electrical, water and sewage infrastructure to land that could accommodate future aviation, aerospace, logistics and industrial operations. The project is intended to remove servicing barriers that currently limit development and make the property more attractive to prospective investors.
The provincial pledge follows a federal announcement of up to $22.4 million for the airport’s economic-enabling infrastructure project, made in September through the Build Communities Strong Fund. The federal funding supports new water, sanitary sewer, stormwater, electrical and communications infrastructure across the development area.
According to the federal government, the initial phase is expected to service approximately 90 acres of development-ready land, with infrastructure designed to support future aerospace, aviation, advanced manufacturing, technology, logistics and training facilities.
Eby said the proposed provincial investment could help generate an estimated $1 billion in economic activity. The NDP also says the development could create employment opportunities and increase municipal commercial tax revenues. Those figures are projections associated with the proposal, rather than confirmed economic outcomes.
Kelowna International Airport, commonly known as YLW, is British Columbia’s second-busiest airport. The provincial party says the airport contributes more than $2 billion annually to the local economy and supports more than 9,000 jobs.
The airport is already undergoing a separate passenger-terminal expansion. Phase 1 of that project began construction in 2023, with completion scheduled for the end of 2026. The East Lands proposal is different: its primary focus is preparing land for business and industrial development rather than expanding passenger-terminal capacity.
The development could provide space for aerospace companies and other industrial operators seeking access to transportation infrastructure in the Central Okanagan. Federal materials identify potential uses including aviation, aerospace, logistics, advanced manufacturing and training.
The proposed $20-million provincial contribution remains an election commitment and would depend on the NDP forming the next government. The federal funding has been announced separately, while the East Lands project will require coordination among the federal government, the City of Kelowna and the airport.
If completed as planned, the infrastructure project could help position YLW as a larger centre for aviation-related business and industrial investment, while broadening the airport’s role in the regional economy beyond passenger travel.
Photo Credit: Kelowna International Airport | Pinterest
