Economic Prosperity

One of the most direct ways the Trust strengthens the coastal economy is by making investment possible in places and projects that might otherwise be overlooked. By stepping in as a first investor, the Trust de-risks opportunities and signals to other investors, funders, and government partners that a project is credible and worth pursuing. That early commitment is what unlocks the larger investments that follow.

Since launching the Wellbeing Impact Framework in 2024, the Trust has partnered with local organizations, diverse investors, and funders to attract over $70 million in new investment into Vancouver Island and the surrounding coast, multiplying the impact of community-led projects and stimulating long-term economic growth throughout the region, since 2024.

Coastal communities that depend on a single industry are vulnerable when that industry shifts. One of the Trust’s core roles is to reduce that vulnerability by investing across diverse sectors, strengthening the proven industries and infrastructure local businesses depend on, while opening doors to new and emerging opportunities that reflect local values and create new pathways for growth.

The Trust invests across eight priority sectors, acting as a catalyst for a stronger and more balanced regional economy.

These investments look like foundational infrastructure: harbours, marinas, and agrifood facilities that give existing businesses the capacity to grow and thrive. Some of it looks like fostering the emerging industries only beginning to take root on the coast. Past investments in shellfish aquaculture helped establish what has become an important sector on Vancouver Island; today, the Trust is investing in seaweed farming as the one of the next frontiers of coastal economic opportunity. Together, these investments gradually broaden the economic base that coastal communities can build on for generations to come.

A thriving coastal economy is built from the ground up, by locally owned businesses and social enterprises that create jobs, reinvest in their communities, and offer goods and services that respond to what people here actually need. The Trust plays a direct role in making that possible, investing in projects that spur small business growth and in local non-profits that are enterprising, financially sustainable, and deeply connected to the communities they serve.

Since launching our Wellbeing Impact Framework in 2024, Trust investments have spurred 214 business and social enterprise start-ups and expansions across Vancouver Island and the surrounding coast.

By investing in public infrastructure and regional initiatives, the Trust creates the conditions for new enterprises to launch and existing ones to grow. A new marina opens commercial opportunities for Indigenous and local tourism operators. A shared agrifood processing space lowers the barrier to entry for small producers. A regional initiative connects entrepreneurs with the networks and resources they need to get off the ground. Each investment ripples outward, strengthening the local business environment for everyone.

No single organization can build a resilient coastal economy on its own. The most lasting impacts happen when people, communities, sectors, knowledge, and resources come together around a shared purpose. Forging strong partnerships is not just a byproduct of the Trust’s work — it is central to how we build durable, community-led economic projects.

Since 2024, Trust investments have forged 347 partnerships across Vancouver Island and the surrounding coast between First Nations, governments, businesses, social enterprises, non-profit organizations, and more — each one a building block of a stronger, more connected coastal economy.

The partnerships that move the needle most bring together First Nations, governments, and the private sector around a shared economic vision. First Nations hold deep knowledge of this coast, inherent rights to its lands and waters, and a long-term stake in its future. Each level of government brings policy levers, public investment, and mandates to serve the broader public good. The private sector brings capital, expertise, and market reach. When these three forces align, the results can be transformative — and the Trust actively invests to create the conditions for those partnerships to form, grow, and endure.