TOWNSHIP OF ESQUIMALT STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: September 29, 2025 Report No. ADM-25-028
TO: Council
FROM: Ter?se Finegan, Manager of Economic Development
SUBJECT: Update on 2023-2025 Economic Development Action Plan and SIPP Review
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That Council receive the review of the Township's membership in the South Island Prosperity Partnership and the update on the 2023-2025 Economic Development Action Plan for information, and direct that a decision on renewing South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP) membership for five years be considered during the 2026 budget process following receipt of SIPP's Fall 2025 Impact Report.
Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
At the March 3, 2025, meeting Council resolved:
"That Council:
1. Continue to fund South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP) for 2025; and,
2. Direct staff to review and examine the benefits of SIPP for the Township.
This report responds to that direction by providing both a review of the Township's membership in the South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP) and an update on the 2023-2025 Economic Development Action Plan (attached as Appendix 1). Together, these items demonstrate how regional partnerships and local initiatives are advancing Esquimalt's economic priorities.
SIPP Review. The South Island Prosperity Partnership is Greater Victoria's regional economic development alliance. Membership provides Esquimalt with access to regional advocacy, investment attraction initiatives, shared data and analysis, and sector development projects such as the Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST) and the Indigenous Prosperity Centre (IPC). The IPC has launched an online Indigenous Business Directory with over 90 listings and delivered initiatives such as the Youth Conference, Blue Economy Day Camps, PSPC Procurement Project, and the Songhees Labour Study. These efforts are beginning to deliver tangible regional and local benefits, underscoring the importance of Esq...
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