Downtown Community Campus Project - Follow Us On Facebook : 

This project relates to the relocation and expansion of the Okanagan College Campus in Salmon Arm.  The vision of the Downtown Community Campus project is “To create an expanded downtown campus by 2020 through strong community partnerships.”   The Okanagan College expansion and relocation concept has been discussed in the community of Salmon Arm since 2006. To date, this project has been led by the College Town Committee which was an informal group of residents and stakeholders with a collective interest in the project. Stakeholder representation on the committee included:

• City of Salmon Arm
• Okanagan College
• Downtown Improvement Association
• Salmon Arm Economic Development Society
• Shuswap Theatre Association
• Committee for a Strong and Sustainable Salmon Arm
• Interior Health Association
• Columbia Shuswap Regional District

In July 2010, the College Town Committee partnered with the Salmon Arm Economic Development Society (SAEDS) to conduct a strategic planning session and prepare the Downtown Community Campus Concept Paper.  The goal of the strategic planning session was to seek consensus on a vision as well as determine the desired outcomes and next steps to guide the implementation of this project. 

The Salmon Arm Economic Development Society Board has formed a Downtown Community Campus Subcommittee to implement the DCC vision.  The SAEDS Board recognizes there are a number of economic benefits a project such as this can bring to our community including:

• Retention of youth
• Attraction of professionals and young families
• Increased revenue for existing businesses in the downtown core
• Establishment of a cultural hub, increasing tourism opportunities
• Opportunities for new business establishment

The City of Salmon Arm, Columbia Shuswap Regional District and Okanagan College have partnered to financially support this initiative.  The DCC Subcommitee and SAEDS are currently working towards completing a detailed business plan and securing funding to fulfill the vision of relocating and expanding the Okanagan College to the downtown core of Salmon Arm.

For further information on this project contact Lana Fitt, Economic Development Manager for Salmon Arm Economic Development Society.

Downtown Community Campus Survey: