On November 7th 2025, the South Okanagan Similkameen region celebrated a groundbreaking moment: the start of construction on the Okanagan Food & Innovation Hub in Summerland. This project will provide shared infrastructure for farmers, food producers, and innovators, creating a centralized space for local food production, processing, and distribution. It is a bold step toward strengthening local food systems and addressing food security challenges in our region.
Our Foundation is proud to have played a key role in making this vision a reality. By providing mortgage financing for the Hub, we embraced Impact Investing, an innovative approach that changes how community foundations use their assets to create local impact. Traditionally, foundations invest their endowment funds in public markets, generating income for grants while the bulk of assets remain disconnected from the local economy. Impact Investing flips that model by putting those assets to work right here at home, financing projects that deliver measurable social and economic benefits while still meeting financial obligations.
“Community foundations have always worked to strengthen local communities. Impact Investing takes that commitment further by putting our assets to work locally while also providing the returns necessary for our granting programs. It is a win-win solution,” says Aaron McRann, CEO of CFSOS. Across Canada, community foundations collectively manage billions of dollars in assets. Imagine the potential if even a fraction of those funds were invested locally. By taking this step, CFSOS is showing how charitable assets can do more than generate returns. They can help build stronger, more resilient communities.
The need for this kind of innovation is clear. According to our 2025 Vital Signs report, farms in the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen supplied only nine percent of what residents ate in 2021. Yet, with changes to how we use farmland and value local food, our region could potentially meet up to seventy percent of our own food needs. The Okanagan Food & Innovation Hub will help make that possible by creating opportunities for local producers to grow, process, and distribute food more efficiently.
This project is a testament to the power of collaboration. LocalMotive, the District of Summerland, Community Futures, and CFSOS worked together to align resources and expertise, ensuring the Hub could move forward. It reflects a shared commitment to building a resilient, sustainable food system for our region, one that benefits farmers, businesses, and families alike.
Through initiatives like this, CFSOS is redefining what it means to invest in community. Impact Investing is more than a financial strategy. It is a way to turn assets into action and create lasting change where it matters most, right here at home.