The City of Penticton is trying to attract more remote workers to respond to a growing economic imbalance.
A city-commissioned study presented to council this week projects the working age population will decline from 59 per cent in 2016 to 52 per cent in 2046.
At the same time, the seniors demographic is expected to grow from 29 per cent of the population to 37 per cent, an increase of more than 5,600 residents over the age of 65.
WATCH BELOW:Aging in the Okanagan: Seniors population on the rise
One of the city’s marketing campaigns, called Penticton Works, has helped to attract at least 84 remote workers to the community since it launched more than two years ago, according to economic development specialist Jennifer Vincent.
Remote work or telecommuting is a work arrangement in which employees do not commute or travel to a central place of work. They can essentially work from anywhere.
Keith MacIntyre, the CEO of Big Bear Software, runs his burgeoning tech company with seven employees out of a Penticton office on Hastings Avenue.
They also share the space with employees from eight other companies across North America who are working remotely.
“You can really work from anywhere now. The tools and the software just make it much easier to work for companies outside of Penticton,” MacIntyre said.
“Because of the unique lifestyle that we have in Penticton, a lot of people don’t necessarily need an office to work in,” said Anthony Haddad, Penticton’s director of development services.
Judy Garvey lives in the Okanagan but works for a software development company based in Calgary.
“People move here for the lifestyle and there might not be the jobs available to move for but if you can bring your job with you, that’s pretty cool,” she said.
“Working from home you do get that flexibility so I can start a load of laundry in the morning or take my dog for a walk at lunch and you don’t get that opportunity when you’re working in an office in downtown Calgary.”
Aqil Samuel also runs his custom web software business out of his home.
“A lot of people that are in the industry that I work in really want that work/life balance and what a better place to do it than in Penticton,” he said.
“Penticton is a fantastic place to live so there’s a bit of a cultural shift happening right now in Canada I think where lifestyle is becoming much more important,” MacIntyre said.
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