B.C.’s Most Economically Resilient Cities in 2022
February 4, 2022
By BC Business |
Carrying forward last year’s theme of resilience, our eighth annual ranking of B.C.’s best cities for work once again examines 50 of the province’s largest communities. With added consideration for social and environmental resilience, we throw a spotlight on the top regional performers and feature local businesses learning to navigate a post-pandemic world.
Ashley Ramsay took a leap of faith back in early 2013 when she and her husband, Todd, acquired a Kelowna studio space to launch Yeti Farm Creative. “Todd, having been born and raised here, and myself, having spent half my childhood here, wanted to come back home after having our first child to build jobs in our own community,” explains the CEO of the digital animation house.
Nine years later, Yeti Farm—which produces content for online platforms and streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video and Netflix—has become one of Kelowna’s many homegrown technology success stories. Its roster of work includes animated series like Pete the Cat, Hotel Transylvania and Beat Bugs.
After riding out the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company now faces a series of new hurdles. “The talent shortage in B.C. animation is palpable. It’s gotten to a breaking point, [and] it’s not just Kelowna,” Ramsay says. “If anything, it’s been easier for us to attract talent based on what we can offer in terms of work-life balance and a substantially lower cost of living,” she notes. “But the price of homes is on the rise, so who is to say how long we will be able to offer these incentives to young people who come here to work at the studio.”
Source: BC Business
