Prepared by City of Williams Lake Economic Development450 Mart Street Williams Lake, BC V2G 1N3 tel 250.392.1764 fax 250.392.4408 williamslake.ca

Q12014 economic indicators

CITY-GENERATED STATISTICS

Building permits

1st Quarter of Year Number of permits

Permit value

2014 12 $2,009,500 2013 18 $1,314,600 2012 20 $2,053,020 2011 24 $1,923,000 2010 12 $5,227,600 2009 10 $11,421,100 2008 45 $1,879,500

Major building projects

Year Project Permit value

2014 Prosperity Ridge commercial buildings $1.4 M 2013 West Fraser Planer Mill $5.4 M Electronics store $500,000 2010 Best Western hotel $4.3 M Lakepoint Developments Phase V $900,000 Lakepoint Developments Phase IV $800,000 2009 Walmart $13.1 M Cariboo Friendship Society Eagle’s Nest $5.76 M TRU Gathering Place $800,000 Lakepoint Developments Phase III $800,000 Lakepoint Developments 4-unit building $600,000 2008 Retirement Concepts care facility $8.5 M Fire hall $4.7 M Safeway renovations $1.3 M Lakepoint Developments 4-unit strata $900,000

New home construction

1st Quarter of Year

New home construction

Total value

2014 1 $301,000 2013 3 $653,000 2012 7 $1,482,000 2011 4 $725,000 2010 3 $510,000 2009 0 $0 2008 9 $956,000

Business licenses

1st Quarter of Year Number of new licenses issued

Total number of licenses year to

date 2014 28 963 2013 13 975 2012 35 993 2011 24 958 2010 31 1,002 2009 34 1,001 2008 28 914

Airport passengers and aircraft movements

1st Quarter

Number of passengers

Aircraft movements

2014 7,800 1,919 2013 8,205 1,766 2012 8,533 1,833 2011 7,844 2,071 2010 6,611 2,124 2009 6,811 2,365 2008 8,901 2,749

Grants to the City approved to date

LABOUR FORCE

Unemployment rate

1st Quarter Cariboo British Columbia 2014 6.1% 6.5% 2013 6.7% 7.0% 2012 7.5% 7.3% 2011 7.6% 8.1% 2010 8.2% 7.6% 2009 12% 7.6% 2008 6.5% 4.6%

Source: BC Stats

Amount Purpose $30,418 Energy efficiency project reserve $13,365 Victim Services $5,500 Accessibility improvements

$49,283

Prepared by City of Williams Lake Economic Development450 Mart Street Williams Lake, BC V2G 1N3 tel 250.392.1764 fax 250.392.4408 williamslake.ca

Q12014 economic indicators

REAL ESTATE

Average selling price of single family residential home (Williams Lake region)

1st Quarter

Average selling price

SFR units sold

Total property

sales

Total value

of sales

Properties available on MLS

2014 $245,769 23 64 $14.4 M 360 2013 $247,296 25 65 $14.1 M 379 2012 $233,082 29 63 $13.3 M 414 2011 $212,831 19 53 $10.4 M 409 2010 $250,235 27 85 $16.6 M 385

Source: BC Northern Real Estate Board

Vacancy rates - Private Apartments (No update)

Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

INDUSTRY

Commodity prices

Sources: www.ycharts.com, www.tradingeconomics.com

$890.00 $980.00

$1,225.00

$1,537.33 $1,647.00$1,623.00

$1,293.00

$3.93 $2.04 $3.51 $4.38 $3.81 $3.61 $3.20

$244 $197$298 $299 $287

$412

$390

$1

$101

$201

$301

$401

$501

$601

$701

$801

$901

$1,001

$1,101

$1,201

$1,301

$1,401

$1,501

$1,601

$1,701

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Year

Gold (Average price in U.S dollars per ounce)

Copper (Average price per pound in U.S dollars)

Lumber (Average U.S dollars per 1,000 board feet)

Business Façade Improvement Program offered Again!

With funding from the Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT), the City of Williams Lake is making available a $20,000 grant program for business façade improvements. Existing buildings in the Downtown and Highway Corridor Development Permit Areas of Williams Lake are eligible for the program. Building owners or business owners, with written authorization of the property owner, can apply to the City for a 50% reimbursement grant up to a maximum of $5,000 for approved façade improvement projects.

Examples of eligible improvements include exteriors works such as decorative and architectural details, signage, accessibility and entranceway improvements, and lighting. The program is operated on a first come first serve basis, so interested businesses are encouraged to apply. Information and applications can be obtained from the City’s website and from the Development Services department at City Hall.

Community Forest Approved

The BC Government signed a new Community Forest Agreement establishing the Williams Lake Community Forest on March 7, 2014. The agreement provides a new opportunity for forest management in the Cariboo, and will be operated through WL Community Forest LP, a limited partnership between the City of Williams Lake and the Williams Lake Indian Band.

After years of planning, B.C.’s newest community forest aims to work closely with community residents to ensure that local values and interests are integrated into forest management. The Community Forest Agreement will allow an annual harvest of 40,000 cubic metres or about 800 truckloads of timber. All surplus revenues of the Limited Partnership will be shared equally between the City and the Williams Lake Indian Band. A portion of the net profit from the Community Forest will fund community projects.

Year Williams Lake B.C. (centres of 10,000+) October 2013 4.6% 2.4%

April 2013 5.4% 3.4% October 2012 4.9% 2.7%

April 2012 10.7% 3.4% October 2011 7.9% 2.5%

April 2011 11.8% 3.7% October 2010 11.9% 2.7%

April 2010 13.0% 3.1% October 2009 12.3% 2.8%

April 2009 6.8% 2.3%