2015 – 2017 Resort Development Strategy
City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy 2
Contents
Background ...... 3 Environmental Scan ...... 4 Fernie SWOT Analysis ...... 6 Stakeholder Engagement ...... 7 Communications ...... 9 Vision ...... 9 Goals ...... 10 Measuring and Monitoring Success ...... 10 Consistency Tests ...... 12 Five Year Financial Plan ...... 12 Official Community Plan ...... 12 Leisure Services Master Plan ...... 14 Trails Master Plan ...... 14 ICSP ...... 15 Partnerships ...... 17 Contingency Plans ...... 17 Program Projects ...... 17 Summary of Approximate Project Costs and Allocations ...... 20 Festival & Event Development………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...………………….21 Fernie Ambassador Program ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....22 Summer & Winter Trail and Trail Amenity Development …………………………………………………………..………………………………………………..23 Community Trail Paving ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………24 Sport Fishing Boat Launch…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……….25 Event Square Development and Downtown Beautification …………………………………………………………………………………………..……………26 Tourism Signage………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……..….27 Visitor and Business Information Centre…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….28 Winter Shuttle Service………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………29 Appendix A: 2012 Stakeholder Engagement Summary Document ...... 31 Appendix B: 2015 Stakeholder Engagement Summary Document ...... 32 Appendix C: Terms of Reference for RDS Committee ...... 33
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Background
The City of Fernie is a community of approximately 5,000 residents geographically located in the Elk Valley in southeastern British Columbia, near the Alberta border. Fernie is located in Area A of the Regional District of East Kootenay.
Fernie is located on Highway #3 (The Crow’s Nest Pass Highway), in an area renowned for its world class recreation and outstanding mountain environment. Fernie has deep roots in the coal mining industry and was incorporated as a municipality more than 100 years ago. It is a community shaped by tragedy and triumph, being devastated by fire on two occasions in the early 1900’s and suffering several major mining disasters where many lives were lost. Despite these challenges, the community has persevered and is now poised for another renewal as a mountain resort economy emerges.
Situated three hours south-west of Calgary International Airport and one hour east of Canadian Rockies International Airport (Cranbrook), Fernie has seen significant interest and investment in the area over the past several years from within Canada and internationally from countries such as Australia, Europe and Great Britain. Despite the downturn in the global economy, Fernie continues to see strong tourism interest and visitation.
Traditionally mining, railway and forest sector based, the area is rapidly evolving into a more mature and diversified socio-economic region. While mining and forestry remain very important to the City, other growth sectors include food & beverage, accommodation, entertainment, recreation, retail, personal services, construction, government services and telecommuters.
Substantial new investments are currently accelerating planning and growth in the tourism-recreation and real estate sectors. The nearby Fernie Alpine Resort and Island Lake Lodge are world renowned for their powder skiing and draw many visitors and investors to the region. Mountain biking and dry fly fishing are both experiencing strong growth in Fernie. Many more outstanding recreational activities exist in the region and adventure tourism companies are growing to meet the increased demand for those activities in the region.
An Authentic Mountain Community
Fernie’s mounting international popularity has a lot to do with it being an authentic Rocky Mountain community. Close proximity to international airports, large markets in Alberta, Montana and Washington and excellent outdoor recreation (e.g. world class trout fishing in the Elk River that winds through the City) serve it well. With incredible natural assets in the region such as Waterton National Park and Glacier International Peace Park, Mount City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy 4
Broadwood Nature Conservancy, the Flathead Valley and the remainder of the spectacular East Kootenay Region of BC, Fernie is well-positioned for continued growth and international investment.
Some of the key attractions and activities in or near Fernie include: • World-class dry-fly trout fishing on the Elk River and its tributaries; • Downhill skiing and mountain biking at Fernie Alpine Resort; • Cat Skiing at Island Lake Lodge or Fernie Wilderness Adventures; • Mountain biking throughout the region; • Enjoying the more than 18 kilometers of recreational trails within the City of Fernie; • Visiting one of the 11+ City parks and green spaces or the City’s Aquatic Centre, Memorial Arena, Curling Club, Heritage Library, Downtown Museum or famous Courthouse; • Touring the Historic Downtown; • Wildlife viewing in one of North America’s most intact eco-systems for large carnivores (grizzly bears, wolves, cougars and lynx); • Golfing at the Par 72 18-hole Fernie Golf and Country Club in a spectacular alpine setting; • Snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing; • Enjoying one of the many fine dining establishments or nightclubs available in the community; • Shopping in unique shops providing locally crafted goods; and • Waterskiing, canoeing, rafting, houseboating on one of the area’s many lakes including Lake Koocanusa.
Finding ways to increase the occupancy rate of tourist accommodations and activities during the shoulder (spring and fall) seasons is a high priority. The Resort Development Strategy will work towards that goal through the expansion of infrastructure and services. There are a number of excellent opportunities for expanded services within the community, and through the implementation of this Strategy, and the associated stakeholder engagement, Fernie intends to continue to draw new and returning visitors.
Environmental Scan
Canada’s ranking by total tourism arrivals has dropped from 8th (19.6 million arrivals in 2000) to 17th (16.6 million arrivals in 2013) amongst global travel destinations. After a few years of fluctuating growth trends, 2014 international overnight travel to Canada emerged ahead (3.2%) of 2013, continuing the upward trend from 2009. The year 2014 ended with the tenth increase in tourism spending in Canada since 2004 (2009 reported a decrease of 5%).
The majority of visitation to BC is domestic, followed by other Canadian provinces with Alberta visitors leading the way. In 2013, the number of visitors from Alberta increased by 28.6% and expenditures grew 44.2%. Visitation levels by international and US markets on one or more night trips increased in 2014 by 5.3% from 2013 to 4.65 million trips resulting in an increase over that year’s recent high. Fernie has seen consistent growth in the number of visitors to the community in recent years. The following tables summarize the number of visitors at the two visitor information centres in the community:
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Visitor and Business Information Centre in Fernie on Hwy 3: Total visitor numbers for 2005-2014:
Year Visitors 2005 9,653 2006 6,781 2007 10,017 2008 9,831 2009 10,224 2010 11,888 2011 11,341 2012 11,887 2013 12,501 2014 11,998
Museum and Visitor Information Centre, Downtown Fernie: Total visitor numbers for 2005-2014 (note that the location of the visitors centre changed in 2010 to the Heritage BC Hydro building). The drop in visitor numbers in 2013 is attributed to the renovations that were being undertaken to the building and the core exhibit that year.
Year Visitors 2005 8,854 2006 8,957 2007 9,141 2008 8,519 2009 7,449 2010 11,575 2011 13,310 2012 15,106 2013 12,659 2014 15,431
While the economy does influence the tourism in Fernie, the weather plays a role as well, especially during winter months. A lack of snow, or a particularly good snow year, will result in a fluctuation in visitors that come for the purposes of skiing and/or snowmobiling. With much of the tourism economy based on outdoor recreational activities, tourism in Fernie is vulnerable to the impacts of poor weather conditions.
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Fernie SWOT Analysis
The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis that was completed in 2008 was reviewed and revised by stakeholders as part of the process to update the 2012–2016 RDS. The SWOT analysis was not revisited with the 2015–2017 RDS update.
S W O T Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats • International • Accessibility of • Convention centre, • Cost of living event trails to beginners or equivalent • Industrial destination and families indoor conference development • Terrain and • Soft tourism centre • Climate change natural experiences • All-weather • Erosion of trails surroundings (birdwatching, recreational facility due to • Specialty shops etc.) (squash, etc.) overuse/poor • Family-oriented • Trail system • Music festivals maintenance community connectivity • Signage – within • Affordability for • Moderate • Coordination of and outside of tourists (strong winter climate events/activities Fernie (i.e. Calgary, CDN dollar) • Economic base • Indoor activity Cranbrook) • Economy • Historical centre • Whitewater play • Lack of and downtown • Multi-use trails for facility inconvenience of • Golf course varying • Museum & public transportation • Ski facilities – demographics art • Demographics – FAR, ILL, FWA • Nordic skiing • Transportation must cater to all • World class opportunities network ages fishing • Availability of • Upgrades to visitor • Available • Strong industrial rental centre/formation workforce history accommodation of Rocky Mountain • Fuel costs • Proximity to AB • Camping facilities Grizzly Centre & USA • Internet services: • Revitalization of • 4 seasons fibre network and highway • People are access to WIFI • Trail system – bike friendly, • Transportation & walking passionate and • Weather • Sports training genuine dependency facility • Arts & Culture • Not enough critical • Educational • Infrastructure: mass tourism Aquatic Centre, • Key primary Arena, Hospital attractions
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Stakeholder Engagement
Initial Resort Development Strategy & 2012-2016 Update
The City of Fernie first started receiving RMI funding in April of 2009 following adoption of a 5-year Strategy in February of that year. That Strategy was developed through several stakeholder engagement sessions, which took place in late 2008. The initial Strategy was updated with the development of the 2012–2016 Resort Development Strategy (RDS) which was approved in September of 2012. As part 2012-2016 update, stakeholders were asked to attend engagement sessions to provide input and feedback on several components of the plan. Over the sessions, a total of 33 individuals attended, representing 24 tourism related businesses, organizations and services. In addition, a presentation was made to Council, providing an overview of the proposed budgets and projects for the 2012-2016 Update. The results of the 2012 stakeholder engagement are attached as Appendix A.
In addition to the sessions that took place in 2012, stakeholder engagement was conducted throughout 2010, during the development of the City’s Cultural and Heritage Tourism and Festivals Strategy. Twenty-seven individual stakeholder interviews were conducted and 2 focus group meetings were held to review and validate interview responses and identify strategic themes that informed the Strategy. Representatives of the following organizations were consulted and involved in development of the Strategy: City Council; Chamber of Commerce; Fernie Alpine Resort; Fernie & District Arts Council; Fernie & District Historical Society; Fernie Ghostriders; Fernie Heritage Cemetery Society; Fernie Heritage Library; Fernie Rod and Gun Club; Fernie Trails Alliance; Tourism Fernie; and various local service clubs and tourism operators. Extensive stakeholder involvement was also incorporated into the development of a Comprehensive Signage Strategy in 2011 to ensure that tourist directional and way-finding needs are addressed in an authentic, sustainable manner that improves the visual aesthetic, captures missed opportunities and creates lasting impressions.
2015-2017 Resort Development Strategy Update
With the announcement by the Province in early 2015 that the RMI program would be extended by one year to 2017 an independent consultant was contracted by the City to facilitate additional stakeholder engagement to help inform the development of an updated 2015-2017 RDS. As the update extends the previous Strategy by only one year, the engagement wasn’t as extensive as with the development of the previous 5-year RDS’s. The 2015 stakeholder engagement commenced with a working session designed to receive input from stakeholders on how engagement should be conducted. Representatives of the following organizations and agencies were invited to attend:
• Fernie Chamber of Commerce • Tourism Fernie • Fernie Alpine Resort • Accommodation provider > 30 rooms with rental management (representative was unable to attend) • Accommodation provider > 30 rooms solely owned • Fernie Trails Alliance • Fernie and District Arts Council (representative was unable to attend) • City of Fernie Council • City of Fernie staff City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy 8
At this session stakeholders recommended that a survey be designed to ascertain what drives tourism in Fernie and to assist in making a determination of what projects or initiatives tourism stakeholders felt should be considered for inclusion in the 2015-2017 RDS to achieve the desired Resort Municipality Initiative funding program outcomes as established by the Province. It was further recommended that the survey be jointly developed by the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Fernie for distribution to their respective members and that the survey results be brought back to a subsequent meeting of the stakeholders invited to the initial meeting for their review and consideration.
Following compilation of the survey results a second engagement session was conducted with the objective of providing an opportunity for the participating stakeholders to offer input to the City on what projects should be considered for inclusion in the 2015-2017 RDS based on the feedback gathered through the survey. The input provided at this session was utilized by the contracted facilitator to formulate project recommendations which were incorporated into the Fernie Resort Development Strategy – Stakeholder Engagement Summary 2015 which is attached as Appendix B.
Based on input from the 2012 stakeholder engagement process the City of Fernie adopted a Terms of Reference for and subsequently created an RDS Advisory Working Group (AWG). As part of the implementation of the updated 2015–2017 RDS, the AWG Terms of Reference were revisited and revised based on guidelines contained in the Province’s 2015-2017 Resort Development Strategy Guide and recommendations made in the Stakeholder Engagement Summary. The updated Terms of Reference (attached as Appendix C) define the composition of the AWG to include members from various organizations and agencies as follows:
• Accommodation provider (1) • Community at large (1) • Fernie Alpine Resort (1) • Fernie Chamber of Commerce (1) • Fernie and District Arts Council (1) • Fernie Trails Alliance (1) • Leisure Services Advisory Board (1) • Regional District of East Kootenay (1) • Tourism Fernie (1) • City of Fernie Council (1) • City of Fernie staff (2)
The revised Terms of Reference define the AWG’s purpose to include:
• Assisting with preparation of annual reports • Collecting data to facilitate performance measurement and measurement of outcomes and other metrics • Monitoring the tourism economy and communicating and engaging tourism industry stakeholders to promote understanding, awareness, participation and support for the Resort Development Strategy • Promoting awareness of funding available under the Festival & Event Development program area, assessing funding applications to ensure they are relevant, timely and support RDS goals and making recommendations for funding approval to Council for their consideration • Gathering information and providing expertise to advance implementation of the RDS • Leading or facilitating specific projects in collaboration with the City • Making recommendations relating to unallocated RMI funding to Council City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy 9
COMMUNICATIONS
The Resort Municipality Initiative Annual Report to the Province will be the primary formal means of communicating results of investments designed to grow the tourism economy. The Annual Report will contain qualitative and quantitative measures and details on tourism investments and outcomes. Resort Development Strategy partners and stakeholders will be requested to provide annual performance measures and outcomes reporting for the Annual Report.
Physical infrastructure made possible by the Resort Municipality Initiative will be identified as such where appropriate with Provincially approved signage. News releases will be prepared with adequate time to allow comment and input from Provincial representatives prior to submission to the media. News releases will be used to communicate project initiation phases, significant progress reports and project completion. Provincial representatives will be invited to significant events such as ground-breaking or project completion ceremonies.
Quarterly meetings of the AWG will provide ongoing communication between the City of Fernie and the various components of the tourism industry through the industry representatives that comprise the Group. Moving forward the AWG will continue the practice of broader stakeholder engagement to ensure opportunities for ongoing input and feedback into the Strategy.
Vision
Participants in the 2012 stakeholder engagement sessions were asked to review the 2009 Vision, and to provide feedback on a revised Vision. The 2012 Vision was drafted to reflect the local values of the community, and was based on the ‘Provincial Guidelines’ for the RDS. The Vision for the 2015-2017 Resort Development Strategy remains unchanged from the 2012-2016 Resort Development Strategy as follows:
Fernie is a world class destination that draws new and returning visitors, that encourages visitors to stay longer and spend more, and that provides tourism services and infrastructure which reflect the cultural, recreational, environmental and economic values of the community.
While focused on tourism and visitor experience, this statement is supported by the community-focused Vision of the City of Fernie:
“Fernie is an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable community where everyone has the opportunity to pursue an excellent quality of life.”
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Goals
The Goals for the 2015-2017 RDS remain unchanged from the 2012-2016 RDS. Over the course of the 3-year Strategy the stakeholders and the AWG will have the opportunity to review and, if deemed prudent, modify these goals as the Strategy is meant to be dynamic and reflective of current priorities. The 2015-2017 Resort Development Strategy has the following 9 goals:
1. Increase visitor traffic in Fernie’s historic downtown; 2. Increase commercial accommodation overnight stays and revenue; 3. Increase number of events and festivals; 4. Increase local tourism economy; 5. Increase private investment; 6. Expand recreational opportunities and accessibility for a wider demographic; 7. Increase visitor traffic from the business and professional sectors; 8. Improve recreational infrastructure and services; 9. Improve visitor infrastructure and services.
Measuring and Monitoring Success
There are processes currently in place through the City of Fernie, the Chamber of Commerce and the downtown Museum and Visitor Information Centre that collect and compile visitor statistics. Further, Tourism Fernie conducts Summer and Winter visitor surveys. These existing processes of measuring tourism trends and statistics will be leveraged to develop a set of metrics that allow progress and success to be measured in a tangible way. The City of Fernie and the AWG will be working with stakeholders throughout the implementation of the strategy to identify the best approaches to monitoring progress.
The table on the following page provides the framework for the performance indicators that will be used to measure and monitor success. These indicators and the measurement tools that will be used may be further refined in collaboration with stakeholders and the AWG.
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Desired Outcomes (3 years) Performance Measurement Effect on Visitors 10% increase in visitors Chamber of Commerce stats; # of visitors and origin Fernie Museum and Visitor Information Centre; Network Statistics Program; # of visitors, visitor origin, info requested, length of stay # Non -resident angler license Trails usage survey Truck count at snowmobile staging areas 15 % increase in visitor satisfaction Visitor survey through the Visitor Information Centre 15 % increase in visitor return rate Visitor survey through the Visitor Information Centre Effect on Tourism Economy 10% Increase in commercial Hotel Room occupancy measures , MRDT revenue accommodation occupancy 10% Increase in Tourism Activity Activity participation numbers (i.e. snowmob ile tours, fishing guide #’s tours) 5% Increase in tourism businesses Chamber of Commerce business surveys Net contribution of business class City tax revenue # of Business Licenses Effect on Private Investment 10% increase in private investment Property taxes and addresses # non -resident property owners (TREND = visitor – property owner – resident) Effect on Municipal Tax Revenue 10% increase in municipal tax % Increase in property tax revenue (total dollars collected) revenue # of new units created Diversification of local tax base Proportions of tax assessments by property class as compared to year one
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Consistency Tests
As directed by the Province in the 2015-2017 Resort Development Strategy Guide , the RDS should identify linkages to and be consistent with key municipal planning documents. As such, when identifying projects to be included in the 2015-2017 RDS the input provided by stakeholders was considered in consultation with key policy documents including the Official Community Plan (OCP), Annual Report, Fernie Trails Master Plan, Comprehensive Signage Strategy, Leisure Services Master Plan, Integrated Community Sustainability Plan, and Five Year Financial Plan.
The Vision for the Resort Development Strategy is designed to be compatible with the community’s vision as articulated by City Council. That joint vision defines a preferred future state consistent with the Program’s goals to grow the tourism economy, build sustainable communities, protect the environment and diversify and increase municipal revenues. Fernie’s heritage and environment figure prominently in the vision but the community acknowledges the need to transition in a manner sensitive to the natural environment and community values to protect, preserve and enhance what makes Fernie special for residents and visitors.
FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN
The Resort Development Strategy goals and projects will be incorporated into the City’s Five Year Financial Plan to be consistent with that Plan. The Plan will leverage Program funding with City and private investments to enhance and grow the tourism economy in a manner consistent with the joint vision for the community and Strategy.
The 2015-2017 Resort Development Strategy Guide instructs that operational funding expenses may not be funded with RMI contributions. The result of this directive is that any on-going operating expenditures resulting from the implementation of the RMI program must be funded by new or increased user fees or by City of Fernie property owners through the payment of incremental property tax. Given this reality, an important consideration when formulating the projects for inclusion in the 2015-2017 RDS was their potential impact on the City’s Five Year Financial Plan and the related impact on municipal tax rates. For this and any future RDS updates, any project that has the potential to increase operating expenditures must be weighed against identified operating expenditures for existing municipal services and be prioritized through the annual budget deliberation process which is undertaken in consultation with taxpayers and ultimately approved by City Council.
OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN
Many of the OCP’s policies support the City’s Resort Development Strategy including the following:
• 2-A.14 Work with persons with mobility difficulties in the design and construction of new trails and improvements to existing trails to ensure that mobility concerns are adequately addressed and barrier free access is provided. • 2-C.1 Work with Fernie Alpine Resort and community business interests to ensure community shuttle service between the City of Fernie and the Resort efficiently meets the needs of users. • 2-H.6 Support “Car Free” days in the Historic Downtown during special events in the summer months. City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy 13
• 2-E.6 Recognize and support the value of community events in financing the long-term maintenance of trails. • 2-F.1 Work collaboratively with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to ensure pedestrian and bicycle safety and connections to, through and around Fernie are improved. • 3-C.1 Work with residents, Fernie Alpine Resort, the Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Fernie and neighbouring communities to actively promote recreation opportunities in the community and region. • 3-C.2 Continue to work with area partners to implement the Fernie and Area Resort Development Strategy . • 3-C.4 Support the development of an exhibition grounds and community event space, which could include space for a year-round farmers market in Fernie (considering the potential for on-site storage, small-scale processing and an all-weather sales area). • 3-F Continue efforts to revitalize the Historic Downtown as a commercial centre and tourist hub. • 3-F.3 Improve accessibility to and through the Historic Downtown from all neighbourhoods, for all users (vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles), and in all seasons. • 3-F.4 Improve internal wayfinding and signage in the Historic Downtown, including within Fernie’s larger, regional trail system, and from the highway. • 3-F.10 Continue working with local businesses and community groups to increase cultural programming and events to enliven the Historic Downtown (e.g., Griz Days). • 3-F.12 Work with businesses and tourism partners to develop strategies that enhance and animate the Historic Downtown for visitors and residents alike. • 4-E.1 Support continued development of Fernie’s regional trail network. • 4-E.3 Work with local trail organizations and groups towards the development of formal access and parking locations for backcountry trails. • 5-A.2 Identify and dedicate a portion of the Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) funding for the continuation and growth of art and cultural events. • 5-A.4 Support collaborative efforts to enhance and promote Fernie’s local arts, events and cultural facilities. • 5-A.8 Work with the Fernie Arts Station to increase arts and culture activities and programming to enhance tourism. • 5-A.11 Support and encourage cultural events that celebrate the cultural diversity of Fernie’s community. • 5-A.14 Develop better signage and way finding for prominent City institutions and tourist locations such as City Hall, Fernie Heritage Library, Arts Station, James White Park, Fernie Museum, the Court House and the Aquatic Centre. • 5-C.3 Continue to work toward the provision of recreational facilities and services that are accessible to all segments of the population, including both residents and tourists, and that are designed to accommodate active and low impact uses. • 5-C.5 Complete and implement a Fernie Trails Master Plan in cooperation with the local trail stakeholders. • 5-D.9 Continue to expand and promote Fernie’s parks and trail networks as an important tourist attraction and resident amenity.
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LEISURE SERVICES MASTER PLAN
The Leisure Services Master Plan, completed in 2013, is intended to provide direction to the City to help meet changing community needs over the next five to ten years. The Master Plan was developed collaboratively with the public, Council and City Administration and it sets directives for “what, when, where and how recreation facilities and services will be implemented, constructed, financed and maintained.” The City of Fernie Leisure Services Department encompasses all indoor and outdoor recreation facilities, parks and trails located within the city limits. Fernie is recognized as a recreation jewel with increased attention over the last decade focused on its spectacular setting, enviable mountain culture, healthy lifestyle and superb outdoor recreation opportunities.
The Community Profile section of the Plan says the following:
The City of Fernie is the only Canadian city fully encircled by the Rocky Mountains. The Elk Valley community was first developed as a result of local coal mining and forestry, but more recently, has developed as a result of local recreational opportunities, including a world-class ski resort, mountain stream fishing, golf and disc golf, hiking, and mountain biking. Fernie Alpine Resort (FAR) was recently awarded a World Snow Award as the best ski resort in North America. Fernie’s desirability as a ski-resort is evident in winter, when the local population grows significantly. The FAR is also popular in the summer, when it transforms into a mountain biking destination.
The tourism industry is highly seasonal and traditionally focused on winter-based recreational activity although the summer season is becoming increasingly popular. Fernie’s growing stature as an international destination and increasing worldwide demand for quality outdoor recreational and cultural experiences suggest continued growth in the tourism industry and investment in recreational property, and related facilities and infrastructure.
TRAILS MASTER PLAN
One of the projects identified in the 2012-2016 Resort Development Strategy was the development a Trail Network Master Plan. Due to the patterns of population densities in Fernie and the RDEK, and based on the locations of various recreational hubs like the Fernie Alpine Resort and Mount Fernie Provincial Park, it was recognized in the Resort Development Strategy that a comprehensive, regional approach would be most appropriate. With this in mind, in 2014 the City of Fernie collaborated with the Fernie Trails Alliance to spearhead the overall project and engaged an independent consultant to create the Fernie Trails Master Plan. The Plan was completed in 2014 and endorsed by stakeholders and the City of Fernie in early 2015.
The Plan includes many recommendations including finishing the City’s loop trails with asphalt or a durable compacted granular surface and it supports constructing a new bridge just upstream of the existing Highway 3 bridge to provide a safer separate route from the Highway shoulder for pedestrians and cyclists.
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The main goals and objectives of the Plan are as follows:
• Promote improvements and expansion of efficient bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure; • Provide a community-wide trail network with linkages to neighborhoods, schools, commercial areas; recreational hubs, parks and open spaces, trailheads, and the Elk River; • Provide recommendations for trail construction and maintenance standards; • Provide recommendations for a trail classification system; • Review trail amenity standards; • Review environmental issues relevant to the planning, construction and maintenance of trails; • Develop mapping and cost estimates for implementation of the Plan; • Provide recommendations relating to the operations and management challenges of a large, regional trail network; and • Review funding strategies and partnership opportunities to grow and maintain the trail system.
The Fernie Trails Master Plan provides a vision for the next 10-15 years of non-motorized trail development within the City of Fernie and the surrounding area to create and maintain trails that residents and tourists will safely enjoy for years to come.
ICSP
The City of Fernie completed an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan in 2011. Within that document, tourism is recognized as an important and significant component of Fernie’s future.
Tourism is embedded in the 3 Priorities that were identified through the ICSP development process. Specifically, Priority 2: Ensuring Economic Viability, speaks to the integral role the tourism industry will play in Fernie’s future:
Through ensuring economic viability, in the year 2030, Fernie’s economy is diverse and mainly locally-based, with a diverse workforce. Businesses, institutions and other Community Partners work together to provide job mentoring and training programs to provide a skilled workforce. While the primary resource industry is still an important economic contributor, local resources are increasingly having value-added as finished products and Fernie is also a leader in clean and renewable technologies. These include businesses built on sustainability practices, such as recycling and deconstruction and a large proportion of local businesses are based on those technologies. Because the community has done such a good job at protecting the environment and natural areas, recreational and leisure opportunities are a big tourism driver. A strong tourism sector complements and supports the local economy, enhances the community’s assets and includes a vibrant cultural tourism component. Educational opportunities also provide jobs as well as learning opportunities for creating a locally-based workforce. A larger proportion of the community’s dollars is kept in the community through a “buy local” and “hire local” mindset. Fernie has a vibrant Downtown with a range of amenities and services that increasingly attract visitors as well as supports local businesses. City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy 16
Through the ICSP process, ten strategy areas were identified, with a set of associated “Descriptions of Success”, which describe the community in 2030. “Economy and Work” is one of the ten strategy areas in the ICSP. Within that strategy area, the following Descriptions of Success speak to tourism:
• Fernie’s economy is diversified and resilient, building on the existing base of sustainable recreation, tourism and natural resource industries • Fernie is known for several national and international attractions • Recreation, tourism and retirement living activities bring significant resources to the community
Under the “Arts Culture and Heritage” strategy, the following Descriptions of Success align with the Vision and Goals of the RDS:
• Fernie is recognized for annual national festivals, exhibitions and conferences that attract visitors from near and far • A centralized tourism, activities and information centre with knowledgeable staff provides convenient and comprehensive access to services, accommodations and events in the community throughout the year for both residents and visitors • Fernie’s cultural diversity and heritage is celebrated, provides a strong sense of place and supports the local economy
And under the “Recreation and Leisure” strategy area, the following Descriptions of Success support the focus on trails and recreation in the RDS:
• Facilities are designed to be inclusive and multi-generational, providing interactions between people of all ages and abilities • The Elk River and other local water bodies support a range of compatible and low impact recreation activities • Fernie is known as a four season recreation destination that respects and exists within the limits of the natural environment City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy 17
Partnerships
Complementary funding will be applied for from a variety of sources and partnerships and leveraging will be actively pursued. Some potential sources include: Bike BC; Columbia Basin Trust; Ministry of Transportation; other foundations, organizations and community groups. In addition several local organizations will apply for funding to complement the Resort Municipality Initiative program. For example, the Visitor & Business Information Centre project will be supported by $50,000 from Columbia Basin Trust and an additional $50,000 committed through the Federal Enabling Accessibility Fund.
Contingency Plans
If the amount of RMI funding is lower than projected, program expenditures for future years will be reassessed and adjusted accordingly. RMI revenues will be monitored by City of Fernie staff on an ongoing basis. Additional revenue sources and funding opportunities will be continually evaluated and sought after to augment program goals or address funding shortfalls.
If there is excess revenue over expenditure plans during the term of the 2015 – 2017 Resort Development Strategy those excess funds will be reallocated to other existing or new projects upon approval by the Province and Council.
In order to ensure that a project does not fall short in expected funding, percentage allocations of total revenue annually will be allocated for each project.
Program Projects
The process undertaken to identify the projects to be included in the 2015 – 2017 Resort Development Strategy took into consideration the status of in-progress projects from the 2012 – 2016 Resort Development Strategy, stakeholder input, and analysis by City staff to ensure consistency with key municipal planning documents and the Five Year Financial Plan.
Due to the dynamic nature of tourism in British Columbia it is recognized that new projects may be identified by stakeholders over the life of the 3-year strategy that better suit the program goals and objectives. To ensure the continued relevance of the strategy and to be reflective of current priorities, over the course of the RDS the projects as detailed below may change. Any proposed project change will be vetted through the AWG and if it is deemed that change is warranted a request detailing the justification for a modification of the RDS will be referred to the Province and Council for consideration of approval.
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The projects identified for inclusion in the 2015-2017 Resort Development Strategy are as follows:
Events/Services/Programs: • Festival & Event Development; • Fernie Ambassador Program; and • Summer & Winter Trail and Trail Amenity Development.
Infrastructure Projects: • Festival & Event Development; • Summer & Winter Trail and Trail Amenity Development; • Community Trail Paving; • Sport Fishing Boat Launch; • Event Square Development & Downtown Beautification; • Tourism Signage; • Visitor & Business Information Centre; and • Winter Shuttle Service.
EVENTS /S ERVICES /P ROGRAMS
As the Province has directed that operating type expenditures such as Events, Services and Programs be limited to no more than 30% of the annual RMI funding received, funding allocations to these types of projects have been established to total approximately 30% of the projected annual RMI funding amounts for 2016 and 2017 with the remaining 70% being allocated to Infrastructure Projects.
The Tourism Incentives Investment Fund and Downtown Museum & Information Centre projects which were identified as separate projects in the 2012-2016 RDS have been incorporated into the Festival & Event Development project to eliminate confusion and ensure common funding criteria and goals. It is recommended that previously established annual funding allocations to the Fernie & District Historical Society ($20,000), Fernie and District Arts Council ($20,000) and the Fernie Chamber of Commerce ($15,000) for festivals and events continue and remain consistent through the life of the 2015-2017 RDS contingent on those organizations providing detailed budgets and project descriptions that support the RDS goals and objectives as determined by the AWG and Council. Remaining RMI funds for this project will be available on an application basis to allow Fernie and area to be responsive to new festival and event opportunities that weren’t anticipated at the time the Resort Development Strategy was created but have the potential to build our tourism economy. It is anticipated that applications will identify matching or leveraged funds from other sources to supplement RMI funding.
On an ongoing basis, the AWG will promote awareness of the funding available through the Festival & Event Development project and assess applications for funding to ensure that proposals are relevant, timely and support RDS goals and objectives. The AWG will make recommendations based on their assessment of the applications to Council for their consideration of approval.
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INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
Notable variations from the infrastructure projects and related funding allocations detailed in the 2012–2016 RDS include: an increase to the Community Trail Paving allocation to more than double (from 2.4 to 5.2) the km of trail to be paved; the addition of the Fernie Ambassador Program; and the addition of the Event Square Development & Downtown Beautification project.
The Summer Trail Development and Winter Trail Maintenance projects which were identified as separate projects in the 2012-2016 RDS have been incorporated into a single project titled Summer & Winter Trail and Trail Amenity Development in the 2015-2017 RDS. It is recommended that previously established annual funding allocations to the Fernie Trails Alliance ($45,000), the Fernie Nordic Society ($15,000) and the snowmobile organization(s) ($15,000) continue and remain consistent through the life of the 2015-2017 RDS contingent on those organizations providing detailed budgets and project descriptions that support the RDS goals and objectives as determined by the AWG and Council. With regards to the funding provided in relation to winter trails, the Province has indicated that trail grooming continues to be an eligible RMI expenditure.
The 2016 RMI funding allocation for Summer & Winter Trail and Trail Amenity Development includes specific funding ($44,000) to assist with the construction of a new bridge over Fairy Creek located just upstream of the north Highway 3 bridge to allow a safe connection for pedestrians and cyclists traveling from residential or commercial developments located north of the bridge to areas to the south. The Fernie Trails Alliance has been successful in sourcing significant funding for this project including a $71,000 grant from BikeBC.
As noted above, the Event Square Development & Downtown Beautification project is a new addition to the Resort Development Strategy. The details and scope of this project will be determined through a detailed design process to be undertaken by a suitable consulting firm engaged by the City and funded from City reserves. This design work is identified as an existing expenditure in the current Five Year Financial Plan.
The use of RMI funding in relation to projects identified in the 2015-2017 Resort Development Strategy is subject to the approval of Council and conformity to the City’s Purchasing Policy and other applicable federal, provincial and local legislation, regulations and policies.
City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: 20
PROJECT FUNDING
The projects identified in the 2015-2017 RDS will be funded as per the allocations detailed in the following table, each as individual projects. It is recognized that further refinement of identified projects and their respective funding allocations may occur in the event that gaps are found or opportunities are identified that should be taken which would result in enhanced tourism services and infrastructure. The projects are described in more detail in the pages that follow the table.
2015 – 2017 Resort Development Strategy Summary of Approximate Project Costs and Allocations (based upon annual RMI funding as estimated by the Province)
Component Description Total Annual Breakdown Budget 2015-2017 2015 2016 2017 Anticipated Funding: Carryforward from Previous Year $842,794 $842,794 $875,660 $146,009 Anticipated New Funds $1,163,460 $383,316 $387,653 $392,491 Total Funds Available $2,006,254 $1,226,110 $1,263,313 $538,500
Anticipated Spending: Events/Services/Programs: Festival & Event Development $299,802 $109,802 $95,000 $95,000 Ambassador Training Program $95,000 $43,000 $26,000 $26,000 Summer & Winter Trail and Trail Amenity Dev $90,000 $30,000 $30,000 $30,000
Infrastructure Projects: Summer & Winter Trail and Trail Amenity Dev $184,600 $50,600 $89,000 $45,000 Festival & Event Development $15,000 $15,000 $0 $0 Community Trail Paving $365,000 $0 $365,000 $0 Sport Fishing Boat Launch $15,000 $0 $15,000 $0 Event Square Development & D/T Beautification $392,500 $0 $80,000 $312,500 Tourism Signage $236,068 $38,764 $197,304 $0 Visitor & Buisniess Information Centre (Hwy) $193,284 $13,284 $180,000 $0 Winter Shuttle Service $120,000 $50,000 $40,000 $30,000
Total Spending $2,006,254 $350,450 $1,117,304 $538,500 Carryforward $0 $875,660 $146,009 $0
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Project Title Festival & Event Development Events will be developed and facilitated through partnerships with the Fernie & District Arts Council, Fernie & District Historical Society, the Fernie Chamber of Commerce and other community organizations with a target of six to eight sustainable tourism related events annually. RMI funding will also be available on an application basis to allow Fernie and area to be responsive to new opportunities Project description that have the potential to build our resort economy. It is anticipated that RMI funding provided through this project will be leveraged by the recipient to take advantage of emerging opportunities. RMI funds may also be allocated to invest in festival and event infrastructure if deemed beneficial in achieving project goals.
Applications for events will be evaluated by the Advisory Working Group who will bring recommendations forward to Council for their consideration of approval. This project will support tourism related initiatives and objectives identified in the Project rationale 2010 Cultural and Heritage Tourism Strategy and will allow for existing events to be further developed and new event/festival opportunities to be implemented. Anticipated Start Date 2015 Milestones Completion Date Ongoing Operational Date Ongoing RDS Goal 1 : Increase capacity and number of successful events and festivals in Fernie Project Goal: Acquire event infrastructure along with developing appropriate Goal(s) – Identify both programming to help events and programs grow and succeed the RDS goal(s) the RDS Goal 2: Increase commercial accommodation overnight stays and revenue. project supports and Project Goal: Allocate event infrastructure and programming to wards events the project goal(s) occurring in the ‘shoulder seasons’. RDS Goal 3: Increase number of events and festivals Project Goal: Implement the Cultural and Heritage Tourism Strategy that is designed to guide investments in arts, culture and heritage. Attracting tourists to Fernie through improved cultural, heritage and art Additional Benefits opportunities will have numerous co-benefits including more hotel-nights, money spent at restaurants and retail stores, and other local attractions. Performance • Number of events and festivals evaluation and • Event and festival attendance monitoring • Incremental accommodation occupancy in non-peak seasons technique(s) that will • # of new visitors drawn by event be used to evaluate • Visitor surveys outcomes RMI Funding $314 ,802 Funding sources Municipal Funding
Other: (identify) To be determined Cost of project $314 ,802 Project Manager City of Fernie Operating Organization City of Fernie, Arts Council, Museum, Library , Chamber responsibilities Financing City of Fernie, community parthers
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Project Title Fernie Ambassador Program Th is program delivers regional information and offers training intended to build capacity within our local service industry while also encouraging civic responsibility, volunteerism and community engagement. Training offered will provide service and leadership skills to employees, residents and business owners to benefit the service industry and the local economy.
Education will include indoor and outdoor components and insight into local Project description Fernie knowledge as well as customer service skills. The course will promote local history, cross cultural understanding, business and activities introductions, good host etiquette and civic information.
Program participants will receive discounts or specials from local businesses to encourage patronage of those establishments thereby further enhancing knowledge of and familiarity with the community. Service industry training will create a welcoming environment for visitors by having Project rationale a knowledgeable workforce engaged in the local community and will encourage job seekers to choose Fernie. Anticipated Start Date Fall 201 5 Milestones Completion Date Ongoing Operational Date Ongoing RDS Goal 1: Increase commercial accommodation overnights stays and revenue. Project Goal: Increase community development through strengthening local Goal(s) – Identify both knowledge and sharing information with visitors. the RDS goal(s) the RDS Goal 2: Increase the local tourism economy. project supports and Project Goal: Increase volunteerism and make Fernie a destination of choice for the project goal(s) job seekers. RDS Goal 3: Improve visitor infrastructure and services. Project Goal: Consistent messaging to visitors. Development of a knowledgeable and engaged service industry workforce Additional Benefits resulting in reduced training costs for employers and reduced employee turnover. • Participant satisfaction survey by the Chamber of Commerce • Business satisfaction survey by the Chamber of Commerce Performance evaluation • Statistical data on program participants and volunteers and monitoring technique(s) that will be used to evaluate outcomes
RMI Funding $95, 000 Funding sources Municipal Funding Other: (identify) Cost of project $95, 000 Project Manager Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce Operating Organization s Chamber of Commerce, College of the Rockies responsibilities Financing City of Fernie, Chamber, event participants
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Project Title Summer & Winter Trail and Trail Amenity Development In partnership with the Fernie Trails Alliance , Fernie Nordic Society and snowmobile organizations(s) this project involves development of the summer and winter trail networks through a cost sharing approach in consultation with Project description the Trails Master Plan and Signage Strategy including winter grooming, expanded trail signage and other trail amenities to allow for sustained and enhanced hosting of world-class events. Trail development on private land will only be funded where formal long-term land use agreements are in place. In addition to their utilization by recreational users Fernie’s trail s also play host to a number of world class events that draw hundreds of competitors Project rationale from all over the globe. Proper maintenance and the continued improvement and development of Fernie’s trail network are fundamental to attracting new users and for ensuring the trails remain safe and enjoyable for all patrons. Anticipated Start Date 201 5 Milestones Completion Date Ongoing Operational Date Ongoing RDS Goal 1: Expand recreational opport unities and accessibility for a wider demographic. Project Goal: Increased visitor and resident user numbers and satisfaction. Goal(s) – Identify both the RDS Goal 2 : Increase local tourism economy . RDS goal(s) the project Project Goal: Increase visitor traffic by g row ing Fernie’s reputation as a trail recreation destination through the continual enhancement of the trail supports and the project network. goal(s) RDS Goal 3: Increase commercial accommodation, overnight stays and revenue. Project Goal: Attract new multi -day events leading to increased participant, support team and spectator numbers. Economic growth and development, enhanced visitor experience, improved Additional Benefits health outcomes. • Number of club memberships Performance evaluation and • Number of special events monitoring technique(s) that • Attendance at special events will be used to evaluate • Media exposure outcomes • User satisfaction surveys • Facility infrastructure investments RMI Funding $274 ,600 Funding sources Municipal Funding Other: Fernie Trails Alliance , CBT, BikeBC To be determined Cost of project $274 ,600 Project Manager CAO / Director of Leisure Services Organization Fernie Trails Alliance , Fernie Nordic Society, Snowmobile Clubs Operating responsibilities Financing User and membership fees, corporate donations, grant funding, special event revenues.
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Project Title Community Trail Paving In partnership with the City of Fernie and with potential supplement al funding from provincial or federal grant programs and municipal Development Cost Charge Project description reserves, this project will consist of paving portions of Fernie’s Loop Trails resulting in over 5 km of continuous paved trail. Forming part of the Trans Canada Trail , much of the Fernie Main Loop Trail follow s the eastern shore of the Elk River as it passes through the Annex and James White Project rationale Parks. This well used trail provides a scenic bypass of the busy highway district and offers access to picnic areas and many of the community trail spurs but is currently gravel surfaced which limits its use. Anticipated Start Date Summer 201 6 Milestones Completion Date Summer 2016 Operational Date Upon Completion RDS Goal 1: Expand recreational opportunities for a wider demographic Goal(s) – Identify both Project Goal: Meet visitor and resident need s, expand trail uses to include asphalt the RDS goal(s) the training for Nordic skiers, rollerblading and skateboarding RDS Goal 2 : Improve recreational infrastructure and services project supports and Project Goal: Develop infrastructure to support expanded summer trails usage the project goal(s) RDS Goal 3: Increase local tourism economy Project Goal: Increase visitor traffic Improved trail offering, provide a barrier free multi -use trail suitable for all users Additional Benefits including those with mobility challenges. Improved community well-being and sustainability. Performance • Increase in tourism evaluation and • Trail use by recreation type monitoring • Number of additional out of town trail users technique(s) that will • User satisfaction surveys be used to evaluate outcomes RMI Funding $365,000 Funding sources Municipal Funding (possibly from DCCs) To be determined Other: ( provincial & federal grants ) To be determined Cost of project $365 ,000 Project Manager Director of Operations, Director of Leisure Services Organization City of Fernie Operating Financing City of Fernie, Development Cost Charges, other levels of govt responsibilities through accessibility grants
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Project Title Sport Fishing Boat Launch Reconstruction of the Dogwood Park boat launch was completed with RMI funds in 2013 as was identified in the 2012-2016 Resort Development Strategy. The 2015- Project description 2017 Resort Development Strategy project will further improve the usability of the boat launch area with further landscaping and parking area enhancements. Fly fishing is one of Fernie’s signature summer recreation experience s. Fly fishing is a growing part of the community’s tourism economy, and the visitors that come to Fernie to fish contribute to the greater community through dollars spent on Project rationale accommodations, food, retail and recreation/entertainment. Access to the Elk River is via a series of boat launches both within and outside the City boundaries. The overall condition of boat launches/take out points is poor and requires improvement to meet visitor expectations. Anticipated Start Date Summer 201 6 Milestones Completion Date Summer 2016 Operational Date Upon completion RDS Goal 1: Improve recreational infrastructure and services Project Goal: Improve Dogwood Park boat launch Goal(s) – Identify both RDS Goal 2: Increase local tourism economy the RDS goal(s) the Project Goal: Attract more users to Dogwood Park boat launch with improved project supports and amenities. RDS Goal 3: Expand recreational opportunities and accessibility for a wider the project goal(s) demographic Project Goal: Provide facilities along Dogwood Park to enhance experience of trail and river users. Improved boat launch/take out areas will reduce the tendency for river users to use unsanctioned boat takeouts, where damage to riparian areas can be Additional Benefits significant. Encouraging focused access points by providing quality facilities will ensure protection for riparian areas. Performance • Improvement of riparian area evaluation and • Improved signage/awareness of boat launch areas monitoring • User satisfaction (surveys) technique(s) that will be used to evaluate outcomes RMI Funding $1 5,000 Funding sources Municipal Funding Other: (identify) Cost of project $1 5,000 Project Manager CAO/Director of Operational Services Operating Organization City of Fernie responsibilities Financing City of Fernie
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Project Title Event Square Development and Downtown Beautification This project will include downtown beautification initiatives and see development of Station Square, located adjacent to the Arts Station in Fernie’s historic downtown, as a designated festival and event hub with the construction of public Project description washrooms and the installation of other amenities to be determined through a detailed design process which will be funded from municipal reserves in partnership with the City. With the outdoor patios and annual events such as the Summer Socials, Griz Days and the Role & Sole Trail Fest, Fernie’s historic downtown has become a vibrant hub of activity for visitors and residents alike. Events often require ad hoc setup Project rationale such as the placement of temporary washroom facilities and barricades in Station Square as there is currently no “festival ready” site available in the downtown core. Anticipated Start Date Spring 201 6 Milestones Completion Date Fall 201 7 Operational Date Upon completion RDS Goal 1: Increase visitor traffic in Fernie’s historic downtown. Project Goal: Enhance event facilities and undertake beautification initiatives to Goal(s) – Identify both make downtown more inviting. the RDS goal(s) the RDS Goal 2: Increase number of events and festivals. Project Goal: Develop a dedicated event hub in Station Square to make it easier to project supports and host events. the project goal(s) RDS Goal 3: Improve visitor infrastructure and services. Project Goal: Install permanent event amenities to eliminate “ad hoc” set up for downtown events. The installation of permanent event infrastructure and the establishment of a designated festival and event site will reduce reliance on City crews for setup and Additional Benefits takedown and will eliminate the need for temporary road closures for some events. Performance • Number of events and festivals evaluation and • Event and festival attendance monitoring • Incremental accommodation occupancy in non-peak seasons technique(s) that will • # of new visitors drawn by event be used to evaluate • Visitor surveys outcomes Funding sources RMI Funding $392,500 Municipal Funding (D/T design plan) $20,000 Other: To be determined Cost of project $412,500 Project Manager CAO, Director of Operations, Director of Leisure Services Operating Organization City of Fernie responsibilities Financing City of Fernie, event organizers
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Project Title Tourism Signage The development of a Comprehensive Signage Strategy has been completed. This project will involve implementation of the Signage Strategy to provide consistent, coherent identification of tourism amenities, parks and facilities, businesses and Project description activities. In consultation with the Advisory Working Group and Council, the focus for implementation over the term of the 3-year RDS will be on entry monument signs, interpretive signage and information kiosks. Signage has long been an identified need to advertise, promote and enhance the visitor experience in Fernie. Moving people effectively throughout the community enhances the visitor experience and helps maximize existing tourism investments Project rationale by both the private and public sector. Existing signage creates some negative visual effects, is confusing, compromises visitor satisfaction and diminishes community pride. Anticipated Start Date 201 5 Milestones Completion Date 2016 Operational Date As installed RDS Goal 1: Increase visitor traffic in Fernie’s historic downtown Project Goal: Encourage visitors into Downtown Fernie with appropriate banners Goal(s) – Identify both and signage along Highway 3 the RDS goal(s) the RDS Goal 2: Improve recreational infrastructure and services project supports and Project Goal: Install consistently branded directional and interpretive trail signage the project goal(s) RDS Goal 3 : Increase local tourism economy Project Goal: Establish signage that supports local businesses, attractions and activities The Signage Strategy places great emphasis on the importance of instilling a sense of place through locally relevant signage. Interpretive signage weave in the Additional Benefits important cultural, environmental and economic values of the community. The history of Fernie can be told throughout the community, providing an educational opportunity for visitors, and a method of preserving history for locals. Performance • % of annual signage strategy implemented evaluation and • Visitor numbers at downtown Museum and Visitor Information Centre monitoring • Feedback from surveys, where appropriate technique(s) that will be used to evaluate outcomes RMI Funding $236,068 Funding sources Municipal Funding Other: (identify) Cost of project $236 ,068 Project Manager CAO/Director of Operational Services Operating Organization City of Fernie responsibilities Financing City of Fernie
City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: 28
Project Title Visitor and Business Information Centre In partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and with supplemental funding committed by Columbia Basin Trust and the Federal Enabling Accessibility Fund, this project involves renovation of the building and grounds that serve as the Fernie Chamber of Commerce and Highway Visitor Information Centre. Project description
The project consists of four components: landscaping improvements; reconfiguration of the interior spaces including enhancements to the Nature Centre; renovation of the washrooms to make the accessible; and signage improvements. The Chamber of Commerce building is located on Highway 3 and is the ‘front door’ to our community for visitors entering town from the East. In addition to serving the business community as the Chamber of Commerce this facility also acts as a busy (12,000 + visitors per year) highway Visitor Information Centre which includes the Fernie Nature Centre that offers interpretive and educational displays and information on the regions Project rationale natural history, geology, flora, fauna and wildlife.
Common perception is that the current condition of this building is a poor representation of our community and is less than inviting for travelers entering town. It is felt that aesthetic and functional improvements to this facility and the adjacent grounds would significantly and directly impact visitor traffic to the area. Anticipated Start Date Fall 2015 Milestones Completion Date Fall 2016 Operational Date Upon completion RDS Goal 1: Improve visitor infrastructure and services Project Goal: Establish positive perceptions for ‘rubber tire traffic’ entering the community, improved parking and access, enhanced visitor information, services and attractions and appropriate signage Goal(s) – Identify both the RDS RDS Goal 2: Increase visitor traffic in Fernie’s historic downtown goal(s) the project supports and Project Goal: Improve aesthetics to encourage more visits to the the project goal(s) information centre where highway traffic can be directed to our unique and historic downtown shopping district RDS Goal 3: Increase local tourism economy Project Goal: Support local accommodators and merchants by directing increased visitor traffic to local businesses Enhancements to the Fernie Nature Centre will h ighlight the unique cultural, historical and natural features of Fernie to develop a sense of place for not only visitors to the community, but for local residents as well. Additional Benefits Providing educational opportunities about the natural environment will foster a sense of responsibility among visitors. A comprehensive Interpretive Centre will provide an all-weather attraction and promote
City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: 29
Fernie as a community with a rich and diverse history, and a promising and sustainable future. Performance evaluation and Number of Visitors • monitoring technique(s) that # of visitors will be tracked at the Interpretive Centre Visitor Feedback will be used to evaluate • Opportunity will be provided for visitor feedback through the outcomes provision of short surveys Funding sources RMI Funding $193,284 Municipal Funding Other: CBT , Enabling Accessibility $10 0,000 Fund Cost of project $293,284 Project Manager City of Fernie , Chamber of Commerce Operating responsibilities Organization Chamber of Commerce Financing City of Fernie, Chamber of Commerce
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Project Title Winter Shuttle Service In partnership with Tourism Fernie, t his project will provide a winter day and Project description evening shuttle service between the City of Fernie and Fernie Alpine Resort. Since 2010 the City has provided RMI funding for the operation of an evening shuttle service between the City of Fernie and Fernie Alpine Resort during the ski season moving residents and visitors between the two for recreation, entertainment and employment. An unrelated daytime shuttle service was also being offered by a private operator who in 2012 discontinued that service. The Project rationale Shuttle Service has been a significant asset to the overall visitor experience, however it has always been a challenge to fund and it has been inconsistent and in constant danger of being discontinued. Core funding for the provision of a consistent, well-advertised and secure day and evening shuttle service is required as more and more visitors to resort regions have come to rely on this service. Anticipated Start Date December 201 5 Milestones Completion Date April 201 8 Operational Date Every winter season 201 5-201 8 RDS Goal 1: Increase visitor traffic in Fernie’s historic downtown Project Goal: Implement a shuttle service that provides convenient transportation between the town of Fernie and Fernie Alpine Resort Goal(s) – Identify both RDS Goal 2: Increase local tourism economy the RDS goal(s) the Project Goal: Implement a shuttle service that provides convenient transportation project supports and between the town of Fernie and Fernie Alpine Resort the project goal(s) RDS Goal 3: Improve recreational infrastructure and services Project Goal: Provide infrastructure that encourages visitors to access downtown businesses and retailers The City of Fernie supports Provincial targets for emission reductions, and the provision of a shuttle services contributes to reduced vehicle use. The town-Resort Additional Benefits shuttle provides convenient access to tourism amenities, food and beverage, retail and entertainment opportunities encouraging growth in visitor expenditure. Performance • Rate of ridership: staff vs visitors evaluation and • # of visitors to downtown Fernie (Visitor Information Centre) monitoring • Ridership satisfaction (surveys) technique(s) that will be used to evaluate outcomes RMI Funding $120 ,000 Municipal Funding Funding sources Other : rider fares, Fernie Alpine R esort To be determined and tourism stakeholder contributions Cost of project $120 ,000 Project Manager Tourism Fernie Operating Organization Tourism F ernie, shuttle o perator responsibilities Financing City of Fernie, Resort, Chamber, Tourism Fernie
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Appendix A: 2012 Stakeholder Engagement Summary Document
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City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: 32
Appendix B: 2015 Stakeholder Engagement Summary Document
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City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: 33
Appendix C: Terms of Reference for RDS Committee
Fernie and Area Resort Development Strategy Advisory Working Group (the AWG)
A. Purpose
The City of Fernie anticipates the receipt of annual funding from the Province of BC under the Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) program. RMI funding from the Province is contingent upon its approval of a three-year (2015-2017) resort development strategy (RDS) developed in compliance with Provincial guidelines and requirements.
The RMI program requires annual reporting to the Province and tourism industry stakeholders, including qualitative and quantitative measures and details on RMI expenditures and outcomes in comparison to identified RDS goals and objectives, and general information on the state of the tourism economy and outlook. The AWG will assist with the preparation of annual reports including collection of the data needed to measure and monitor the relative success of completed projects in achieving RDS goals. The AWG will also monitor the tourism economy and communicate with and engage tourism industry stakeholders to promote understanding, awareness, participation and support for the RDS.
With respect to the 2016-2017 RDS projects, programs and services, the AWG will be operational partners with the City of Fernie, gathering information and providing expertise to advance implementation of the RDS and potentially leading or facilitating specific projects in collaboration with the City. On an ongoing basis, the AWG will promote awareness of the funding opportunities available under the Festival and Event Development program area and assess applications for funding to ensure that proposals are relevant, timely and support RDS goals and objectives. Based on their assessment of the applications the AWG will make recommendations to Council for their consideration of approval. The AWG will also provide recommendations to Council on the distribution of unallocated RMI funds that may result from RDS projects coming in under budget or annual RMI funding being higher than anticipated.
The use of RMI funding is subject to the approval of Council and/or the City’s Purchasing Policy and other applicable federal, provincial and local legislation, regulations and policies.
B. Advisory Working Group composition
The AWG will consist of twelve members representing the following organizations and agencies: • Accommodation provider (1) • Community at large (1) • Fernie Alpine Resort (1) • Fernie Chamber of Commerce (1) • Fernie and District Arts Council (1) • Fernie Trails Alliance (1) • Leisure Services Advisory Board (1) • Regional District of East Kootenay (1) • Tourism Fernie (1) • City of Fernie Council (1) • City of Fernie staff (2)
City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: 34
The City of Fernie will send written notice to the applicable AWG organizations and agencies requesting them to nominate one of their members to the AWG for a two-year term to the end of 2017. If the Province extends the RMI program beyond 2017 the City will again solicit nominations to the AWG to allow an opportunity for other members of the applicable organizations to participate in the AWG. In the event of a vacancy occurring during a members’ term the City will request the applicable organization or agency to nominate a replacement. A failure by a member organization or agency to nominate a member to the AWG or a vacancy or vacancies shall not invalidate or render non-functioning the AWG provided it consists of at least 5 members.
While not a council committee, the AWG will strive to adhere to the committee meeting guidelines set out in the Council Procedure Bylaw.
City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: Stakeholder Engagement Summary
A compilation of the feedback and input from Fernie stakeholder meetings
3/8/2012
City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: Stakeholder Engagement 1
Table of Contents Background ...... 2 Participants ...... 2 Stakeholder Feedback ...... 3 Vision ...... 3 Vision Feedback ...... 3 Vision Summary ...... 4 Recommendation ...... 4 Goals ...... 4 Goals Feedback ...... 5 Goals Summary ...... 5 Goal Recommendations ...... 6 SWOT Analysis...... 6 SWOT Analysis Feedback ...... 7 SWOT Analysis Recommendation ...... 8 Project and Budget Review ...... 8 Project Recommendations ...... 12 Alternate Funding Model ...... 12 Management and Implementation ...... 12 Management and Implementation Recommendation ...... 13 Conclusion ...... 13
City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: Stakeholder Engagement 2
Background
As part of the requirements of the Resort Municipality Initiatives (RMI) agreement, recipient municipalities are required to submit a 5-year Resort Development Strategy (RDS), indicating how the municipality intends to spend the RMI funding. The City of Fernie adopted a 5-year Strategy in February 2009. The Strategy was developed through several stakeholder engagement sessions, which took place in late 2008. As part of the updated 2012-2016 RDS, stakeholders were asked to attend a session to provide input and feedback on several components of the plan.
Stakeholder engagement sessions took place on February 28th and March 1st at College of the Rockies in Fernie. Sessions were coordinated facilitated by Megan Lohmann, with support in facilitation from Jeff Zukiwsky. During these sessions, participants were asked to: provide feedback on the Vision and Goals; review the original SWOT Analysis; review the proposed budget and project list, and provide input on implementation of the plan. This document compiles the feedback from those sessions, which will be integrated into the draft RDS.
First Nations consultation is also required as part of the RMI agreement. Input has been requested from the Ktunaxa First Nation, specifically the Director of the Ktunaxa Traditional Knowledge and Language sector. As of the writing of this document, there has been no response to the requests for consultation. The City of Fernie will continue to engage the Ktunaxa Nation, and will accept input and feedback on the Strategy at any point in the process.
Participants
Over the 2 sessions, a total of 33 individuals attended, representing a wide range of tourism related businesses, organizations and services. In addition, a presentation was made to Council, providing an overview of the proposed budgets and projects for the 2012-2016 Update. The following organizations were represented at the engagement sessions:
Fernie Lodging Company Chamber of Commerce Fernie Golf and Country Club IGS Group of Companies Fernie Nordic Society Fernie Properties Regional District of East Kootenay Island Lake Lodge Fernie and District Historical Society Fernie Alpine Resort Fernie Central Reservations Arts Station - Fernie Arts Council Tourism Fernie CP Catering Fernie Trails Alliance Shuttle Service Best Western Fernie Elk River Guides Ghostrider Trading Company Project Gateway City of Fernie Council Fernie Snowmobile Association Parastone Fernie Heritage Library
City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: Stakeholder Engagement 3
Stakeholder Feedback
The following sections summarize the feedback gathered from the two stakeholder engagement sessions. There was a wide range of opinions and perspectives, all of which are reflected in this document. Based on the feedback compiled in this document, a number of recommended changes and amendments will be provided to the City for consideration.
Vision
Participants in the stakeholder engagements were asked to review the 2009 Vision, and to provide feedback on a revised draft version of a 2012 Vision. The 2012 Vision was drafted to reflect the local values of the community, and was based on the ‘Provincial Guidelines’ for the RDS.
From the Guidelines: The resort municipality should identify a long-term vision for the development of the resort community. A vision is focused on the future, and is something to be pursued. Example: “Idylica will be an all-season resort destination of choice for visitors and residents, specializing in world-class alpine skiing and recreation facilities with a local historic and cultural focus, nestled in pristine forest terrain and amongst rugged mountain ranges.”
The 2009 RDS Vision was as follows: Provide visitor services and infrastructure that enhance the visitor experience to encourage visitors to stay longer, spend more and return and recommend Fernie again and again.
The proposed 2012 Vision was recommended as: Provide enhanced services and infrastructure that offer the best Fernie experience to visitors and residents alike, and are reflective of the cultural, recreational, environmental and economic values of the community.
Vision Feedback
- Like the focus on cultural, recreational, environmental and economic - Inclusion of benefits to residents is good, but need to ensure it doesn’t restrict ability to develop projects that don’t benefit residents - The ‘best experience’ seems vague/subjective - 2012 update lacks an economic focus, and focus on repeat visitors - Vision is too long - Revision does not represent the intention of the funding - Appreciate that the vision update reflects the need to increase tourism, and support resident experience - Needs to acknowledged Fernie as a ‘world class’ destination - Vision need to emphasize the desire to “attract” visitors to Fernie, and to return to Fernie - Why is Fernie unique? This needs to be identified in the Vision - Vision should be about growing tourism; less focus on residents City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: Stakeholder Engagement 4
Vision Summary
Overall, stakeholders were supportive of the revised Vision. There was concern around a few key components: - It deviates from the focus of bringing new and returning tourists into the community - It lacks in the description of Fernie as a community with world class attractions (i.e. ski and bike terrain) - The experience of coming to Fernie should be enhanced through improved services and infrastructure
In general, stakeholders appreciated the inclusion of the cultural, recreational, environmental and economic values in the statement.
Acknowledging that vision statement development can take hours (if not days), and that much less time was given for this process, the input from the sessions and the key concerns listed above were used to create a revised Vision statement. It should be noted that all components of this Strategy may be revised and updated over the next 5 years. If priorities change, for example, perhaps the Vision will be changed to reflect new community priorities.
Recommendation
Recommended revised vision statement, based on input, key concerns and the Provincial Guide for RDS Vision statement development:
Fernie is a world class destination that draws new and returning visitors, that encourages visitors to stay longer and spend more, and that provides tourism services and infrastructure which reflect the cultural, recreational, environmental and economic values of the community.
Goals
The 2009 Goals were refined slightly prior to the stakeholder engagement by eliminating those that were clearly actions, and cutting down the length of the statements. Participants were asked to review the 2009 Goals and reflect on the following questions:
Do the goals reflect the Vision? Any glaring omissions? Keep in mind that goals should be measurable: are there ways that you can see improving the ability to quantify the goals?
From the Guidelines: Goals must be identified in the strategy, as they are critical in achieving a vision. Goals should be specific, measurable and realistic. Some examples of realistic and specific goals that could be used in an RDS include: • Increase visitor traffic by x; • Increase summer visitor traffic by x; • Increase visitor traffic from x market by x.
City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: Stakeholder Engagement 5
Goals Feedback - Should be more focused, perhaps 4 goals for each of the ‘vision’ references – culture, recreation, environment, economy? - Currently two goals focus on trails and 2 goals focus on river; both should be condensed into one goal. - Golf course goal is too specific - Goals should be broader – focus on ‘increased outdoor recreation activities’ in general, rather than specific activities - Specific reference to ‘shoulder season’ not necessary – shoulder season means different things to different people - Trail network goal should mentioned focus on less mobile/older demographic. - Metrics have been identified by Tourism Fernie and Forever Fernie; these should be assessed for potential use to measure goals - Status quo goals – needs to be goals for the future - Goals should reflect Provincial goals and objectives - If you can’t quantify them they shouldn’t be on the list - Currently a list of actions - General concern around measurability/performance of goals o Do we have key performance indicators? o Difficult to comment on effectiveness of goals without indicators of how goals have changed over time. E.g. has there been an increase in trail use? Visits? Events? o Need budget allocation (or committee) to measure goals and provide indicators at next stakeholder engagement o Need baseline information to track each goal - Goals seem ‘conversational’ and ‘loose’ - Could acquire qualitative assessment of goals through a visitor survey - Take advantage of the highway to get people downtown – goal to get more ‘rubber tire’ traffic into the downtown and spending time and money in local businesses o Measure by business increase annually – how many more visitors coming from the highway o What is the business increase for downtown retailers o Visitor information centre downtown – could provide more details around WHY people are coming downtown? o Chamber could engage with the businesses downtown to gauge the increase in visitors o Tourism Fernie is doing some extensive surveying
Goals Summary There was general agreement that the goals from 2009 were too specific, and that a more concise set of measurable goals would be appropriate. Further, some metrics for measuring and monitoring goals were suggested and included visitor surveys, compilation of visitor statistics from the visitor centres. It was clear that there was a desire to have a set of very succinct goals that are not project-specific and that could be easily tracked and measured in the future.
City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: Stakeholder Engagement 6
The recommended goals have been developed based on the feedback from the stakeholders as well as the guidelines provided by the Province.
Goal Recommendations
Moving forward, specific targets should be developed associated with each goal. This is something that can be refined within the first year of the Strategy, with reflection on realistic targets for tourism growth. Further, performance indicators could be developed, drawing on the work that has been done through other processes such as Forever Fernie.
The recommended Goals for the 2012-2016 RDS Strategy are significantly different from the 2009 RDS, but reflect the desire of stakeholders to see a much shorter and concise list, and also conform to the guidelines provided by the Province for the RDS strategy. Project-specific goals can be included in the project descriptions. **Note: these goals are also being reviewed by the Province to ensure they are specific enough for the plan.
1. Increase visitor traffic in Fernie’s historic downtown; 2. Increase commercial accommodation occupancy rate; 3. Increase number of events and festivals; 4. Increase local tourism economy; 5. Increase private investment; 6. Expand recreational opportunities for a wider demographic; 7. Increase visitor traffic from the business and professional sectors; 8. Improve accessibility to recreational opportunities.
As mentioned, there are processes currently in place through Tourism Fernie, the Chamber of Commerce and the downtown Museum and Visitor Information Centre that collect and compile visitor statistics. Further, Tourism Fernie is engaging visitors in online surveys (on-the-ground with iPads). There is great opportunity to set targets for each goal, and have the ability to measure and monitor progress. This should be considered as the Strategy moves forward.
SWOT Analysis In the context of the RDS, the SWOT Analysis assesses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Fernie as a tourism destination. A SWOT analysis was conducted in 2008 with the original stakeholder group. It is useful to update a SWOT analysis to reflect changes in the local and regional economy, the impacts of regional and international competition and the priorities of tourists. A SWOT analysis can be used to assess the success of projects in the community, whether the projects when implemented take advantage of an opportunity, or address a particular threat. The 2012 stakeholder sessions were asked to review the 2008 SWOT analysis and to update it to reflect Fernie’s present situation.
From the Guide: • What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges confronting the resort municipality in developing the resort economy and community?
City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: Stakeholder Engagement 7
SWOT Analysis Feedback
Each stakeholder group were asked to provide updated strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that reflect the current situation in Fernie. The following section summarizes all of the input from the sessions.
Strengths: - Add – mountain biking, world class events, variety/diversity of events - Add – specialty shops – artisans, cheese, chocolate, etc. - Add – Localization? - Add – people in Fernie – diversity of skills, volunteers, etc. - Good family community – focus on family (attract second home owners/ long stay tourists) - Skiing/winter activities (not just ‘snow’) - Moderate winter climate - International event destination - Ski facilities (ski hill, ILL and FWA are world class) - Terrain, and the natural surroundings - Diversity in the supply of accommodations - Strong local economic base, therefore less resentment towards higher income tourists - Property tax revenue - Historical downtown core - Existence of Tourism Fernie
Weaknesses: - Add- Accessibility – beginner/intermediate trails, trails for families, signage connectivity, coordination of trail system/planning - Add- soft tourism experiences (bird watching) - Remove – competition? Why on list? Competition is healthy. - Add- lack of coordination of events/activities - Add- Community centre – place for indoor activities – squash, etc. - Conference centre - Trails – demographic weakness – don’t have trails that cater to older demographic (hard surface, multi-use – includes electric bikes/scooters/golf carts). Trail to ski hill should be ‘multi-use - Nordic skiing ops. - General opportunities for older demographic - Landuse agreements for recreational trails - Connectivity of trails - Shortage of rental accommodation and challenge of seasonal renters - Tourism signage - RV Park or camping (full-hook up) - Internet service, including the fibre network and access to WIFI - Event support and high-level coordination
Opportunities - Convention Centre – HIGH SUPPORT from group on this one - Signage – transportation – getting to/from Fernie (from Calgary/Cranbrook), getting around Fernie - VIC/Grizzly Centre – centre for research/ family City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: Stakeholder Engagement 8
- Indoor sports facility – racquetball, etc. - Focus on attracting ‘knowledge-based economy’ – software/engineering firms, large firm headquarters, etc. - Whitewater play facility - Adventure races/events - Lack of an all-weather facility - Economic development officer
Threats: - Remove – competition. Why on list? Competition is healthy. - Coal-bed methane – change to ‘industrial development’. Could also be seen as an opportunities for economic generation/increased investment for tourism benefit (note: Some member of group disagreed that CBM was an opportunity. We should focus on economic development that fits ‘Fernie’ – natural environment, quality of life, recreation) - Increased trail erosion from increase use (events, races, etc.) = increased maintenance costs, - Affordability for tourists – from CDN$ exchange rate - Competition with other destination types (i.e. beach vacations) - Transportation – lack of and inconvenience of - Available workforce – where are employees (full-time and reliable) going to come from? - Challenges of immigrant workforce (getting employees here, managing the ‘red tape’)
SWOT Analysis Recommendation
All input from the SWOT Analysis update will be included in the 2012-2016 Resort Development Strategy. The SWOT Analysis should be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure it reflects the current situation in Fernie. Further, the weaknesses and opportunities can be reviewed against the projects to assess whether the projects are addressing the areas that need support.
Project and Budget Review Each breakout group took a different approach to the discussion of proposed projects and budget allocations, often as a result of the interests and expertise of those sitting at the table. For many, the proposed project areas seemed appropriate – there was much discussion and feedback about how those project areas could be refined. Discussion around the management and implementation of the projects was an important component to the stakeholder sessions, and is expanded upon in a separate section.
Participants were asked: What are the priority projects? Do we address newly identified weaknesses and opportunities? Any gaps in the Project descriptions or opportunities that should be integrated? o Can these gaps or opportunities be addressed in the Tourism Incentive Funding?
This section summarizes the project-specific feedback gathered through the sessions. The following section summarizes the feedback on high-level management and implementation. City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: Stakeholder Engagement 9
Project and Budget Feedback While there was general support for the projects as they are proposed, there was concern about the allocation of funding being too thin; that funding has been allocated to many smaller projects that enhance community living for both tourists and residents and that we may be missing opportunities to allocate funding to larger projects that draw new and repeat tourists to the area.
Accountability was a major concern among many stakeholders: How do we ensure that the funding allocations are being spent appropriately, and further, how do we ensure that the money spent is resulting in a tangible increase in visitors to Fernie? There were also questions around setting budgets for a 5-year timeframe when the tourism industry is so dynamic: How do we know that the priorities and projects identified today will be relevant and the best use of funding in the next 5 years?
The question of project review was raised during most discussions. Stakeholders asked about the review process; How are projects selected and is there a process of review to determine whether funding should continue to be distributed to a specific project, or be reallocated? The last section of this document deals with a suggested change in the approach of budgeting and project identification.
A gap that was identified in most of the discussions was that of comprehensive data gathering for local and regional tourism trends. There are multiple organizations collecting data on visitors – how they booked their stay in Fernie, where they did their research, how much was pre-planned, etc. There was concern around how effectively that data was being used, and whether there could be a more coordinated effort made to ensure that the City and tourism organizations understand why people are coming to Fernie. This would help to prioritize projects and ensure appropriate spending of funds for improved services and infrastructure.
The following table summarizes the comments from the stakeholders. The comments in the table will be used to improve on the project descriptions, and to make recommendations regarding funding allocations where appropriate.
Project Stakeholder Feedback Paving of trails is good Lack of participant understanding of the geographic boundaries of the funding? E.g. could funds be used for Elk River Canyon Trail? Or Trans Canada Trial to Kananaskis? Trail to Resort is GREAT! There are 2 snowmobile associations in Fernie Trail money for summer maintenance should be administered through Fernie Trails Alliance (FTA) Recommend collaboration b/w FTA and City of Fernie on Trails Master Plan and trail 1. Recreational development – FTA has many initiatives already underway (signage, landuse Trails (Project 1A agreements) and 1B) Centennial trail should be multi-use (electric golf carts/bikes) Discussion of why Centennial Trail has funding allocated when it is years away from approval? Money in the bank is good. Mapping is critical; big issue for snowmobile trails Need interactive maps for recreational trails Concern around promoting trails in Fernie without proper landuse agreements Need better understanding of trail usage: who are the users, how are they managed? Tracking use; occasional surveys, memberships through partner organizations (bike, Nordic, ski touring and FTA) City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: Stakeholder Engagement 10
No funding is allocated for library – library events draw tourists, particularly during seasonal events (Halloween, Christmas) Debate over the purchase of supplies for events by City. Most people in support of purchase, others preferred the City rent supplies. Annual allocation seems high. Why is $90K allocated for coordinator? Arts Station $ seems ‘nebulous’ – what specific projects are being funded? Events coordinator should be used to help pull together partners for events…ensure no overlap, create a ‘Master Plan’, and bring in revenue Change project title to focus on ‘Festivals’ 2. Cultural and Need to ensure there is no ‘double-funding’ and overlap with Arts Station coordinator Heritage Tourism Hiring an event coordinator will deter volunteers from continue to coordinate great Development events; may lose volunteers Festivals Harder to get sponsorship/donations for events with a paid coordinator Suggestion of an events committee – ensure communication between groups of coordinators Comprehensive calendar that oversees all celebrations/events/festivals to prevent ‘double booking’ Take funds allocated for coordinator and give more to actual events to make them bigger and better – money would go further and would result in better events An event toolkit would be useful for event planners (i.e. how to host an event in Fernie) Library provides services to visitors and should be mentioned More $$ for Visitor Information Centre to have longer hours and ‘touch screen’ visuals High priority project - allocation seems low. Extra money could be used for enhanced visuals/interpretation 3. Downtown Need partnership/collaboration b/w VIC, CofC, Tourism Fernie, and Museum to Museum and collect statistics on visitation in Fernie. These organizations are all collecting statistics, Information but they need to be pulled together so they are useful Centre Need to look at how to better engage the ‘electronic’ based tourist – many tourists now rely on electronic devices for local information Both information centres have seen increased traffic in recent years; how to continue to draw rubber tire traffic off the highway and into downtown Museum/Visitors Centre is working well, and provides a high-quality learning experience for foot traffic downtown Important to have a strategy in place Good to have ‘local trades’ identified Could funds be used to link signage to interpretation via smartphones? 4. Tourism Signage Need to enhance landscaping around signs to be more aesthetically pleasing
There needs to be a review of the signage strategy before implementation (i.e. to ensure sizing of letters, font, etc. are appropriate) This is important to get people off the highway; consistent and recognizable signs Question over whether the shuttle serves tourists? Or employees of FAR? Does it meet funding criteria? As a world class resort, we should have a good shuttle service. High priority project - allocation too low – operator is taking loss 5. Shuttle Service Funds used to create ‘managed shuttle service’ (could come from Incentives
Investment Fund?) to ensure effective day/night shuttle More funds should go to operator to cover losses Isolated to ski hill and town, no in-town transportation CBT and Tourism Fernie are conducting a research project to identify options for a City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: Stakeholder Engagement 11
long term transportation strategy Ensure data is collected and used to inform future decisions This is a ‘slush fund’. Process for applying for these funds needs a process, guidelines, and accountability. Who should have access? Who is eligible? How do people find out about it? Needs advisory/steering committee to manage. Should NOT be managed by short-term elected officials (Council). The advisory/steering committee should make 6. Tourism decision and Council should approve. Incentives Funding should go towards a shuttle to Calgary. Investment Fund Important to have unallocated funds for projects Whitewater park Managed shuttle service Collaboration on data collection/ visitor surveys Development of ‘baseline performance Indicators’ and tracking of indicators over time to see how they are changing Project is good. Clearly outlined in documents. $100K seems high…no clarity on exactly what $100K will be spent on? Focus should be on multiple access points not just Dogwood Change title to “Elk River Amenities”. Funds go towards more than just access (bathroom facilities, solar lights, etc.) 7. Elk River Access Dogwood Park is the only ‘decent’ access point; work on improving others so that it is Improvements a better experience for all river users Rafting put in along highway needs infrastructure; also Elk River canyon (rafting companies) Take out behind Stanford needs improvements Current allocation could be reallocated to address weaknesses at all other points of access Lighting at Dogwood takeout is not necessary 8. Golf Course Golf course is a non-profit course that should receive funding under the initiative. This group should convince government to change rules 9. Project Gateway Concept has changed and needs to be updated Accountability of projects is a HUGE concern. How do we ensure that the projects that are funder follow the goals, vision, etc? There must be a committee or some overseeing body of tourism stakeholders, as well as commitment from City staff to work together to ensure accountability/success of projects Stakeholders felt uninformed. No clear sense of where money is going and how it is being spent. 10. Communications Process too short. Need more time to hear from project coordinators and discuss
project updates and plans. Why were annual project updates not sent to participants? This info is needed to assess efficacy of projects. Participants were not clear on the process for approving project funds? Supporting projects? Process seems flawed. Why are project reports not accessible to everyone? What is the ROI on each project? Need to understand that in order to assess.
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Project Recommendations Feedback from the table above will be used to refine project descriptions. All comments will be provided to the City and the ‘committee’ or overseeing body to ensure that as the Strategy continues to be refined, concerns around budget allocations and project descriptions are addressed.
Updated draft Strategy will integrate comments from the engagements and will compile information directly from partnering organizations (i.e. Museum, Arts Station, Project Gateway) to ensure the descriptions more accurately reflect the plans for the next 5 years.
Alternate Funding Model Acknowledging that the tourism industry is dynamic and that a 5-year Strategy should be flexible enough to take advantage of unforeseen opportunities, an alternative funding model was suggested during the stakeholder engagements.
The alternate funding model would see funding allocations for Year 1 remain as proposed.
For Years 2-5, funding would be grouped into 3 main ‘themes’, for example: Outdoor Recreation (including Trails, Elk River, Golf), Culture and Heritage (Museum and Info Centres, Arts Station and Culture and Heritage Strategy) and Tourism Infrastructure (Signage, Project Gateway, Shuttle, Investment Fund). Funding for consistent services (i.e. Museum, Arts Station and Grooming) may continue through to year 5, but will require detailed reports as to the # of visitors served, the increase of visitor traffic/attendance at events, and the plan for use of funds in the upcoming year Funding will be more loosely allocated to the ‘themes’, with specific projects to be determined and approved by the September prior to the funding year Allowing more fluidity in the funding allocation allows for larger proposals to be developed, and an opportunity to leverage more funding Provides more opportunity for a focussed group to review, assess and justify the funding allocation to ensure that the spending addresses the vision and goals of the strategy.
There needs to be a balance struck between investing small amounts of money to maintain or improve existing services that work, and looking at some ‘big picture’ opportunities, such as an ‘all-weather’ facility for visitor use (conference centre, recreational facility, etc.).
This approach to the year 2-5 funding allocation would require significant input from an overseeing body. The following section addresses the need for such a body.
PLEASE NOTE: This approach is being currently reviewed with the Province.
Management and Implementation Perhaps the most important discussion of the sessions was that of the future implementation of the RDS, and the support that is available to ensure the RMI funding is used in the most effective manner, resulting in the achievement of the Goals and Vision of the RDS.
For this discussion, participants were asked to consider the following questions: What partnerships exist, need to be strengthened? How to we monitor, measure and report success? Ideas? City of Fernie Resort Development Strategy: Stakeholder Engagement 13
What mechanisms need to be in place to facilitate on-going engagement and assessment of the RDS?
There was essentially unanimous support for the creation of a ‘Committee’, ‘Board’ or ‘Advisory Group’ which would be formed to serve multiple purposes. These may include (as discussed by all groups in the stakeholder engagement sessions): Ensure timely and consistent reporting Address challenges to implementation Review projects and justify expenditures Ensure the projects that are funded are resulting in real increases in tourism Add a level of accountability to the funding process To review and assess applications to the Tourism Investment Fund Increase stakeholder engagement by offering a method of consistent and regular communication between the City and stakeholder groups
It was suggested by stakeholder engagement participants that representatives from different components of the tourism industry (recreation, accommodation, festivals/events, etc.) be represented, as well as a City staff.
The RDS should follow sound business practices, and have a strong element of accountability for projects that are funded within the City and the community.
Management and Implementation Recommendation
A Committee should be formed as soon as possible (i.e. once the RDS Draft is endorsed by Council and sent for review to the Province). This Committee should begin reviewing the projects to develop an implementation strategy which includes the development of targets, metrics to measure success and a framework for continued stakeholder engagement and communication.
Conclusion
Despite the tight timeframe for stakeholder engagement and feedback, the discussions that took place during the sessions were constructive. There appears to be a renewed desire to see the RMI funds used in the most effective way that results in real visitor increases. Further, there is a commitment from a wide range of tourism industry organizations and businesses to ensure that the RDS moves forward in a manner that follows best business practices.
The stakeholder engagements that took place over February 28th and March 1st were the start of what will be a dynamic and effective 5-year Resort Development Strategy. Participants provided input from a variety of perspectives, but all showed a great passion to see Fernie’s tourism industry develop in a way that results in the town being a year-round world class destination for tourists of all ages. It is the intention moving forward that there will be continued communication with stakeholders and partner organizations. Fernie Resort Development Strategy Stakeholder Engagement Summary 2015
Arling Consulting Ltd - September 9, 2015
Prepared by:
Jacqueline Arling Arling Consulting Ltd P.O. Box 2543, Fernie BC [email protected] Background 3 Stakeholder Engagement Plan 3 Table 1: Engagement Plan 4 The Survey 5 The Focus Group 5 Other Consultation 5 Building on Success 6 Funding Allocation by Theme 6 Table 2: Stakeholder Feedback - Success 7 What Needs Improvement? 7 Table 3: Feedback on Potential Improvements 8 Our Future 9 Table 4: Feedback On Our Future 10 Recommendations 10 Management and Implementation 10 2015-2017 RDS Projects 11 Table 5: Recommendation for Continuation of Projects 12 Potential New Projects 13 Table 6: Potential New Projects 14 Conclusion 14
PAGE 2 OF 14 Background
Through the Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) funding program, the Province of British Columbia assists small, tourism-based municipalities to dedicate financial resources to improve tourism-based infrastructure and amenities. The focus of these funds are to attract more visitors and encourage longer stays without impacting traditional funding sources such as property tax revenue.
Midway through 2009 the City of Fernie began receiving annual funding through the RMI program, and since that time has received over $2 million to invest in tourism initiatives. Through the development of the initial Resort Development Strategy (RDS) and the current 2012-2016 RDS, the City has dedicated the RMI funds to a variety of tourism related projects in three key areas - Outdoor Recreation, Culture & Heritage, and Tourism Infrastructure. Earlier this year the Province announced an extension of the RMI program for one additional year to 2017. As a condition of this extension the Province is requiring that Resort Municipalities develop a new RDS that includes the year 2017. As part of this RDS, further stakeholder engagement was undertaken to solicit feedback on the current projects and provide input into the allocation of funds for future projects. Stakeholder Engagement Plan In 2012, an Advisory Working Group (AWG) was formed to assist in the management and implementation of the RDS. This group represented key stakeholders in the tourism sector. On August 13, a working session was held with the AWG to: reflect on the engagement that was conducted for the 2012-2016 RDS and; receive input into how engagement should be conducted for the RDS Update. The input of the following participants in this working session informed the final engagement plan.
Patty Vadnais, Chamber of Commerce Julie Kelly, Fernie Trails Alliance Jikke Gyorki, Tourism Fernie Joe Warshawsky, City of Fernie Council Liaison Andy Cohen, Fernie Alpine Resort Mary Giuliano, Mayor, City of Fernie Scott Gilmet, IGS Group Jim Hendricks, CAO, City of Fernie
The Stakeholder Engagement Plan was drafted to ensure that tourism sector stakeholders had information and the ability to provide input into the drafting of the RDS update. The goals of this plan were to: • provide an opportunity for stakeholders to be involved in designing the engagement plan; • provide opportunities for all stakeholders to have access to information; • provide engagement opportunities for each stakeholder or stakeholder group in alignment with the degree of impact on them; • consider the information and input of stakeholders in the development of the strategy; and • record the process so that decision makers can be confident the consultation process was adequate.
PAGE 3 OF 14 The table below identifies the stakeholder groups, the level of engagement used, and how each group was engaged. Levels of Engagement1 include: Inform - Provide information about issues that may affect people’s lives Consult - Provide information and receive feedback or comments to learn others views Involve - Involve the stakeholder in developing solutions Collaborate - Involve the stakeholders in developing and implementing solutions Empower - Delegate decision making or to give the final decision making to the stakeholder.
Table 1: Engagement Plan STAKEHOLDER WHO LEVEL OF HOW GROUPS ENGAGEMENT
Accommodation Those providing rooms Involve 1. Survey - through Chamber of Commerce and Providers and/or rental Tourism Fernie membership list management. 2. AWG Representation
Business Owners Support the tourism Consult and 1. Survey - through Chamber of Commerce and and Recreation sector - e.g. Fishing, Involve Tourism Fernie membership list Providers water rafting, mtn 2. AWG Representation biking, restaurants, etc.
Municipal Partners e.g. Library, Arts Station, Consult 1. Survey - through Chamber of Commerce and and Non-profits City Council, Regional Tourism Fernie membership list District of East Kootenay 2. AWG Representation
Sports Associations e.g. Soccer, Baseball, Inform 1. 1 on 1 with Chair, Leisure Services Advisory Judo, Tennis, Figure Board for awareness of funds/projects Skaters, Hockey 2. Fernie Website - ‘Latest News’ section
General Public Residents and Visitors Inform 1. City of Fernie Website - ‘Latest News’ section, along with links to the Annual report, and invitation to provide feedback on projects. 2. 1/1 Dialogue
RDS Advisory Delegates from the Collaborate 1. Working Session - Feedback on Engagement Working Group tourism industry for current RDS, Input into Engagement Plan (AWG) for 2016/2017 RDS Update. 2. Survey - through Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Fernie membership list 3. Focus Group Session 4. Quarterly meetings during implementation
1 modified from the International Association of Public Participation
PAGE 4 OF 14 The Survey
The City of Fernie, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Fernie, conducted a survey of their members. The objective of the survey was to ask tourism sector stakeholders to provide feedback on what drives tourism in Fernie. Stakeholders ranked projects identified in the current 2012–2015 RDS in order of impact on the local tourism economy, as well as provided suggestions for new projects for consideration of inclusion in the 2015-2017 RDS. There were a total of 77 participants in this survey. The results assisted both with the focus group dialogue, as well as data to support Administration in determining how best to invest the RMI funds.
The Focus Group
The focus group was made up of members the AWG, Tourism Fernie, and members of Council. Most of the participants have been involved in the development and implementation of the 2012-2016 RDS. Patty Vadnais* Executive Director, Chamber of Commerce
Todd Fyfe Past President, Chamber of Commerce Mike McPhee* Board Member, Tourism Fernie Andy Cohen* Resorts of the Canadian Rockies Michael Delich* Accommodation Providers > 30 rooms with Rental Management Scott Gilmet* Accommodation Providers > 30 rooms solely owned Julie Kelly* Executive Director Fernie Trail Alliance Erin Teeple* Administrator, Arts Station Joe Warshawsky* Councillor, City of Fernie Jon Levesque Councillor, City of Fernie Mary Giuliano Mayor, City of Fernie Jim Hendricks* Chief Administrative Officer, City of Fernie *delegated member of the Advisory Working Group
This group was provided the survey results, the 2014 RDS annual report, an Estimated RMI Fund Balance, and RDS Expenditure Summary.
Other Consultation
Throughout all of the consultation — survey, focus group, 1 on 1 dialogue and web information, the objective was to create an awareness of the program, and provided an opportunity for stakeholders to give input to Administration on what: projects they felt had a positive impact on tourism; projects that could be improved; and projects Administration should consider for funding in the future.
PAGE 5 OF 14 The following sections are a compilation of feedback drawn from the results of the Stakeholder Engagement Plan implementation. Stakeholders provided diverse perspectives on the success of the current plan and how to implement future RMI funds. The informed stakeholder perspectives and recommendations will guide the City in the drafting and implementation of the 2015-2017 RDS. Building on Success
The City of Fernie and its stakeholders want to build on the success they have achieved to date through the RMI funding. In review of the projects and initiatives undertaken to date, it is important to recognize tourism drivers such as Festivals, Events, Trails, and Fernie Ski Resort. Visitor experience is also a key factor as it increases the length of stay of visitors and makes them want to come back. Therefore, it is critical to look at both aspects when making decisions on future funding projects.
When looking at our future, 83% of respondents felt that Summer Trails (e.g. hiking, biking, walking) was the most important or important factor driving the tourism economy in Fernie.
Funding Allocation by Theme
Grouping funding into three (3) main themes was a key recommendation from the stakeholder engagement in 2012. The intent was to provide flexibility in the allocation of funds to take advantage of unforeseen opportunities in a timely manner. Table 2: Stakeholder Feedback - Success, provides a summary of stakeholder feedback on some of the most successful projects to date.
PAGE 6 OF 14 Table 2: Stakeholder Feedback - Success
THEME FEEDBACK
Outdoor 1. 62% of survey respondents felt Summer Trail Development was the most important Recreation ongoing projects for investment. 2. Lazy Lizard elevated the class of trails in the area. It is the first machine built trail accessible to families, beginner, and intermediate riders. It provides exposure for businesses and is a significant draw to the community. 3. The New Boat Launch was a very successful project. The AWG provided information for ‘Best in Class’ river access for boats, engaged operators, and provided recommendations for development. It spurred private investment and is showcased by BC Environment. Underspend by 50%, the remaining funds could be used for further enhancements in Dogwood Park or to identify and work with our regional neighbours to develop a second boat launch.
Culture & 1. 59% of survey respondents felt that Infrastructure for Festivals (e.g. improvements Heritage to outdoor venues, equipment, signage, etc.) was the most important project to date, with 37% saying Summer Festivals were important. 2. Wed/Sun Socials were a very positive event in the community. Attendance was both local and visitors, drawing an estimated 150-200 per event. These socials enhanced the visitor experience and provided a reason to return. Currently there is no formal metric to measure # of participants. 3. The purchase of the Events Stage meets all 9 goals of the RDS. The AWG supported this project providing research, engagement, and a budget. It requires an increase in usage and perhaps below market rates for rental by non-profits. 4. Dumpster Art Project - a huge success as it engaged the public with artists in the community. 5. Arts Station Concert Series in the Fall draws both locals and visitors.
Tourism 1. 82% of survey respondents thought Festivals & Event Development (e.g. Infrastructure & contributions to non-profit organizations for events such as Role & Sole festival, Initiatives WamBam Dirt Jump Jam, Griz Days, etc) was the most important or important. 2. Role&Sole - very positive feedback. It was tied into the Fernie 3 with both locals and visitor participation. 3. Events & Festivals were very well done though there needs to be a better job of tracking attendance. The success of these events and festivals depends on the ability to demonstrate value through attendance.
What Needs Improvement?
As part of the stakeholder engagement, we asked participants to tell us what could be improved in the future. Table 3 summaries feedback on potential improvements.
PAGE 7 OF 14 Table 3: Feedback on Potential Improvements THEME FEEDBACK
Outdoor 1. Although 36% of respondents thought paving a portion of the Fernie Main Loop was Recreation less important, there was anecdotal evidence that having an accessible, paved trail, would benefit those high percentage of visitors that do not use the more challenging trail system. 2. Boat Launch - Strive to be ‘Best in Class’ with further enhancements in Dogwood Park such as parking redesign, lighting, signage etc. 3. Trail Identification Signage & better parking at popular trails
Culture & 1. The value of the Fernie & District Arts Council - Event Development and the Heritage Downtown Museum exhibits was split amongst respondents. Some thought it was important, some thought it was less important. Comments included the need to take better metric around participation to demonstrate success. 2. Festivals & Event Development was underspent. This was, in part, due to the intent to hire an event coordinator. ‘Best in Class’ would dictate guidelines, rules, or templates, to facilitate the distribution of these funds. 3. The purchase of the Events Stage meets all 9 goals of the RDS. The AWG supported this project providing research, engagement, and a budget. It requires an increase in usage and perhaps below market rates for rental by non-profits. 4. Dumpster Art Project - engaged the public with artists in the community. 5. Arts Station Concert Series in the Fall draws both locals and visitors.
Tourism 1. 50% of survey respondents thought the Winter Shuttle was a less important service. Infrastructure & One comment was the actual operation of the shuttle was failing but that there was Initiatives still value in having one. There is a need to re-evaluate the hours of operation and route pick-up/drop-off to generate higher usage. 2. Signage - the way finding signage in the heritage downtown is a failure. It is difficult to read, too low to the ground and not lit at night. 3. Signage budget - AWG participated in the review of the Comprehensive Signage Strategy (2011) and identified what action items would have the most impact for the tourism sector. The budget is underspent to date with mixed results. 4. Branding - Destination Branding is not cohesive. The City & Tourism Fernie have not adopted a single brand for external visitors. E.g. is the timing of the rebranding for Tourism Fernie, and the design/construction of the way-finding signage. Another example is two inflatable arches, each with a different logo for Fernie. 5. Tourism Incentives Investment Fund - intended to assist small venture capital projects in a timely manner. This fund lacks formal criteria and guidelines for applications. As such it was under-utilize and did not form part of the scope of the AWG. Few organizations had knowledge of the fund or how to apply.
PAGE 8 OF 14 THEME FEEDBACK
Communication 1. This ‘theme’ or category was identified in the 2012-2016 RDS. Allocated funds were never utilized for the purposes of engaging stakeholders in the implementation of the projects, and ensuring that a metric is in place to measure success. However, the Province has indicated that RMI funds cannot be used for this purpose in the 2015-2017 RDS. 2. AWG - The Terms of Reference were not implemented to the full extent. There is a desire for structure in the committee that provides them the opportunity to review projects and justify expenditures. 3. Ensure that projects have identified metric that will demonstrate a direct or indirect increase to tourism. AWG should be a conduit of information between the public, fund recipients, and Administration. The AWG is seen as a critical component of the implementation of the plan. 4. All proposed projects should provide a business case that meets the goals of the RDS. Fernie needs to demonstrate that there is value in the projects through research and metric. The AWG should be engaged and involved in the collection of data as a measure of success RMI funded initiatives and projects have on the tourism economy. 5. Actively solicit support from other organizations such as Destination BC and UBCM to demonstrate value of funding Fernie. Demonstrate robust programming and collaboration with groups. 6. The RV Park is a game changer in Fernie. Accessible trails are an amenity that will enhance visitor stays. Our Future
In all forms of dialogue in the engagement process, a key questions was ‘what projects would you like to see moving forward?
71% of survey respondents felt it was very important or important to improve Station Square to better facilitate downtown festivals and events. 54% felt the same for an outdoor covered ice arena.
PAGE 9 OF 14 Table 4: Feedback On Our Future
THEME FEEDBACK
Outdoor 1. BMX race track - estimates 400+ visits in a summer. Could be used as a nordic Recreation facility in the winter. 2. Connector/Commuter Trail from West Fernie to Fernie Alpine Resort (FAR) - Centennial Trail 3. Paved Trail with a moderate grade - e.g. Maiden lake to Coal Creek, Rails to Trails. 4. Outdoor Ice Rink - initial investigation has been done. Whistler has a successful Rink though significant costs associated with it - both capital and operating.
Culture & 1. Arts Station - Improvements to Station Square to encourage more festivals & events, Heritage and increase attendance. 2. Sun/Wed Socials - continue with better metric
Tourism 1. Sense of Arrival - Gateway Signage Infrastructure & 2. Sense of Arrival - Improvements to Visitor Centre Initiatives 3. Sense of Arrival - pave public parking lots 4. Signage - needs to be improved 5. Chamber of Commerce Building Improvements 6. Ambassador Program -Tofino has seen success with this free program for local residents including seasonal staff, newcomers, and business owners. It ‘aims to build a strong and healthy community, encouraging a positive attitude among responsible citizens, improving community relations with visitors, and growing support for the driver and well-being of the area businesses’.(raincoasteducation.org)
Communication 1. How do we define success? Can you hold each project up as a measure of success. There is a need to measure against other communities and the goals of the plan. 2. Each project needs to be evaluated in a meaningful way. If they are underspent, cut them. Shift the money to projects that demonstrate value. 3. AWG needs to be more actively involved in the implementation of the RDS. Quarterly meetings, structured review of applications, etc.
Recommendations
Management and Implementation
Communication and ongoing engagement of stakeholders was a clear gap in the management and implementation of the 2012-2016 RDS. The forming of the AWG was a positive first step in meeting some of these needs. Their leadership in key projects such as the Boat Launch construction and the Festivals Event Stage purchase led to these projects
PAGE 10 OF 14 having active participation by stakeholders in the research, planning, and implementation. Metric for success, however, were not fully developed for all projects.
Recommendation #1: Administration to work with the AWG and Council to draft a new Terms of Reference that will include clear roles and responsibilities such as: (i) Reviewing and providing recommendations for RDS spending to Council; (ii) Ensure funding allocation meets the required RMI guidelines for a maximum of 30% of funds to be spent on tourism related amenities and programs; (iii) Schedule regular meetings (Quarterly and adhoc as required); (iv) Develop standard criteria for applications for funding (e.g. meet RDS goals, metric for success, regular reporting results); (v) Lead a process of measuring success through the design of stakeholder participation in a long range investment strategy (beyond 2017) in tourism infrastructure; and (vi) Draft and present Annual Reports in conjunction with Administration for Council and/or the Province.
Recommendation #2: Review appointed members to the AWG to potentially include a member of the Leisure Services Advisory Board and a member at large.
2015-2017 RDS Projects
Recommendation #3: Administration to work with the AWG to ensure ongoing projects that have demonstrated success continue to meet the goals of the RDS through identified metric and annual reporting.
Recommendation #4: In the theme - Outdoor Recreation, combine existing projects - Summer Trail Development and Winter Trail Maintenance into one project. As these two projects are related to Trails, there were comments that combining the two projects would be more efficient.
Recommendation #5: In the theme - Culture and Heritage, combine existing projects - Festivals & Event Development, Museum & Information Centre, and Tourism Incentive Investment Fund. There was some confusion as to the allocation of funds for these three projects so combining them will ensure they all meet the same criteria for funding.
Table 5: Recommendation for Continuation of Projects identifies those projects that were seen as successfully meeting the goals of the RDS and contributing to attracting more visitors and encouraging longer stays in Fernie.
PAGE 11 OF 14 Table 5: Recommendation for Continuation of Projects Existing Projects Description
Outdoor Recreation: • Continue to develop and enhance trails as per the Trails Master Plan & Trail Development Comprehensive Sign Strategy. • Consider Accessibility and Family Orientated Trails. • Grooming program for snowmobile and nordic trails for quality of access for users and critical for maintaining and expanding visitation.
Outdoor Recreation: • Forming part of the TransCanada Trail, Pave a portion of the Fernie Main Paved Community Trail Loop Trail on east shore of Elk River as it passes thru Annex and James White Parks.
Culture & Heritage • The Cultural and Heritage Tourism and Festival Strategy - goal to work toward six Festival & Event to eight sustainable tourism related events annually. Funds used for related Development infrastructure, festival coordination and support. • Enhance Museum exhibits • Accommodate future projects that will meet the RDS goals for tourism attraction.
Tourism • Continue the implementation of the Comprehensive Sign Strategy (2010) . Infrastructure: • Recommendation: AWG to be involved in review of maximum impact to Signage improve visitor experience. (e.g.Gateway Signage)
Tourism • Renovations to the facade, grounds, washroom facilities and interior spaces Infrastructure: of the building. Potential enhancement of the Fernie Natural Centre Visitor &Business Info Centre (HWY)
Tourism • A winter day/evening shuttle service between Fernie and Fernie Alpine Infrastructure: Resort. Winter Shuttle
PAGE 12 OF 14 Potential New Projects
General feedback, although supportive for the continuation of the above on-going projects, expressed concern for the effectiveness of using RMI funds for smaller projects and initiatives. A number of stakeholders expressed the desire to do one large project, believing it would have a greater influence on attraction of more visitors and encourage longer stays in our community. The challenge with a single large project, is that it should be community driven with the likely need for supplemental funds from a variety of funding sources.
To identify a large project, The City of Fernie must ensure that it is also in alignment with, and supports, relevant statutory documents, strategies, and master plans. Key policy documents include: (i) Fernie Livability Report (2010) (ii) Forever Fernie - Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (2011) (iii) Fernie Official Community Plan (2014) (iv) Five Year Financial Plan(2014-2018) (v) Fernie Trails Master Plan (2015) (vi) Leisure Services Master Plan (2013) (vii) Comprehensive Signage Strategy (2011) (viii) Cultural & Heritage Tourism and Festivals Strategy (2010)
All of these policy documents had extensive public engagement to inform the plans that will guide the long term growth of the community. In review of these documents and the engagement that took place to inform them, there are policies and action items that directly support current and future tourism related projects. As a result, some of the new projects to be considered are listed in Table 6 below.
PAGE 13 OF 14 Table 6: Potential New Projects Project Rationale Key Policy Documents
Outdoor Recreation: • Fernie Centennial Trail - Commuter Trail (West 1. Forever Fernie Improved Connectivity Fernie to RCR). Estimated 2.2M 2. OCP to Municipal Trails, • North Elk River Bridge to 13th Street along Hwy 3 - 3. Trails Master Plan Facilities, and Commuter Trail, no estimate in place Attractions 4. Leisure Services • Dickens Rd Connector (North Fernie Bridget ot Master Plan Brenner Rd)- Commuter Trail. Estimated 700k • Led by Trails Alliance. Work with The City, Land Owners, and RCR. Recommendation 6.1: Review the above Municipal Trails and associated costs. Determine priorities and linkages that are supported by key policy documents and meet the goals of the RDS.
Culture & Heritage: • Functional Space to facilitate downtown Festivals & 1. OCP Improvements to Events. (e.g. washrooms, electrical, boulevards). 2. Cultural&Heritage& Station Square Recommendation6.2: Work with Culture & Heritage Festivals Strategy stakeholders to determine priority infrastructure and associated costs that meet the goals of the RDS.
Tourism • Design an Arena, Community Centre, Aquatic Centre 1. OCP Infrastructure: complex that includes a number of indoor activity 2. Leisure Services Multi-Use Complex space. Master Plan • Location by existing Aquatic Centre. Recommendation 6.3: due to cost and anticipated timelines, the scope of this project may not be viable through RMI funds.
Tourism • Facilitated through the Chamber of Commerce, 1. Livability Index Infrastructure: provide a training program to citizens, seasonal staff, 2. Stakeholder Feedback Ambassador Program and business owners with a cohesive community on ‘Best Practices’ and knowledge and identity for Fernie. Branding. Recommendation 6.4: Consider initial scoping of this program to include stakeholder support and costs. Conclusion
The RMI funding is a significant opportunity for the community to improve tourism infrastructure, events, and festivals. The stakeholder engagement for the 2015-2017 RDS re- enforced the success of projects done to date, as well as provided constructive feedback on how to improve communication and the implementation of projects. There is a clear desire and motivation by stakeholders to support projects that are held up as ‘Best in Class’ and demonstrate the value of Fernie as a resort development community in the Province of British Columbia.
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