Sharing Information to Strengthen Rural Communities: Lessons Learned from BC Projects For further information about this project or to obtain a copy of this report: Brandon Hughes Human Resources Development Canada/ Canadian Rural Partnership Tel: 250-354-4178 E-mail: [email protected] Gail Wallin Fraser Basin Council Tel: 250-392-1400 E-mail: [email protected] www.fraserbasin.bc.ca ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project is a cooperative project between the Fraser Basin Council and BC Rural Team. The Fraser Basin Council is a non-governmental organization established in 1997 to facilitate problem solving by bringing together people to make decisions integrating social, economic and environmental values. The BC Rural Team is a partnership of federal and provincial government departments who are working together toward a common mandate for strengthening rural communities. The BC Rural Team and the Fraser Basin Council extend their thanks and appreciation to the people who provided information for the case studies included in this booklet. This booklet aims at sharing lessons learned from the wide range of rural initiatives taking place in British Columbia. In addition, a steering committee of BC Rural Team members provided input during this lessons learned project. The steering committee members were: • Patty Bossort, Columbia Basin Trust • Brandon Hughes, Human Resources Development Canada/ Canadian Rural Partnership • Leslie Lax, Canadian Rural Partnership • Leslie Ross, Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women’s Services • Mike Stolte, Community Futures Development Corporation • Geoffrey Thornburn, Environment Canada • Chris Watts, Western Economic Diversification • Cheryl Wilson, Coastal Communities Network Maggie Julian (Fraser Basin Council) and Clare Mochrie (Global Frameworks) wrote the case studies. Gail Wallin of the Fraser Basin Council provided guidance to this project. This preparation of the case studies and production of this booklet was funded by the BC Rural Team and Western Economic Diversification. The preparation of these case studies built on work completed on Phase 1 of this project: Sharing Information to Strengthen Rural Communities: an Inventory of BC Projects. The BC Rural Development Office (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries) and the Northern Development Commission funded Phase 1. Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................i INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................v RESPONDING TO RURAL CONCERNS.....................................................................vi PROCESS: DOCUMENTING LESSONS LEARNED.............................................. vii PROJECT SELECTION............................................................................................... viii Aboriginal Lending Circles .............................................................................................1 Arrow Lakes Sk8 Park ................................................................................................... 5 Bowen Island Geolibrary ............................................................................................... 9 Central Kootenay Micro Lending Program............................................................... 15 Clayoquot Sound Entrepreneur Support.................................................................. 21 Co-Opportunities - Co-op Business Developers .....................................................27 Cranbrook Support Service Program Development ..............................................33 Dawson Creek Food Processing Facility Feasibility Study..................................39 Dixon Entrance Maritime Museum and Cultural Centre ......................................45 Fort Nelson Regional Economic Task Force............................................................49 From the Forest to the Sea Watershed Project..................................................52 G.W. Storytellers’ Foundation in the Upper Skeena............................................57 Gateway Tourism Marketing Co-operative Project...............................................65 Gitanyow Historic Village Museum............................................................................ 71 Greenwood Alternative Power Project ....................................................................75 Greenwood Community Economic Development Strategy....................................79 Harrop-Procter Community Forest...........................................................................85 Horsefly Tourism Plan..................................................................................................89 Kaslo Community Forest ..............................................................................................93 Kimberley Economic Development Summary ..........................................................99 Many Hands Cooperative...........................................................................................105 Monashee Learning Community Partnership .......................................................... 111 Nelson Virtual Call Centre Pilot Project.................................................................115 Northern Exposure Gift Company ...........................................................................121 North Okanagan Youth Co-op Demonstration Project.......................................127 Pender Harbour Growth and Development Partnership.....................................133 Pilot Seaweed Harvesting and Management.........................................................139 Port Alberni Consumer Business Project...............................................................143 Powell River Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities ....................149 Quadra Island Mapping Project ..............................................................................153 Quesnel Sustainability Indicators Project...........................................................157 Revelstoke’s Economic Development Strategy .....................................................161 Saddle Tree Manufacturing Cooperative..............................................................165 Shellfish Development Initiative............................................................................169 Sunshine Coast Wood Innovation Centre..............................................................175 Tumbler Ridge Community Resource Board Plan...................................................181 Union Bay Waste to Wealth.....................................................................................187 West Chilcotin Forest Products...............................................................................191 Whispering Pines/Clinton Natural Resources/Forestry Program ...................195 Whistler Comprehensive Sustainability Plan........................................................199 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Sustaining healthy rural communities is vital to all residents across British Columbia. Healthy "Keep struggling rural communities are a common goal of the forward, with as Fraser Basin Council1, the BC Rural Team2 and many governments and small communities across many people British Columbia. Through a variety of research, working together as it has been recognized that citizens in rural communities face many common challenges possible" around issues such as accessing information and support, a changing resource economy, youth opportunities, and community capacity. Over the past three years, BC Rural Dialogues and Provincial Youth Dialogues, public dialogue sessions sponsored by the BC Rural Team, have continually identified the need to share lessons learned among rural communities and organizations. The BC Rural Team and the Fraser Basin Council joined together to share the lessons learned from the wide range of rural initiatives taking place in British Columbia. This booklet contains 40 case studies of projects, selected to represent a broad range of geographic locations and issues, working towards building healthier rural communities. This is not compilation of ‘best practices’, but rather an opportunity to share ‘lessons learned’, as many rural communities are struggling with similar challenges. The projects incorporate and integrate social, economic and environmental aspects, although not all projects capture all of these elements. The intention of this project is not to evaluate movement toward sustainability or project effectiveness, instead it is to share important lessons whether a project is at the proposal stage or has been implemented and whether it succeeds or fails. These case studies present a brief overview of the community initiatives as well as providing a snapshot of some of the lessons learned from these projects. Readers are encouraged to draw their own insights. SUMMARY OF LESSONS LEARNED Community Participation and Buy-In • Community buy-in is a key element for project success and the support of community groups and local businesses is important for any initiative. Events that were less successful had fewer community groups involved. 1 The Fraser Basin Council is a non-governmental organization established to facilitate problem solving by bringing together people to make decisions integrating social, economic and environmental values. 2 The BC Rural Team is a partnership of federal and provincial government departments working together