ISLAND COASTAL ECONOMIC TRUST YEARS OF IMPACT & CHANGE With sincere thanks to the Province of British Columbia for its visionary $50 million investment in our communities and our future THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF INNOVATIVE IDEAS when it comes to economic development. Accessing the funding to convert ideas into action is often the greatest challenge. Since 2006, Island Coastal Economic Trust communities have prioritized more than 160 high-potential EVERY PICTURE TELLS OUR STORY and visionary ideas, putting $49 million from the Province of B.C. to work in the region and generating more than a quarter of a billion dollars in new investments. From tourism and transportation to the film industry and aquaculture, ICET has helped facilitate sustainable economic development and lasting change to communities across the region. 2006 2016 EVERY NUMBER MEASURES OUR IMPACT FEDERAL GOVT. NON GOVT. HAS GONE TO $ $ % SMALL COMMUNITIES 51 WITH LESS THAN TOTAL FUNDS 54.7 53 OF ALL 5,000 PEOPLE MILLION MILLION FUNDING COMMITTED LEVERAGED WITH PROJECTS COMMUNITIES $ $ + PROVINCIAL 49.6 4.61 LOCAL GOVT. PROGRAMS 160 60 MILLION PER ICET DOLLAR $ $ 78.2 42.7 2,595 2,570 MILLION MILLION LONG-TERM PERSON JOBS YEARS 3-5 YEARS SHORT-TERM POST COMPLETION CONSTRUCTION JOBS MAP LEGEND FEATURED PROJECT CAMPSITES NORTH COAST TRAIL 1 Shushartie 2 Skinner Creek 3 Cape Sutil 4 Shuttleworth Bight 5 Laura Creek 6 Nissen Bight 7 Hansen Lagoon 8 Eric Lake 9 San Josef Bay 10 Nels Bight 11 Experiment Bight FIRST APPROVED ICET PROJECT ICET INVESTMENT 12 Cape Scott THE NORTH COAST TRAIL came to ICET as the vision of North Vancouver Island Trails Society, shepherded by Dave and Cathy Trebett and the late Al Huddlestan. They envisioned an epic journey to rival the West Coast Trail. An adventure more rugged and wild, highlighting the raw beauty and history of this area which attracted and defeated the hardiest of Danish pioneers at the turn of the century. It was ICET’s first project approved, with a vision to revitalize the North Island economy and the first step towards its rebirth as a premier wilderness recreation destination. SINCE ITS COMPLETION the North Coast Trail has acquired an international reputation as a wilderness adventure trail. The addition of the trail has had a significant impact on the Port Hardy area economy with the opening of two new travelers’ hostels, cafes and other businesses catering to trail users. The project also resulted in significant investment and expansion of the North Coast Trail Shuttle and water taxi business, 3-4 new guide outfitters operating in the region in addition to 6-7 direct full time seasonal jobs in trail management. There are also other indirect benefits of increased adventure tourism in the region such as the attraction of a younger, adventure seeking demographic to the region who have invested in eco-cabins and other tourism related businesses. “The North Coast Trail project created a paradigm shift in our company and initiated an evolution in our identity across the marketplace. Using this as a differentiator, TWO NEW HOSTELS we were able to develop a whole array of NORTH COAST TRAIL BACKPACKERS HOSTEL new business lines which derive value from C&N BACKPACKERS HOSTEL non-traditional forestland resources and remote operations—a natural, yet calculated, CAPE SCOTT WATER TAXI extension of the forestry work which we had DIVERSIFICATION OF A RESOURCE SECTOR DRIVEN WATER TAXI NEW GUIDE BUSINESS been doing. Despite a global recession, BUSINESS TO TOURISM ISLAND DAYTRIPPERS our company was able to grow from ADDITION OF A NEW WATER TAXI a dozen staff… to over 150.” ADDITION OF A NEW LAND-BASED SHUTTLE DEVELOPMENT OF ECO CABINS JONATHAN LOK, MANAGING PARTNER STRATEGIC NATURAL RESOURCE CONSULTANTS NEW WILDLIFE & ADVENTURE FIRST NATION-THEMED TOURISM OPERATORS LUXURY HOTEL REDEVELOPMENT OF EXISTING HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES “The North Coast Trail project was the catalyst for the development NEW SURF SHOP of our trail design and construction COVE SURF expertise. Without that project, SHOP 43K Wilderness Solutions probably wouldn’t exist today. In fact, the name of our company is the length of the TRAIL BUILDING North Coast Trail section we built.” COMPANIES SHAUN KORMAN, GROWTH 43K WILDERNESS SOLUTIONS GROWTH CAFES & HOSPITALITY SHUTTLE AND WATER TAXI PROVIDERS BUSINESSES MAP LEGEND CONNECTING VISITORS VISITOR CENTRES Vancouver Island Visitor Centre 1 WITH COMMUNITIES 2 Alberni Valley Visitor Centre 3 Tourism Nanaimo Northfield Road Visitor Centre 4 Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre 5 Cortes Island Visitor Kiosk SUNSHINE COAST TRAIL 6 Sunshine Coast Visitor Information Park 29 World-class hiking experience SIGNATURE VIEWPOINTS 7 Kinsol Trestle Elk Falls Suspension Bridge “The Sunshine Coast Trail has been 8 ICET Longest hut-to-hut hiking instrumental in helping transform the 9 Woss Fire Lookout Tower investment experience in Canada perception of Powell River from an industrial pulp mill town into a world-class ABORIGINAL EXPERIENCES outdoor recreation destination, that not only attracts a growing number of regional 10 Homalco Wildlife Tours and international visitors, but also new residents looking for community amenities 11 Gwayasdums Bighouse Explore Magazine ranks Accessible wilderness and that enable a high quality of life.” 12 Alert Bay Awakwes SCT in the top 50 hikes outdoor recreation: Haywire Bay PAUL KAMON, MARKETING DIRECTOR in the world Outdoor Learning Centre SUNSHINE COAST TOURISM; EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TOURISM POWELL RIVER AGRITOURISM & CULTURAL TOURISM ELK FALLS SUSPENSION BRIDGE 13 Gibsons Public Market 8 Attracting international visitors 14 Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden 15 Merridale Cider Economusee 16 Hazelwood Herb Farm Economusee 17 Wayward Distillation House Economusee 18 Townsite Brewing Economusee “We anticipate that in the second year since completion, SPORT TOURISM we will exceed our 5 year projections by 100%. When visitors from all 19 Mt. Cain Infrastructure Projects (3) over the world tell us that this is 20 Vancouver Island Mountain Centre ICET Doubled projected Estimated new a spectacular world class attraction, Accessible trail at Mt. Washington investment visitors in year 1 visitor spending we feel proud of the impact and viewing platform we are having on Vancouver 21 Biathlon Target Automation at Mt. Washington Island tourism.” LORRIE DAVID BEWZA, 22 Dakota Ridge Winter Recreation ROTARY CLUB Area Improvements OF CAMPBELL RIVER 4 COWICHAN REGIONAL VISITOR CENTRE 23 2009 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge Positive interactive impact 24 Cowichan 2008 North American Indigenous Games “Not only is the Cowichan TRAILS Regional Visitor Centre 25 North Coast Trail a welcome resource to visitors... but it also provides an opportunity 26 Wild Pacific Trail (3) for the businesses not directly 27 Cowichan Valley Trail Initiative involved in tourism to connect 28 Stamp River Anglers Trail with visitors through 29 Sunshine Coast Trail ICET interpretive displays.” Visitors have doubled Increase in Cowichan Chamber 30 Historic Alberni Inlet CNPR Trail investment in the new location of Commerce members since Raft Cove Recreational Site Trail JULIE SCURR, PRESIDENT, relocating the centre in 2013 31 DUNCAN COWICHAN CHAMBER 32 Woss Regional Trails Development OF COMMERCE 33 Roberts Lake Fish and Wildlife Viewing Trail 34 Salmon Brewster Equine Trail WILD PACIFIC TRAIL 35 Hidden Grove Accessibility Trail 26 Spurring big investment in a small community 36 Kellys Bridge Project 37 Alberni Inlet Trail China Creek Bridge 38 The Runners Trail ARTS & CULTURAL EXPERIENCES “The Wild Pacific Trail helps 39 Tidemark Theatre Revitalization create a great quality of life, and 40 Sid Williams Theatre Performance that is a big factor in recruiting Technology Modernization and retaining people to Ucluelet.” 41 Powell River Academy of Music Centre ABBY FORTUNE, for the Arts RECREATION DIRECTOR DISTRICT OF UCLUELET 42 Tofino Cedar Furniture Economusee ICET Things to do Trail usage increase Estimated new jobs 43 Mary Fox Pottery Economusee investment in B.C. (2012-2015) after completion of new section in 2016 44 Purple Banner Gallery and Studio Guide MAP LEGEND CONNECTING THE MARINE VISITOR ATTRACTION 1 Powell River Westview Waterfront & South Harbour WORLD TO OUR 2 Coal Harbour Dock Expansion (2) 3 Alert Bay Municipal Wharf Upgrade COASTAL ASSETS 4 Cowichan Bay Harbour Expansion 5 Port McNeill Harbour Development 6 Nanaimo Port Cruise Facility 7 Campbell River Harbour Revitalization MARINE TOURISM 8 Port Hardy Seine Float and Area Improvement Growing a profitable sector 9 Ladysmith Marina and Floating Visitor Centre 10 Denman Island Community Dock Kelsey Bay Wharf Improvement “Ladysmith harbour 11 wasn’t seen as ‘open’ before. 12 Bear Cove Recreation Site PORT ALICE Without amenities, people 13 Fishermens Harbour Improvement would just move on to other moorages. Now, we’ve got 14 Gibsons Harbour Landing Dock Upgrade LADYSMITH people from all over the world 15 Seaplane Base Plane Boat Launch stopping here—some for Davis Bay Wharf Expansion a month or more.” 16 WAYNE RICHMOND, 17 Malahat Marine Collaboration COWICHAN BAY OWNER 49TH PARALLEL 18 Comox Marine Centre and Meeting Place Average annual GROCERY, LADYSMITH Average annual visitor New jobs per growth by location increase per harbour harbour per year 19 Comox Harbour Expansion 20 West Bamfield Dock Improvement 9 LADYSMITH MARINA & FLOATING VISITOR CENTRE 21 Deep Bay Harbour Expansion Marine visitors