Initiative

Avoid the dust-collecting “just another” plan. Be ambitious and step into new territory with fresh initiatives. Have industry lead. Build bridges between economic development and broad community development. Focus community brainstorming. Ground direction in good data. Achieve buy-in to the end result from those most important to achieving success. “Do” things vs endlessly talk about things. Attract investment and support and grow existing businesses while also nurturing strong community pride.

It’s a tall order for an Economic Development Strategy.

The mechanics: 50 interviews with community and business leaders; 3 workshops; 1 community survey; 1 business survey; 1 EMSI-based data analysis of competitive economic sectors.

The result: Castlegar & District’s first-ever Economic Development Strategy that meets a tall order. 6 goals, 62 initiatives, and a 9-initiative year one implementation plan have a hard focus on leading export sector-based (i.e. the core of community wealth generation) job creation, and will guide efforts to attract new investment, and support and grow existing businesses.

A key breakthrough is a forestry innovation and sector development heartbeat to the Strategy…by far Castlegar & District’s biggest export sector. Filling out the Strategy are a measurable, aggressive vision statement, quantitative value proposition, business retention & expansion strategy, and resident attraction strategy focused on amenity migrants / digital nomads / creators / entrepreneurs that represent a growing element of economies everywhere. Connecting these elements together is ambitious investment in enabling community amenity and foundations like an airport, advanced broadband, and a vibrant downtown.

A critical breakthrough was created with the forging of collaborative culture and partnership involving industry, the City of Castlegar, the Castlegar & District Chamber of Commerce, and the Regional District of Central Kootenay – with a further West Kootenay regional agenda identified to spin the ball on ability to achieve Strategy implementation success.

The Strategy itself is a visual breath of visual and writing style fresh air on a slim 28 pages to encourage ability for anyone to easily understand the economic development agenda.