Mountain. Rise.
ENABLING POST-MILL COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION
Initiative
Chris facilitated creation of the Village’s first-ever Economic Development Strategy amidst community crisis – closure of a forestry mill in a single-employer community. The future will look nothing like the past. Interpreting results of community engagement in context of realistic assessment of opportunities and value proposition, the Strategy leads with: 1) Target-sector-based employment centre lands development, 2) Innovative housing strategy (subsequently implemented via a new Official Community Plan) that deepens an affordability value proposition to attract families and knowledge/creative workforce and entrepreneurs; and 3) Quality of Place initiatives that support investment attraction.
A visualized “plan on a page” community development roadmap was created to focus and guide strategic actions.
Chris re-engaged with Canal Flats under a subsequent, separate 18-month economic development services contract to implement the Economic Development Strategy. An 18-month “tactical plan on a page” workplan was developed and implemented through December, 2018.
Results
There have been significant accomplishments in each of four theme action areas (Change the Conversation, Policy, Investment Attraction, Community Development):
Investment Attraction:
1) Facilitation/enablement of entrepreneur purchase of former Canfor lands, creation and announcement of the Columbia Lake Technology Center (CLTC) (existing anchors: BID Group, Podtech – with initial activity including metal fabrication for North American forestry mills, construction of what will be the largest data centre in western Canada (30 Mw power supply), manufacturing of data centres, and construction of 300,000 sq. ft. of greenhouses), Phase 1 subdivision, and master planning for the landowner’s 1050 acre holding (incl. 200 acres of industrial lands, consideration of a novel waste heat utility, flexible mixed use land uses, and accommodation for 1200 new residents – which would triple the population of Canal Flats).
2) Completion of a Foreign Direct Investment Action Plan.
3) Facilitation of a dozen business investment leads, including one concluded investment.
4) Funding submission ($100K) for creation of Tec Strategy for the broader Columbia Valley to support CLTC expansion and leverage.
5) Exploration of community-based fibre network expansion leveraging Columbia Basin Trust Kootenay Region fibre network and PoP in central Canal Flats.
Marketing: New visual identity. Development and execution of new marketing campaign elements. Completion of an Investment Guide. Completion of Investment Opportunity profiles. New municipal website (www.canalflats.ca).
Funding: Securing of $100K in new funding to support employment lands expansion via industrial land strategy (leverage of CLTC), mixed use visualization, and hotel study projects, including project management and completion of all three projects. Successful funding submission ($90K) for a further 18 months of economic development actions in the village to build on 2017/2018 activities.
Policy: Advocacy for housing innovation (media, Council, planning policy). Creation of a Revitalization Tax Exemption Bylaw to incent downtown redevelopment. Contribution to creation of a new Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw – which encompasses western Canada-leading housing innovation policies among many input topic areas. Approval of public docks on Columbia Lake as an investment attraction issue.
Placemaking: Wayfinding signage updating. Arena upgrade aesthetics. Public art program consideration.
The Future
Chris continues to work with the Village of Canal Flats on Economic Development Phase 3 focused on marketing, and direct support to accelerated employment lands development.
