A 76 page report prepared by the Economic Development Association of B.C. (EDABC) incorporating ideas presented by the community during a March town hall meeting has been given to the Village of Burns Lake.
As reported in the Lakes District News edition of April 4, 2012 a support team from the EDABC facilitated a town hall meeting to help develop ideas for local economic development following the economic fallout after the Babine Forest Products tragedy.
Local residents were divided into three groups representing tourism and recreation, forestry, mining and agriculture and local business and were asked to come up with ideas for economic development in those areas.
EDABC also completed a two day public and stakeholder consultation process in which more than 150 people participated.
Along with a sense of community optimism, the EDABC identified a feeling that economic development must be better focussed and be moved in a new direction, as well as a desire to peruse joint opportunities with First Nations and industry.
Several issues were identified, including a lack of commercial and industrial land for development of new industry, a lack of collaboration between economic development groups, poor telecommunications infrastructure and a need for increased local government communication.
The report also identified a community focus on reopening the Babine Forest Products sawmill and developing a local biofuel industry.
A SWOT [strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats] analysis was also competed with the EDABC reporting that creating opportunities for tourism, expanding community infrastructure, increased communication amongst stakeholders and providing strong support for resource based industry were vital to creating a sustainable economy in Burns Lake.
Some community strengths identified were; affordable real estate prices, a revitalized Burns Lake and District Chamber of Commerce, a large trade area, partnership amongst First Nation groups and the presence of an airport.
Weaknesses identified were; a limited population, access to health care services, aging commercial buildings, lack of a skilled workforce, a lack of tourism infrastructure, the community image, economic leakage to larger centres like Prince George, complacency and lack of a disposable income for local residents.
The EDABC made 14 recommendations including; the existing business community be supported by developing a communications program with local lenders to support local businesses during the transition, developing training for service and supply companies to support existing mining activities, the village should continue plans for the downtown revitalization, and that training programs should be developed to assist local businesses access purchasing opportunities with the mining sector.
Another recommendation was to establish a business retention and expansion program that, through surveys and interviews will help identify and understand the issues faced by local businesses in the region.
EDABC say, "Once the core issues and obstacles are addressed, the business climate is bound to improve."
A recommendation was made to provide economic development training for local government leaders.
According to the EDABC, a lack of understanding what economic development can achieve and how fast is one of the biggest challenges. The EDABC say they have developed a course and have offered to provide the course at no charge to the village as part of the recovery effort.
Recommendations were also made to improve community infrastructure, develop an economic development strategy, support the province in resolving fibre supply issues, build stronger relationships with local First Nations, as well as capitalizing of the exposure of the Babine Forest Products tragedy by applying for all grant funding opportunities for local projects.
See Recommendations below
• Establishing a plan to provide water and sewer services to existing industrial land
• Discuss with BC Hydro the need to expand three phase power to the Southside and other areas in and around Burns Lake and encourage joint initiatives with First Nations and industry to help pay for the expansion of these services.
• Discuss with Telus about the need to support he community by expanding the broadband network
• Recommendations to build stronger relationships with First Nations include:
• Incorporating First Nations culture as part of the downtown revitalization plans
• Support the Burns Lake Band initiative to develop the Gathering Place
• Support attracting First nation conferences and other events into the community
• Develop a First Nation sensitivity training session with local government, business and industry
• Recommendations to develop and economic development strategy include:
• Hire an economic development officer
• Participate in economic development training
• Recommendations to help resolve the fibre supply issues include: The EDABC made no specific recommendations on how to support the province to resolve the fibre supply issues but said, “The EDABC team believes the province is heading in the right direction. While no specific actions are identified we believe that every effort must be made by local government to ensure that needs of industry are met and that where support is needed that it be provided.”