Updated Economic Development Strategy is Complete

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Tuesday, June 8, 2021 – For Immediate Release

June 8, 2021 – The District of 100 Mile House is pleased to announce that the updated Economic Development Strategy for 2021 and Beyond is complete and will be presented to Council. 

The District of 100 Mile House announced in March 2020 that funding had been received by the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia through the Labour Market Partnership Program to review and adjust the current Economic Development Plan. Work continued on this project through 2020 and 2021.

The project had two main goals: provision of a “Rapid Needs Assessment” and development of an updated economic development strategy. The Rapid Needs Assessment was complete in October 2020 and resulted in 49 contextual findings and recommendations.

The updated Economic Development Strategy utilized the Rapid Needs Assessment as a starting point for discussion and analysis and then reviewed a number of other District reports for inclusion, such as Business Walk Reports, Labour Market Study, Wildfire Recovery Plan, Official Community Plan among others. The online survey was another component of this project that resulted in 414 local residents and business owners providing their feedback.

Joanne Doddridge, Director of Economic Development and Planning, commented “the Strategy was meant to be developed in coordination with previous plans and studies undertaken by 100 Mile House and included a stakeholder engagement process with interviews, zoom meetings, focus groups and the online survey. Our goal was to develop a strategy that can be supported by both the business sector and the general community.”

According to Doddridge, the updated Economic Development Strategy:

• Identifies the challenges and opportunities the community is facing, such as:

• Lack of economic diversity;
• Keeping skilled workers.

• Identifies 100 Mile House’s economic value proposition and the likely drivers of growth, such as:

• Tourism assets combined with a strong supply of accommodations;
• Resident and talent attraction and retention.

• Proposes several objectives and actions that will positively affect economic drivers, such as:

• Establish a formal 100 Mile House Business Retention & Expansion Program;

• Create Regular Communications.

Mayor Mitch Campsall reported “the new updated Strategy provides concrete steps that 100 Mile House Council can support to encourage local economic prosperity along with specific identified partners to assist in implementing this strategy.”

The final plan contains 43 strategies identified for implementation within six key overarching strategic pillars over the next three to five years. Within each of these six strategic pillars specific strategies have been identified. For example, the pillar “The Cariboo Leader in Business Development and Support” includes eight strategies that are targeted towards success in this area.

Campsall noted “the 43 strategies cover opportunities in Tourism, Agriculture, Forestry and Retail along with strategies aimed at continuous improvement for working and living in 100 Mile House. The results and comments from the community and business owners were clear that we need to build a desirable community for working and living, create supportive local government policies and encourage excellence in entrepreneurship.”

Residents and business owners in 100 Mile House are known for their resilience and strong community pride and the Strategy has been developed to increase opportunities, attract new investment and enhance the quality of life for 100 Mile House citizens. The District will be prioritizing the implementation matrix for the short -and long-term strategies contained in the plan along with a roadmap focused on strategies for effectiveness.  Together, these implementation plans will include potential partners, budget requirements and timelines.

Finally, District Council members and staff would like to thank the community of 100 Mile House, including all our neighbouring communities, who took the time to participate and voice their opinions to make 100 Mile House better. Our thanks also to our partners at the Government of Canada and the Province of BC for supporting a vitally important Economic Development Strategy.

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