BC Rural Network - Building Stronger Rural and Remote Communities in British Columbia

Newsletter Volume 4, No.1, Fall 2009

Feature: LIRN BC - Community Sustainability Workshop

Kathie LaForge, EDO - District of Vanderhoof

The learning Initiatives for Rural and Northern Communities (LIRN) initiative resulted in a successful event at the Saikuz Potlatch House located on beautiful Nulki Lake.

Over 60 people from Vanderhoof and surrounding rural area including Saikuz First Nation spent the evening of November 3, socializing, learning and sharing ideas. Mayor Gerry Thiessen and Councillor Dixon Alexis welcomed everyone to the event. Joan Chess from the Fraser Basin Council spoke about what is meant by Community Sustainability and how their Smart Planning for Communities program helps develop a Community Sustainability Plan.

Joan then invited everyone to enjoy a fabulous meal prepared by Derek Williamson of Cluculz Lake Catering. The dinner was made possible through the efforts of members of the Nechako Valley Food Network and funding was provided by BC Healthy Living Alliance. Members and family members of the Food Network along with the Katimavik Team played a critical part in this evening by providing help with set up, food prep, serving and clean-up.

Joan then re-convened the evening and we were asked to move in groups, World Cafe style around the room and spend 10 minutes at each table responding to questions that were designed to help stakeholders determine the level of commitment from the community with regard to developing and implementing a sustainability plan. The groups showed great enthusiasm in their contributions to the discussion. All the ideas that came forth were recorded and shared.

For more information about LIRN BC initiatives visit the BCRN website: http://www.bcruralnetwork.ca/lirn

THE LATEST

Community-Based Research in Rural and Remote Communities

Join one of two Community-Based Research in Rural and Remote Communities events at the University of Victoria (January 21st, 2010) and the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George (January 25th OR 27th, 2010 TBD). www.bcrrhrn.ca

Economic Development Bursary

Applications are being accepted for $1000 bursaries to enroll in Simon Fraser University's Certificate Program for Community Economic Development. Deadline to apply: December 14, 2009 www.sfu.ca/cscd/ced/

6th BC Rural Communities Summit

Transforming Rural Economies: Change and Innovation
The BC Rural Network, in partnership with the District of Port Hardy and Rural Team BC, will host the 6th BC Rural Communities Summit in Port Hardy, BC. This biennial forum will take place at the Port Hardy Civic Centre, March 16-18, 2010.

The event offers participants the opportunity to explore today's most innovative strategies in building a sustainable rural economy.

For more information, contact: Donnella Sellars, 250-392-1400, summit@bcruralnetwork.ca, www.bcruralsummit.ca

Carshare Cooperatives get Communities Rolling!

By Colleen Matte, Manager, Nelson Carshare Cooperative, with contributions from Kim Struthers, Energy Programmer, One Sky - The Canadian Institute of Sustainable Living

Why does carsharing work? Because it is easy! Carsharing provides great benefits to its members. They no longer have to worry about insurance, gas costs or unexpected repairs and maintenance. Vehicles are easily booked online and members are billed based on their vehicle use. Many types of members with all with different needs join carshares. Members range from single parent families and seniors on a fixed income to folks who need to use a truck or second car occasionally.

The Nelson Carshare Cooperative is a positive choice in these people's lives. Like most grassroots initiatives, the Nelson Carshare had humble beginnings with a few friends deciding they didn't all need to own their own vehicle. With the desire to share this opportunity with others in the community they established the Nelson Carshare Cooperative in 2001. Now, eight years later, the fleet has grown to 18 vehicles, including trucks, vans and cars and services close to 200 members in Nelson, Revelstoke, Kaslo, Kimberley and Fernie.

Organizations can join too, like the Association Francophone du Kootenay Ouest who uses a van to bring French language books to rural areas.

The Nelson Carshare Cooperative is helping to improve air quality and reverse the impact of climate change. It estimates that for every car it puts on the road, five privately owned vehicles are taken off. This translates into is a net reduction of 80,000 kms of vehicle travel and a reduction of approximately 7.9 metric tons of Greenhouse gas emissions per co-op vehicle. This is a significant step for a small town to meet its Climate Action goals.

The carshare fosters community spirit through social gatherings with its members like potluck Shine and Dines where the fleet gets its yearly waxing. Carsharing also encourages active transportation such as walking and biking since members do not have a car parked in front of their house. Combining shopping trips and carpooling with other members is also increased.

Smithers is taking carsharing for a test drive. A local not-for-profit organization, One Sky - The Institute of Sustainable Living, is conducting research to develop a car share cooperative for its rural northern community. "Rural communities have unique transportation needs, explains program coordinator Kim Struthers." We don't have the same kind of public transportation system as an urban area, so we see the car share as a way of increasing the sustainable transportation options in the community."

Struthers has looked closely at the Nelson model and plans to incorporate several of its practices in the business plan. One Sky hopes to incorporate low emissions vehicles like the Toyota Prius into its carshare and the project has received funding from Environment Canada's EcoAction Community Funding Program. It has approximately fifteen people interested in participating in the pilot program that it hopes to launch in early 2010.

For more information about starting a carshare in your community contact Colleen Matte, colleenmatte@yahoo.ca, www.nelsoncar.com, Tel: (250) 352-2033, or Kim Struthers, kim.struthers@onesky.ca, www.onesky.ca, Tel: (250) 877-6030.

RESOURCE

Transportation Demand Management (TDM): A Small and Mid-Size Communities Toolkit. This toolkit offers promising strategies and trends on sustainable transportation, along with examples from across BC. Download it from: www.fraserbasin.bc.ca/programs/tdm_toolkit.html

Revitalizing Rural Communities Through Arts and Culture

by Kelsey Hicks, Special Projects Coordinator, Creative City Network of Canada

The Creative City Network of Canada (CCNC) is anticipating the January release of the Creative City News Special Edition 6 on cultural development in rural communities. The Special Edition Newsletters move beyond the CCNC's monthly electronic newsletter to cover pressing issues in the field of arts, culture, and community development.

This 6th edition's topic stems from the CCNC's recent report on rural cultural development. The Developing and Revitalizing Rural Communities Through Arts and Creativity project consisted of an international English-language literature review and resource compilation, framed by considerations of small/rural communities, arts and creative activity.

The project also includes case studies and is available on the CCNC website under; News; Resources;. The latest Special Edition, Revitalizing Rural Communities Through Arts and Culture, highlights the key points from this research and includes strategies and useful project profiles to help promote cultural development in rural communities.

You can view the published Special Edition Newsletters on the CCNC website or order printed copies by downloading an order form. The Special Edition 6 will be available online as soon as it is completed. The Special Editions are also available in French.

The Creative City Network of Canada is an organization of municipal staff working in communities across Canada on arts, cultural and heritage policy, planning, development and support. The CCNC exists to connect the people who share this working environment so they can be more effective in cultural development in our communities. By sharing experience, expertise, information and best practices, members support each other through dialogue, both in person and online.

To learn more about the CCNC; visit www.creativecity.ca

Remote Community Energy projects

Remote communities in British Columbia are eligible to apply for funding through the Remote Community Implementation Program (RCI). The RCI Program is designed to develop, promote and administer funding grants that support remote communities to implement clean energy and energy efficiency projects. The program is intended to support the implementation of projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce dependence on fossil fuel resources, and meet the remote community's economic and physical sustainability goals.

Remote Communities are defined as both civic and First Nation communities that are not connected to the major natural gas or electric grid. There are approximately 70 remote communities identified in British Columbia; roughly half are First Nations. The majority of these communities use diesel generators to support their electricity demand.

To submit a project proposal, please fill out an application form, which can be found at
www.fraserbasin.bc.ca/programs/caee_rci.html For additional information, please contact: Lindsay Gardner, lgardner@fraserbasin.bc.ca, Tel: (604) 488-5367.

Profiles

Smart Planning for Communities

Smart Planning for Communities, a program of the Fraser Basin Council, offers local and First Nations governments the services of skilled Sustainability Facilitators in communities across BC. Their purpose? To create stronger, more vibrant and sustainable communities.

The Smart Planning Facilitators are available to provide free assistance with community planning processes. They offer advice on the process, strategy and new technology, as well as organizing education and training in the community. They also manage online resources such as the Climate Action Toolkit, www.toolkit.bc.ca.

Team members will facilitate meetings across the province on topics ranging from remote community energy planning and infrastructure for active communities to suggesting funding sources for economic development opportunities. There are Smart Planning staff in six communities across BC including Sooke, Penticton, Cranbrook, Williams Lake and Smithers.

Log on for access to online tools, resources and information for local and First Nations governments smartplanningbc.ca. For in-person information contact Maureen LeBourdais Manager, Smart Planning for Communities Fraser Basin Council (250) 392-1400, mlebourdais@fraserbasin.bc.ca.

Columbia Basin Trust

Created by the people, for the people, Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) serves the residents of the Canadian portion of the Columbia River Basin (Basin). Working closely with people who live in the Basin, CBT assists communities in addressing their needs by:
• focussing on local priorities and issues;
• bringing people together around key issues;
• providing useful, credible, accessible information;
• encouraging collaboration and partnerships;
• seeking ongoing input from Basin residents: and,
• providing resources and funding, including external experts and funding sources.

CBT provides funding and grants through a variety of programs from Arts, Culture and Heritage to Business Advocacy to Environment to Scholarships to Community Development. In addition, CBT supports regional initiatives such as Affordable Housing, Climate Change, Water Stewardship, Literacy, Youth and Land Conservation.

This work is accomplished via our two core functions: to invest capital and manage the assets of CBT and to spend the income earned from these investments to deliver benefits to the Columbia Basin.
To learn more about CBT visit www.cbt.org.

CONTACT US

Please let us know if you have an upcoming event or project you would like to see in the next newsletter. Call, write, or fax us at: 104-197 Second Avenue N. Williams Lake, BC V2G 1Z5 T: 250.620.3505 F: 250.620.3771
The BC Rural Network is supported by the Fraser Basin Council and all BCRN member organisations www.bcruralnetwork.ca