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COURTENAY – Cortes Island has a long history as a summer destination for boaters and tourists; now the island’s Business and Tourism Association is ready to expand on that history with a community-driven economic action plan.
“Since 2008, we’ve seen our economy stagnate with a decline in ferry traffic and tourism; the impacts include an increasing age of our population and declining school enrolment,” said Carol London, Treasurer of the Cortes Island Business and Tourism Association (CIBATA). “We need to find new ways to bring economic activity and vitality to our community, and working with our partners, I know we’ll be successful.”
CIBATA is receiving $30,000 in funding from the Island Coastal Economic Trust’s ‘Economic Development Readiness Program’. The money will go towards a project that will run over the next 12 months, gathering input from residents and stakeholders, and culminating in delivery of a five-year action plan with prioritized activities, investment strategies, and pilot projects.
“Projects like this one are a perfect fit for ICET because it comes from a dedicated, passionate organization with a clear view of the challenges they face, and a desire to work collaboratively to overcome those challenges,” said ICET Chair Phil Kent. “Economic development doesn’t happen by accident; it requires planning and readiness, and that’s what our funding will help CIBATA to do.”
The full project includes the establishment of an Economic Development Readiness Committee, a summary of existing Island economic trends, in addition to the creation of robust monitoring and results-based management processes measuring both progress and outcomes.
The project is expected to get underway in spring of 2016.
