Castlegar & District Economic Development Program Takes Next Steps

Due to the success of a three-year pilot project, The Castlegar and District Economic Development Committee (CDEDC) is moving forward with developing a subsequent 5-year Strategic Plan.

The Economic Development Strategic Plan will be aggressive, ambitious and provocative in identifying the long-term economic development goals for Castlegar and District. The Plan will include a multi-year, tactical implementation plan focused on marketing, investment, and business attraction, retention and expansion.

This next step is possible because of the successes of the CDEDC pilot project which focused on regional collaboration, supporting new and existing businesses, marketing and the creation of a website and investors guide. 

“Economic Development Manager, Mark Laver, delivered the pilot in collaboration with the community, funders, Chamber of Commerce and Destination Castlegar,” says Tammy Verigin-Burk, Executive Director of the Castlegar Chamber of Commerce. “As the program draws to an end, we’re proud of the successes and look forward to using this work as the platform for developing a long-term strategy.”

With the three-year pilot concluding December 31, 2019, planning is already underway for the community-driven Economic Development Strategic Plan. Public engagement will begin in early 2020 and the findings will be used to establish an ongoing Economic Development Program by fall.

For more information contact Tammy Verigin-Burk at the Castlegar Chamber of Commerce cdcoced@castlegar.com or 250.365.6313.

Background

The Castlegar and District Economic Development Program was created through the Castlegar and District Economic Development Committee (CDEDC), a volunteer group of local business owners/managers, politicians, Castlegar Chamber of Commerce, community representatives and Columbia Basin Trust. The Program operates out of the Castlegar & District Chamber of Commerce under the guidance of the CDEDC.

In 2015, the CDEDC conducted a research project to determine if there was a need for an economic development program for Castlegar and District. The results identified a need for the program and provided direction for a three-year pilot project for the delivery of economic development services within the City of Castlegar and Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) Areas I and J.

A sub-committee of the business community assisted the research component of this project, provided project oversight and guidance, and a recommended structure for the economic development function to local government.