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First Nations – Municipal Community Economic Development

Initiative

Union of British Columbia Municipalities Thursday, September 24, 2015 -  Mayor John Van Laerhoven, District of Kent -  Wallace Mah, CAO, District of Kent -  Jay Hope, Corporate Affairs Director, Seabird Island -  Brian Titus, Sqewqel Development, Seabird Island

Our Journey Begins…

•  The District of Kent and neighbouring First Nations started working together to establish good relationships back in 2008.

•  Leveraged the UBCM’s Community to Community forums to come together, break bread and share stories and experiences.

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Memorandum of Understanding

Signing of the MOU April 11, 2011 – Former Mayor Lorne Fisher, District of Kent, and Former Chief Willy Charlie, Sts’ailes

Cheam First Nation

Scowlitz First Nation

Seabird Island Band Stó:lō Tribal Council 3

MOU continued… The purpose of the MOU: •  To build effective

communication and trust; and

•  economic development and natural resources management.

“Our MOU and solid working relationship, as well as our shared focus on the benefits to the health and well-being of our communities, solidified the decision to select us for the CEDI project.” , Wallace Mah, CAO, Kent

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First Nations – Municipal Community Economic Development

Initiative •  In late 2012, Seabird completed a survey determining

interest in the First Nations – Municipal Community Economic Development Initiative (CEDI).

•  Through a rigorous Federal screening & selection process, the District of Kent was paired with Seabird Island for participation in CEDI.

•  One of six joint pairings out of 280 applicants from across Canada. 5

Joint Regional Marketing Strategy Guided by our shared Vision, “Seabird Island and the District of Kent are interconnected in promoting joint economic initiatives through heritage and cultural values.”

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Joint Strategy Continued… The Strategy is a joint community economic development project for the purposes of:

1.  Attracting business and investment; and 2.  Attracting more tourists to the region.

We want to showcase the assets in the area, such as railways, power sources, and social structures like schools and government offices, that provide assurance to business investors that there are human resources and established infrastructure to support their operations.

“The way I see it, we’re not going to have sufficient human resources for prospective employers from just within the reserve, and we need some help to get people job ready, but we do have the resources in the region, and when we make the area economically viable, everyone benefits”, Brian Titus, . Sqewqel Development, Seabird

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Why Partner? •  It’s good business to engage your neighbours in anything

you do •  There are no borders on economic development - it’s

about the economic benefits and other spin offs you can gain from a good working relationship

•  There are no inequities •  We are all part of the same regional economy – we are

partners in promoting successful communities in the region

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Advantages of Relationship •  Open and transparent dialogue •  Joint funding applications, such as the recent expansion

of the District’s Rec Centre •  Joint petitioning of Federal / Provincial bodies for gravel

extraction, drainage, logging and emergency route evacuation

•  Increased opportunity for economic spin-off •  Shared opportunities to work together on Fire Services,

Utilities, Roads, Drainage, Forestry & Logging Initiatives

“There is a greater knowledge between the communities, greater ability to garner funding through provincial and federal government, and it always helps to have the security of adjacent municipalities and neighbours working with you to lend their support.”, Kerry Hilts, Director of Community Services, Kent 9

Long Term Outcomes In addition to collaborating on a joint regional marketing strategy for business / investor attraction and tourism promotion, we are: •  Working on gravel extraction,

salmon enhancement, and flood mitigation

•  Promoting culture, education, and tourism

•  Partnering to improve emergency access via logging roads

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Tips •  Take advantage of the UBCM Community to

Community funding •  Be welcoming and open to change •  Speak from your experience •  Be open to all possibilities •  When working together to

support economic development there are no inequities

The Seabird annual Tulip Festival brings in 18,000 visitors to the region 11