Time to Go Our Own Way?

Here’s something frustrating: even though Electoral Area F is included in the CSRD’s Economic Development and Tourism Service, for the second year in a row, the committee responsible for directing those funds—supported by the CSRD Board—has voted not to fund any actual Economic Development work.

THIS IS NOT NEW MONEY.  We’ve been paying into CSRD Economic Development and Tourism service for years. It has provided tourism promotion and studies about what is needed, but we need basic economic development not another report. Right now we get none.

The North Shuswap is different than the other Electoral Areas. Larger centres like Salmon Arm or Kamloops are both about an hour away, whereas the other EA’s are about 20 minutes, give-or-take. An hour is a long haul if you’re looking for services, jobs, or supplies. We can’t just rely on distant cities to meet our needs. The North Shuswap needs:

• Local infrastructure like water systems, so we can grow safely and provide fire protection
• Community sewer solutions to replace many aging or failing individual septic systems
• A plan for shoulder-season and off-season tourism, to create local jobs and keep businesses open year-round
• Services like childcare, food bank, and more…

These things don’t just fall into place. They take planning, coordination, and preparation for investment. That’s what Economic Development is for. And our needs are different than other Electoral Areas. If the current system won’t support us, maybe it’s time we go our own way.

I’ll be requesting that we begin to have Area F removed from the existing Economic Development service bylaw (which currently includes Areas C, D, E, F, and G), and that we establish a standalone Economic Development service for the North Shuswap. Again, this is not new money.

This would allow us to:

• Focus on the needs of our residents and businesses, not those of other areas with different goals
• Clear accountability – Know exactly how funds are spent and report directly back to Area F residents.
• Local strategy fit – Design plans that reflect our rural realities, seasonal needs, and unique community strengths.
• Stronger partnerships – Align more easily with local groups, Chambers, and Indigenous communities on shared priorities, as well as working with other Electoral Areas when our needs align.

It’s time to take our future into our own hands. If you agree—or disagree—I want to hear from you.

A three question survey is here, please let me know what you think.