Community Economic Development
The Shorefast Community Economies Pilot was an 18-month pan-Canadian initiative from 2020-2022 founded on the understanding that capital must be employed to empower communities, and that place-based approaches are needed to deliver lasting, scalable solutions.
Southern Vancouver Island was one of five participating communities across the country, along with Hamilton, London, and Prince Edward County, ON; and Fogo Island, NL.
The pilot explored four focus areas:
- What collaborative and governance structures are needed to advance local economies?
- How do we build capacity at the local community level?
- What data do we need, where do we get it, who controls it, and where do we store it?
- How do we attract and retain capital in communities?
Regional partners included the South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP) and Victoria Foundation. This pilot provided the opportunity to leverage resources locally to support the development of SIPP’s Indigenous Prosperity Centre and contribute to the sharing of wise practices for Indigenous economic development on Southern Vancouver Island and beyond.
Source: Victoria Foundation