The impact of the Boundary Economic Development Committee (BEDC) is being felt beyond Boundary Country.
The announcement last month at the Community Futures open house in Grand Forks that the region’s branding and tourism initiatives had won two first-place awards in a nation-wide competition.
This has given encouragement to the BEDC that its efforts in promoting Boundary Country are paying off.
“Developing a regional brand takes time, but this is very encouraging,” said Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) Area C Director and BEDC board member Grace McGregor about the recent awards.
McGregor also added that the consultation process used in the development of the Boundary Country brand was in keeping with the BEDC’s stated mandate to assist in finding grassroots solutions to common economic problems.
“The important thing is that we are working together for improvement in development in the whole Boundary area,” Midway Councillor, RDKB Director and BEDC board member Marguerite Rotvold commented in an interview.
McGregor further stated that the BEDC has strived with its promotion of the regional chamber of commerce to fulfill another aspect of its mandate, which is “to be proactive and strategic, promote change and long-term sustainability” in the region.
Rotvold agreed saying, “We saw (the regional chamber) as a priority in our strategic plan.
“We promoted it and worked at getting the people together and finding a way of sustaining it and moving it forward,” continued Rotvold,
“then passed it on to the businesses and the communities in the region to follow through with the vision.”
In addition to improved marketing of all the communities in the region, McGregor and Rotvold both noted that in working together regionally, they would be able to access government funds and programs that would not otherwise be available.
Other projects the BEDC has been instrumental in completing include the Boundary Regional Agricultural Plan, the improvement of regional signage and the development of a comprehensive tourist guide.
The BEDC has also launched its own website and supported other groups in the areas of heritage development and maintaining or developing infrastructure and new business.
In June 2012, the seventh annual Rural Communities Summit will be held in Grand Forks, attracting presenters and participants from all over B.C.
– Boundary Economic Development Committee