Our Research

The CDI maintains a clear focus on research and on providing access to valuable resources toward the goal of increasing knowledge and understanding and building capacity around community, regional, and economic development. Our goal is to balance both applied and basic work so as to maintain academic credibility and to be of practical relevance to communities.

The information in this section is organized by topic. Please contact us if you need help finding information or have a question about any of the research or resources included here.

  • Seniors Profile: Mackenzie, BC - New Horizons for Seniors

    • Age-friendly Communities
    • Community Services Provision

    The Community Development Institute has compiled this seniors profile as part of the New Horizons project undertaken by the Mackenzie Campus of the College of New Caledonia. In collaboration with community partners, including Kimta Transportation Society and Autumn Lodge Society, the project aims to research, develop, and implement creative and collaborative approaches to increasing the social inclusion of seniors in the District of Mackenzie.

    Seniors Profile Mackenzie, BC - New Horizons FINAL

  • District of Houston Housing Study

    • Housing

    The District of Houston is striving to ensure that the community has an adequate supply of high quality housing and that the housing stock includes options that meet the current and future needs of residents. The District is particularly interested in ensuring that the housing stock includes suitable options that consider: the full range of incomes in the community, people at different ages and stages of life, worker and workforce mobility, and the long-term costs of maintaining local government services and infrastructure. This study is undertaken by the Community Development Institute at UNBC to collect and analyze data and provide information and knowledge that can inform decisions necessary to develop a robust and diverse housing supply that aligns with economic growth and diversification opportunities. 

    District of Houston: Community Profile
    District of Houston: Required Data
    District of Houston: Review of Past Plans and Reports
    District of Houston: Final Report

  • Non-Resident Property Ownership in BC

    • Community Services Provision
    • Community and Economic Development and Transformation
    • Major Project Development
    As a result of ongoing interest in, and concerns about, non-resident property ownership in BC, the Real Estate Institute of BC (REIBC) approached the CDI to conduct three research studies in order to inform dialogue and policy development. The studies are a comparative review of policies and approaches from jurisdictions around the world aimed at limiting non-resident ownership of residential, commercial and industrial, and agricultural land.

    • A worldwide concern in recent years has been “land grabbing,” the large-scale acquisition of land by private or public investors, including foreign nationals and foreign governments. A 2015 Library of Parliament publication holds that “In Canada, concerns about farmland grabbing relate to actions by domestic, as well as foreign, investors … the threat of farmland acquisition comes not only from abroad, but also from within Canada via such instruments as investment funds.”2 The consequences include the increasing price of farmland, making farming less financially viable for future generations of farmers.
    Non-resident Ownership of Agricultural Property
    • In 2016, the Province of British Columbia legislated a 15% property transfer tax to be applied to foreign nationals and foreign-controlled corporations purchasing residential properties in Metro Vancouver. This was in response to increasing concerns over housing affordability due to data on housing sales that showed foreign nationals invested more than $1 billion in BC property between June 10 and July 16, 2016. Since that time, there appears to have been a surge in the sale of commercial real estate in British Columbia and Metro Vancouver. In March 2017, the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver reported a 47% increase in the value of commercial real estate in 2016.
    Non-resident Ownership of Commercial and Industrial Property
    • Housing affordability was a leading issue of concern in 2016 throughout British Columbia. The skyrocketing house prices in Metro Vancouver figured prominently in the media. However, Fort St. John, Kitimat, and Terrace have all seen double-digit increases in their average residential selling prices in recent years. As a result, policy makers, planners, and real estate professionals across the province are grappling to understand the drivers behind the increases and design solutions that will effectively stabilize the real estate market and increase housing affordability for local residents without affecting a plunge in equity values or driving away foreign investment.
    Non-resident Property Ownership of Residential Property

  • Vital Signs Prince George 2019

    • Community Services Provision
    • Community and Economic Development and Transformation

    For the second time since the inception of the national Vital Signs program, the Prince George Community Foundation is releasing its own local report. This complete Vital Signs report, which examines 10 indicator areas is far more than another statistical research report. It provides a community check-up and measures the vitality of our region, identifies concerns, and supports action on issues that are critical to our quality of life. Additionally, for 2019 the Prince George Community Foundation accepted the call to action by the Community Foundation of Canada to connect this report to the UN Sustainable Development Goals to help further the connection between change at the local and global level.

     To view a copy of the report, click on Vital Signs Prince George 2019

  • Your Voice - Fort St. John Community Survey

    • Community Services Provision
    • Community and Economic Development and Transformation
    • Major Project Development

    Organization of Reports

    To enhance readability of the findings of this research, three separate reports have been developed. The reports from the “Your Voice Fort St. John” survey include:

    Your Voice Fort St. John - Summary Report
    Your Voice Fort St. John - Survey
    Your Voice Fort St. John - Methodology Report

    In consecutive phases, The Forge aims to gather, process, and present data and information about the community of Fort St. John as a way of meaningfully informing local and regional decision-making.

    “Your Voice Fort St. John” was designed to explore community areas that affect quality of life and provide input into the community indicators that will be tracked over time.

    The survey was open to all residents of Fort St. John and asked for their perspectives on a variety of topics, including the economy, local education, availability and satisfaction with a variety of services, community engagement, the environment, and changes in the community over time. The Summary Report describes the overall findings from the survey. A detailed reporting of survey responses is provided in the Survey Report, while the Methodology Report explains the way the survey was created and delivered.

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