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.

  • Economic Development Plan District of Fort St. James

    • Community Services Provision
    • Community and Economic Development and Transformation
    The District approached the Community Development Institute (CDI) at the University of Northern British Columbia to assist them establishing the building blocks of an economic development strategy. As with any successful plan, it was crucial that these building blocks come from and be grounded in the community: the men, women, organizations, local businesses, and industry that form the basis of existing economy. The process that was designed, therefore, sought to engage the key stakeholders, for both the course of this project and for the longer term.

    Economic development is a slow and incremental process, made successful through a robust plan and the involvement of a committed core of individuals. For Fort St. James, this project was the launch of that process.

    For a copy of the report, click here: Economic Development Plan District of Fort St. James
  • Prince George Housing Need and Demand Study

    • Housing
    The Community Development Institute (CDI), working with the City of Prince George has developed two complementary reports, the City of Prince George Housing Strategy Framework and the City of Prince George Housing Need and Demand Study.

    This report, the City of Prince George Housing Need and Demand Study, was developed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors that will influence housing need and demand in Prince George, including past trajectories, current status, and future trends related to population, income, households, housing stock, and neighbourhood development. In addition to providing a city-wide perspective, the report explores many of these factors on a neighbourhood level. The neighbourhoods studied were identified as: East Bowl, West Bowl, Tyner/Cranbrook, North of Nechako, Blackburn, College Heights, and Westgate. The study also identifies a number of specific housing needs and opportunities.

    The information collected through the study informed the development of the City of Prince George Housing Strategy Framework, a tool that the City can use to collect, organize, and understand information and data that can help inform the development of housing strategies. It is also intended to be a tool that the City can use to monitor the implementation and impact of housing strategies over time and make decisions about housing development.

  • Lessons Learned in Work Camp-Community Relations: Practices Making a Positive Difference

    • Community and Economic Development and Transformation
    • Workforce Deployment and Development
    This research was commissioned by the BC Natural Gas Workforce Strategy Committee to gain a more robust understanding of rotational workforces and how these types of labour sourcing strategies could apply to the development and further diversification of the natural gas industry in British Columbia. To this end, the project involved a review of literature on issues and lessons learning from past experiences in employing rotational workforces. It included key informant interviews with a wide range of stakeholders including corporations, industry associations, local government, provincial government, community service groups, and labour. Particular attention was paid to issues related to the accommodation of rotational workforces within or around existing communities.

    This report presents a synopsis of findings from the research. This synopsis highlights issues and promising practices in six key areas:

    1. The Siting and Regulation of Workforce Accommodations.
    2. Industry-Community Communications.
    3. Community Investments.
    4. Industry-Community Social Cohesion.
    5. Monitoring and Accounting for Impacts and Benefits.
    6. Maximizing Economic Spin-offs.

    The goal of this research is to identify examples and practices from other jurisdictions that have helped to facilitate positive work camp-community relations, and lessons learned from practices that had negative consequences. The intent is to develop a base of knowledge in order to inform future industry players and communities and help them to facilitate arrangements that are beneficial to all relevant stakeholders in both the short and longer term.
  • District of Tumbler Ridge Sustainability Plan

    • Community Services Provision
    • Community and Economic Development and Transformation
    Tumbler Ridge was established in 1984 to service the nearby coal mines. Since then, the community has evolved from a single resource-based economy to an increasingly adaptive and diverse community. The nature of its establishment, and the fact that Tumbler Ridge is still a relatively new and small-sized community, means it is still vulnerable to fluctuations in the price of coal, which influences the operational decisions of the community's largest employers. The most recent downturn in coal prices in early 2014 reinforces the need to advance a focus on economic diversification and firmly establish Tumbler Ridge as a modern and self-reliant community in a beautiful setting The Tumbler Ridge Sustainability Plan reflects a proactive and determined resolve to ensure that the community continues on the path to achieving this vision.
    The project was carried out by a research team from the UNBC Community Development Institute.
    The Tumbler Ridge Sustainability Plan consists of an Executive Summary and two main parts:
    1. Community Profile - provides a statistical snapshot of the population, labour force, businesses, and industry of Tumbler Ridge;

    2. Framework for Action - consists of a set of goals, strategies, and tactics developed by the community members of Tumbler Ridge.

    The strategies and tactics that make up the Framework for Action were derived from a large number of conversations and group discussions held in the community over the course of 22 months between January 2013 and October 2014. They outline the actions that could be taken - and must be taken - in order to build on the community's assets and make Tumbler Ridge the community residents want it to be.

  • Dialogues on Readiness

    • Community Services Provision
    • Community and Economic Development and Transformation
    The Dialogues on Readiness was initiated in 2013 to develop a better understanding of the level of community awareness and readiness for the anticipated opportunities, pressure points, and processes associated with the development of large industrial projects. It explored a number of community factors that need to be considered in order to be prepared and ready for these projects, including capacity in workforce development, housing, education, health, community services, community amenities, the voluntary sector, transportation networks, and local economic and business development.

    The initial phase of the Dialogues on Readiness project was conducted in Prince Rupert, Terrace, Kitimat, and Prince George. The focus of this phase was the oil and gas sector, as it is a new industry in north-central and northwest BC. The findings from the research were shared with the community.

    From the research, the following themes emerged:
    • Communities are focused almost exclusively on preparing for the short-term construction phase of the anticipated industrial developments, not on the long-term operational phase;
    • Planning for the social development needs of the community requires further attention and support;
    • There is a need for collaboration between the economic and social sectors so that they are working effectively together to take advantage of future investment; and
    • Community-wide dialogue to understand and plan for the anticipated industrial investment is required in order to build relationships and realize long-term benefits for the community
      
    Project Reports:

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