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.

  • National Network for Urban Aboriginal Economic Development

    • Community and Economic Development and Transformation

    2008-2011

    The National Network for Urban Aboriginal Economic Development was supported by three year grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Office of the Federal Interlocutor at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, and by a one year grant from the Economic Development Branch at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. The network is coordinated by Greg Halseth from UNBC’s CDI and Ray Gerow from the Prince George Aboriginal Business Development Centre.

    The objective was to develop an open and inclusive multi-stakeholder national network of researchers, practitioners, and policy makers working in urban Aboriginal and Métis communities. This includes organizations, universities, federal/provincial/municipal governments, private industry, community groups, and NGO’s. The network’s focus is on mobilizing economic development knowledge and strengthening organizational capacity.

    The tasks included building the network, fostering a better understanding of the key issues, hosting national conferences, and establishing local Learning Circles to facilitate knowledge exchange and capacity building. The network included more than 25 organizations across Canada.

    Please note: this was an action-based project. No final report was prepared.

  • Tracking the Social and Economic Transformation Process in Kitimat, BC

    • Community and Economic Development and Transformation
    • Major Project Development

    2011 On-going

    When industrial investments come to small communities, the local social impacts can be significant and transformative. The town of Kitimat has been an industrial centre in northwestern British Columbia since the early 1950s. The town is now experiencing a large number of industrial construction projects that will change and renew the local economy. These construction projects will also impact and change the community. This project involves a long-term tracking study of the economic and social transformation processes now getting underway in Kitimat, BC.

    2013 reports include:

    2014 reports include:

  • Working ‘away’: Community & Family Impacts of Long Distance Labour Commuting in Mackenzie, BC

    • Community and Economic Development and Transformation
    • Workforce Deployment and Development

    2011 On-going

    The town of Mackenzie is one of BC’s  ‘instant towns’, built in the late 1960s to house the workforce for a new regional forest industry. A significant economic downturn in Mackenzie beginning in early 2008 resulted in the closure of all major forest industry operations (sawmills and pulp and paper mills) in the community. As a result, some of these forest sector workers had to engage in long distance labour commuting (LDLC). This project provides an opportunity to explore the implications of LDLC at both an individual and community level. The first part of the project occurred in Sept/Oct 2011, with meetings were held in Mackenzie to assess the scope, scale, implications, and experiences of long distance labour commuting for workers, their families, community groups, and the local business community.

    Part two of the project occurred in May/June 2012, with a household survey to assess the scale and scope of LDLC.  Interviews were also completed with workers to explore the motivations behind different pathways that workers take to either continue with, or to stop, their engagement with LDLC, as well as to explore the contributions that LDLC can bring to enhance community capacity as workers return to Mackenzie and apply new lessons and insights to their workplace.  We also spoke with community organizations to explore how LDLC has shaped their program needs and operations.

    Project reports include:

  • Laxgalts’ap Village Government - Community Development Plan update

    • Community and Economic Development and Transformation

    2010

    This research partnership between the Laxgalts’ap Village Government and the Community Development Institute at UNBC focuses on Laxgalts’ap’s Community Development Plan. The Laxgalts’ap Village Government is part of the Nisga’a First Nation and is formally constituted under terms of the Nisga’a Treaty. The purpose is to review the previous Community Development Plan and talk with local residents to create an “update” on achievements as well as a framework for actions towards their next Community Development Plan. This project was completed in December 2010

    This project was undertaken in partnership with the community, and the community retains ownership of the project materials and reports.

  • Community Presentations – Summer 2010

    • Community and Economic Development and Transformation

    2010

    By Greg Halseth and Don Manson

    This presentation describes some key foundations that need to be in place to support community development and economic transition in the New Rural Economy, including some tips for re-orienting strategies and infrastructure investments to support renewal processes at both the local and regional level.

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