16-97 Alliance To Start Phase One

Thursday, April 26, 2007 03:56 AM

The 16-97 Alliance is ready to start the first phase of it’s economic development plan now that it has received a fair chunk of it’s desired funding.

The Province announced yesterday it was putting in $150 thousand dollars. That is in addition to the $50 thousand from the Regional District of Fraser Fort George, and funding from Quesnel and Wells.

The Alliance is attempting to identify the strengths of the region in order to promote those businesses, help the businesses grow, create jobs, and diversify the regional economy.

The first phase will identify and categorize the resource and industry assets of the 16-97 corridors. The cost for that project is pegged at about $100 thousand dollars. The contract for that study will be awarded soon and the final report is expected by early fall.

Once the categories (clusters) are set, phase two can come into play with the development of marketing plans for each one of those “clusters”.

Phase two may have to be revised says the Alliance’s Kathy Scouten, as the original budget calls for $348 thousand dollars, and so far, the Alliance is about $150 thousand short of that mark. Still, Scouten is optimistic some funding for this economic diversification plan can be found through corporate and private contributions.

The third phase will be the implementation of those marketing plans.

The full business plan can be viewed here.

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Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2007 03:56 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: lunarguy on April 26 2007 6:03 AM

They should look at that 2020 Campus document from the Ministry of Education as depending on how that is implemented you will see 200-300 lay offs at the University and basically negate the 600 million or so that the University contributes to PG economy every year.

Posted by: xommilf on April 26 2007 8:25 AM

One of our regional strengths seems to be the ability to get government grants to do studies that lead to further funding.

Posted by: lmorg on April 26 2007 9:51 AM

what a waste of the money. Another study to see what............ All you have to do is find out what businesses are still open, when they opened, and if they are operating in the black. It may be that the obvious strengths economically are the big box retailers.
The economy here has not diversified enough to the point that it can sustain itself once the forestry economy snuffs out. Here in PG, alot of local business churns in support of the forestry industry.

Posted by: KoKoShu on April 26 2007 11:40 AM

Check out the business plan. It uses lots of words, but it doesn't say anything. Mostly jargon. Identify clusters and study clusters and implement cluster strategies (can't wait to see these in year 3) and then benchmark the whole thing. Gravy train. And apply for more funding throughout.

OUr region is diversified by becoming populated with taxpayer funded workers who conduct studies and attend meetings.