2019 Summer Quarterly Report

JULY / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER

- 2019 QUARTERLY REPORT

BY THE NUMBERS

IN THIS ISSUE The Trust pitches in to support campgrounds p. 3

$147.6 million in Trust funding invested into the region since 2005

Lo-Bar strengthens tree growth in trial p. 4

$221.3 million in funding approved and administered into 3,691 projects since 2005

Take a seat in Fort Nelson p. 9

$17.6 million approved for 463 projects to date in 2019 $44.1 million leveraged to date in 2019 as new project investment $14.1 million invested into 424 First Nations projects since 2005

Northwestern B.C. creates marketing consortium p. 13 Trust team update p. 15 Regional retreats p. 16 New beginnings for newsletter p. 19

NORTHERN DISPATCH: THE STATE OF AGRICULTURE IN NORTHERN B.C. Twice a year, Northern Development identifies topical issues for those living and working in Northern B.C. and invites industry experts to share context and their perspective on the specific subject in Northern Dispatch.

Later this month, the Trust will be releasing the second Northern Dispatch of 2019. The short report will include insight from Cam Dahl, president of Cereals Canada, and Debbie Evans, agriculture coordinator with Regional District of Bulkley Nechako.

Northern Dispatch will be sent to your inbox, shared on Northern Development’s social media and posted at northerndevelopment.bc.ca/northern-dispatch.

2 2

“IN-TENTS” ABOUT CAMPING

Northern B.C. campgrounds receive financial support from the Trust for improvements Summer has come to an end and nights spent in tents and RVs are fond memories of a warmer season. Throughout the years, Northern Development has supported 13 projects that have improved camping experiences from Haida Gwaii to Mackenzie and Granisle to Lillooet.

Campground Project List:

To date, the Trust has committed $951,769 to non-profits, First Nations and local governments that are seeking to improve their recreational camping assets. Since Northern Development’s inception, tourism has been an investment area that has been heartily supported - in fact, tourism is mentioned in the Northern Development Trust Act (2004) as one of the investment areas that funds should be used for.

Logan Lake Campground Expansion - District of Logan Lake

Tourism in our province is a significant industry that provides economic benefits and improves the quality of life for residents.

According to Destination BC, tourism generated $18.4 billion in annual revenue and there were approximately 21.6 million overnight visitors in B.C. in 2017.

Whispering Willows Campsite - Soda Creek Indian Band (Xat’sull) Hayden Turner Campground - Village of Queen Charlotte

Hayden Turner Campground Upgrades Phase 2 - Village of Queen Charlotte Ferry Island Campsite Expansion - City of Terrace Moricetown RV Park and Campground Revitalization - Witset First Nation (Moricetown)

Campground Expansion - Friends of Historic Hat Creek Ranch Society Logan Lake Visitor Centre and Campground Office Construction - District of Logan Lake Cayoose Campground Revitalization - District of Lillooet New Beach Campground Improvements - Village of Granisle

Welcoming campgrounds are essential to providing travelers with a positive holiday experience and the Trust is pleased to support communities that are keen to provide guests with an enjoyable and memorable accommodation experience.

Turn to page 8 to learn more about three specific campground projects that received funding from Northern Development.

Riverside Campground Upgrade - District of Vanderhoof Mackenzie Community Campsite Development - District of Mackenzie Mackenzie Community Campsite Development Phase Two - District of Mackenzie 3

THINNING TIMBER STANDS STRENGTHENS TREE QUALITY

Lo-Bar successfully completes commercial tree thinning trial east of Prince George Photo: Lo-Bar

Lo-Bar successfully completes commercial tree thinning trial east of Prince George In the summer of 2018, Lo-Bar Log Transport successfully applied to Northern Development’s Northern Industries Innovation Fund for a $50,000 grant to help with the costs of a $468,209 project. Lo-Bar intended to conduct an eight-month trial period to see if the practice of commercial tree thinning was feasible for their business.

“We were very interested in completing commercial thinning during a trial period,” said Marty Hiemstra, business manager at Lo-Bar. “FPInnovations put on a workshop earlier in the year about commercial thinning which piqued our interest. Our owner saw this done in Europe, and he was keen to try it.”

Commercial thinning is a practice that has been proven in many parts of the world and, following Lo-Bar’s project, in Northern B.C. The process utilizes specialized equipment that can be easily maneuvered through tight spaces without leaving wide trails to reduce impact on crop trees.

The equipment operator selectively harvests trees in strips approximately five metres wide that preserves the best quality trees with appropriate spacing. Each five-metre path is separated by a 20-metre-wide swath of trees. From the trail, the operator can reach into the tree stand on either side and remove stems, or trees, that had quality defects such as scars, broken tops or forks.

By removing lower quality trees early in the growth process, the remaining trees experience accelerated growth. Trees are able to grow faster because the removal of select trees eliminates competition for light, water and nutrients in the stand. The trees that are removed would likely lose the competition for growth resources and would die within the stand. By harvesting the live tree, it may be transformed into lumber, pulp or biofuel.

“We were expecting it to work well and it did,” stated Hiemstra. “One challenge we overcame was finding stands that were productive to work in. It was tough to get the right age and size combination. The stands we did the trial in were clear cuts that were planted approximately 40 years earlier.”

“It was a nice change from our standard practice of clear cut,” Hiemstra explained. “It’s a different way of managing and helping the forest for the future. All the merchantable material that was cut during the thinning was removed and delivered to local facilities.”

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Photo: Northern Development

Overall, the success of this project was measured based on three factors: the completion of the eight-month trial period being profitable for Lo-Bar; higher percentage of quality trees without significant defects after thinning than prior to thinning; and additional logs being delivered to local mills that would otherwise be lost to mortality. The completed work met these three goals and Lo-Bar looks forward to continuing this type of harvesting into the future.

“The knowledge gained from this experience benefits Northern B.C.’s forest industry by providing access to a bit more fibre in the near term without sacrificing long term harvest,” said Hiemstra. “We’re able to capture natural mortality in the stand that we would never be able to use otherwise.”

Lo-Bar is an established business based in Prince George that is a cut-tolength harvesting contractor that harvests and delivers forest products.

Annually, they harvest and transport more than 800,000m3 of logs.

Photo: Lo-Bar

Through the eight-month commercial thinning period, Lo-Bar added 19,409m3 to this amount, cutting and delivering timber gleaned from 196.1 hectares in the Purden Lake area, east of Prince George, where the trial took place.

The success of Lo-Bar’s project aligns closely with the goals of Northern Development’s Northern Industries Innovation Fund to support the diversification and expansion of Northern B.C.’s economy through increased business competitiveness, incremental revenue and job creation. Lo-Bar’s project fulfills this trio of measurements and also provides information to Northern B.C.’s forestry industry about the successful technique that encourages stronger growth in trees and harvests weaker trees before they die in the stand.

Photo: Lo-Bar

Photo: Northern Development

Watch a video, including drone footage of the harvester in action and aerial views of thinned stands, on our website by searching for “Thinning timber stands strengthens tree quality” at northerndevelopment.bc.ca/explore-our-region/search

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FORESTRY AFFECTED BUSINESS (FAB) CONSULTING REBATE In August, Northern Development announced a new consulting rebate for small and medium sized businesses that have been affected by permanent mill closures or curtailments.

The Forestry Affected Business (FAB) Consulting Rebate will reimburse small and medium sized businesses for contracted consulting services. A rebate of up to 75 per cent, to a maximum of $15,000, can be recovered for the cost of hiring a consultant to assist with business efforts.

The program is designed to help businesses recover the costs of thirdparty consulting projects that focus on ways to sustain the business during the forestry industry’s economic downturn.

FAB is open to industries outside of the industrial supply and services sector. Eligible industries include tourism, retail, hospitality and agriculture/ranching. northerndevelopment.bc.ca/competitiveness-consulting-rebate

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS JANUARY 1 - SEPT. 30, 2019 www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca/

NORTHERN INDUSTRIES INNOVATION FUND 2019 as of September 30

northerndevelopment.bc.ca/northern-industries-innovation-fund

# Projects

$ Approved

Cariboo-Chilcotin/Lillooet Region

0

0

Northeast Region

1

50,000

Northwest Region

0

0

Prince George Region

4

190,127

Multiple Regions

1

50,000

www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca/

COMPETITIVENESS CONSULTING REBATE 2019 as of September 30

northerndevelopment.bc.ca/competitiveness-consulting-rebate

# Projects

$ Approved

Cariboo-Chilcotin/Lillooet Region

10

123,308

Northeast Region

2

12,530

Northwest Region

5

91,525

Prince George Region

17

214,008

Photo: EDI

“EDI had been hoping to redesign our website from it, advance our marketing efforts, using the website as a hub. The NDIT funding helped initiate the project, which has become a huge success.”

- Bob Redden, CEO of EDI Read more about what EDI Environmental Dynamics accomplished with a $13,968 consulting rebate from the Trust by searching “down to earth biology” on northerndevelopment.bc.ca/explore-our-region/search

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FEATURED CAMPGROUND IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS Logan Lake Campground

Continued from page 3

Photo: District of Logan Lake

Near the southern edge of Northern Development’s service region, Logan Lake Campground is a well-maintained, municipally owned campground overlooking its namesake. Twice, the District of Logan Lake has successfully applied to the Trust’s Economic Diversification Infrastructure program to receive funding for a campground expansion (completed in 2015) and for the construction of a visitor centre and campground office building (completed in 2018).

for all campground users to enjoy. The new campground office was a welcome and necessary improvement to enhance guests’ check-in experience as the previous office was located in a small utility closet space with no seating area and no opportunity for retail sales.

“The funding from Northern Development has helped us make our municipal campground much more attractive to visitors,” said Jeff Carter, director of public works and recreation at District of Logan Lake. “The construction of the campground office and visitor centre creates a positive first impression to those stopping in the area and also provides an additional revenue opportunity by featuring a retail space. The campground expansion enables us to welcome more campers and encourage them to access a range of outdoor activities that surround the campground.”

Combined, Northern Development provided $391,452 for the construction of the campground office and visitor centre and the creation of 13 new serviced campsites. Existing campsites were regraded and furnished with new firepits and picnic tables. A gazebo, picnic tables and barbeque were installed in a common area 8

Photo: District of Logan Lake

Witset RV Park and Campground B.C.’s first accessible campground opened in 2018 overlooking the Bulkley River flowing through the beautiful Widzin Kwah Canyon in Witset, 30 kilometres west of Smithers. This campground was originally constructed in the 1980s and underwent a significant revitalization to meet the needs of today’s travelers with larger, pull through campsites and 50-amp service. With Witset Museum located on site, Witset RV Park and Campground is an attractive destination for many travelers.

Photo: Northern Development

“Witset First Nation is proud to operate B.C.’s first accessible campground and we are grateful to all of supporters who made this project a reality,” said Rebecca Morris, director of tourism and economic development at Witset First Nation. “Prior to this project we spent a lot of time planning how we can best welcome people and share our rich culture with guests. Now, this campground benefits our community in a variety of positive ways.”

To be welcoming to all people, the campground was made completely accessible and features compacted, level surfaces, accessible picnic tables and roll-in accessible showers. Operated

by Witset First Nation, Northern Development was pleased to support their inclusive and forward-thinking strategy for the campground with a $137,605 grant through the Economic Development Infrastructure program.

Photo: Northern Development

Mackenzie Community Campsite In April 2018, District of Mackenzie was approved for $30,000 for the development of Mackenzie Community Campsite on Morfee Lake Road. The initial development, completed in fall 2018, features eight large RV sites with concrete pads and fire rings. In July 2019, the Trust approved $15,000 for the second phase of this development – adding eight tent sites with tables and fire rings.

“Adding 16 campsites to Mackenzie’s campground inventory is beneficial to both residents and visitors to our area,” said Stacey Miranda, director of recreation services at District of Mackenzie.

“In previous summers, the existing campgrounds were consistently full, and people would have a challenging time finding a place to stay that is close to amenities. Now, we have more space to welcome more people and to encourage them to enjoy all that Mackenzie has to offer, both in our beautiful natural surroundings and unique businesses.”

The addition of 16 campsites increases Mackenzie’s capacity to welcome travelers and seasonal workers. The new campground also provides direct access to popular recreation opportunities, including Morfee Lake beaches, Morfee Lakeshore Trail, Mackenzie Golf and Country Club and Little Mac Bike Trails. This ideal location provides campers with a wide variety of activities, encouraging them to stay longer in the Mackenzie area.

Photo: District of Mackenzie

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TAKE A SEAT Fort Nelson’s Phoenix Theatre invests $185,000 in upgrades and increases movie attendance by 24 per cent Photo: Northern Development

Deep in B.C.’s northeast, the Phoenix Theatre has been Fort Nelson’s entertainment hub since 1992. Since the early 90’s, the seats have been filled by audiences eager to take in movie showings, dance recitals, musicals, plays, concerts, ceremonies and much more. The amusing events regularly offered by the theatre, which is more than 350km away from the nearest cinematic theatre in Fort St. John, adds to the quality of life in the area by providing a welcoming place for community members to gather and socialize.

“The theatre means a lot of different things to the community because we offer a diverse range of services and opportunities,” said John Roper, general manager of the Phoenix Theatre. “For our performers, it is an outlet for creativity and self-expression. For many it’s a great night of entertainment – we’ve presented many groups from Fred Penner to Randy Bachman. Many use the venue to educate, fundraise or simply to watch a film with family and friends.”

When the Phoenix Theatre Management Society applied to the Trust in 2015 for $30,000 to replace 220 worn out seats, it was apparent that the tired chairs were ready to retire after supporting so many enthusiastic patrons.

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Phoenix Theatre fundraised nearly $15,000 by allowing patrons to sponsor a chair and place a small plaque with a message on the seat of their choice. So far, 119 seats have been sponsored to help the society with the costs of the renovations.

“We sold and donated many of the old seats to people and organizations,” Roper explained. “Over 100 of the old seats were donated to our local curling rink for their second life where people were sitting on concrete to watch the games. Many of our old seats are on people’s decks and sheds. Very few of them ended up in the landfill.”

While the theatre was closed for several weeks due to the chair installations, the society started a new initiative called Popcorn Dash Delivery. This program hand delivered popcorn and freshly squeezed lemonade to people and businesses in Fort Nelson. This provided a significant boost to the concession’s revenues and provided staff with work during renovations. The program is continued to this day with $1 from every order going to a different local charity. Recent charities supported by Popcorn Dash Delivery include the Fort Nelson Family Development Society, Healthy Horizons, the Fort Nelson Community Literacy Society, Foundation Glycosylation and the Fort Nelson Hospital and Healthcare Foundation.

For our performers, it is an outlet for creativity and self-expression. For many it’s a great night of entertainment – we’ve presented many groups from Fred Penner to Randy Bachman. Many use the venue to educate, fundraise or simply to watch a film with family and friends - John Roper, General Manager, Phoenix Theatre

Other upgrades included the addition of five inches of leg room, drywall repair and a fresh coat of paint in the auditorium and storage spaces. In some places, the paint applied in 2016 was the first layer of new paint since the walls were originally painted 24 years earlier. Linoleum was also installed in each row of chairs and LED light strips were placed on the stairs to increase safety and visibility. The old, stained carpet was removed and replaced with fresh new threads in the auditorium.

“Another note of interest is our attendance since the seat replacement,” Roper said. “In 2016, the year the seating project was completed, we had a total attendance of 12,429 for our film programming. For our 2018 year, we had a total of 15,417 – a 24 per cent increase in attendance over two years. The economic climate of the town has not

changed much since then, so I attribute the increase in attendance in large part to the seating project.”

Funding for this project was provided through Northern Development’s Community Halls and Recreation Facilities program. This program provides up to $30,000, or 70 per cent of the project’s budget, to improve, expand or develop facilities in order to increase the number of events held annually in the community.

Watch a timelapse of the theatre’s transformation on our website by searching for “Take a seat” at northerndevelopment.bc.ca/ explore-our-region/search

Photo: Phoenix Theatre

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS JANUARY 1 – SEPT 30, 2019 www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca/

BUSINESS FAÇADE IMPROVEMENT 2019 as of September 30

northerndevelopment.bc.ca/business-facade-improvement

# Communities

$ Approved

Cariboo-Chilcotin/Lillooet Region

7

135,000

Northeast Region

1

20,000

Northwest Region

8

160,000

Prince George Region

5

95,000

www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca/

MARKETING INITIATIVES 2019 as of September 30

northerndevelopment.bc.ca/marketing-initiatives

# Projects

$ Approved

Cariboo-Chilcotin/Lillooet Region

9

130,940

Northeast Region

4

61,251

Northwest Region

6

95,316

Prince George Region

10

126,304

COMMUNITY HALLS AND RECREATION FACILITIES 2019 as of September 30

# Projects

$ Approved

Cariboo-Chilcotin/Lillooet Region

20

423,796

Northeast Region

27

1,050,967

Northwest Region

20

458,174

Prince George Region

42

850,915

northerndevelopment.bc.ca/community-halls-and-recreation-facilities

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FABULOUS FESTIVALS AND EVENTS JULY 1 – SEPT 30, 2019 New from July 1 - September 30, 2019 Lillooet Agriculture and Food Society

2019 Lillooet Fall Fair

Sept. 21

NEW

Sandspit Community Society

2019 Sandspit Wild Harvest Festival

Sept. 6 - 7

NEW

Huble Homestead/Giscome Portage Heritage Society

2019 Potato Festival

Sept. 1 - 2

NEW

Lytton River Festival Society

2019 Lytton River Festival

Aug. 30 - Sept. 1

NEW

Hudson's Hope Fall Fair Society

2019 Hudson's Hope Fall Fair

Aug. 24

NEW

Bulkley Valley Agricultural and Industrial Association

2019 Bulkley Valley Exhibition

Aug. 22 - 25

NEW

Bridge Lake Fair Association

2019 Bridge Lake Fair

Aug. 18

NEW

Sunset Prairie Recreation Commission

2019 Kiskatinaw Fall Fair

Aug. 16 - 18

NEW

North Peace Fall Fair Society

2019 North Peace Fall Fair

Aug. 16 - 18

NEW

Tsideldel First Nation

2019 20th Annual Chilcotin Series Redstone Rodeo

Aug. 16 - 18

NEW

Nechako Valley Exhibition

2019 Nechako Valley Exhibition

Aug. 16 - 18

NEW

Cariboo Chilcotin Metis Association

2019 Metis Jamboree

Aug. 15 - 17

NEW

Hazelton Area Historical Association

2019 Pioneer Day

Aug. 10

NEW

Dawson Creek & District Exhibition Association

2019 Dawson Creek Exhibition and Stampede

Aug. 7 - 11

NEW

Kispiox Valley Music Festival Society

2019 Kispiox Valley Music Festival

July 26 - 28

NEW

Village of Fraser Lake

2019 White Swan Music Festival and Show & Shine

July 20 - 21

NEW

Dawson Creek Dare to Dream Society

2019 Dawson Creek Music Festival

July 13 -14

NEW

northerndevelopment.bc.ca/fabulous-festivals-and-events

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NORTHWEST B.C. COMMUNITIES CREATE CONSORTIUM TO ATTRACT TOURISTS $20,000 from Northern Development helps create multiple marketing videos

Photos: Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine

Main Street, Stewart B.C.

British Columbia’s northwest is a vast region filled with beauty and wildlife that cannot be found anywhere else on Earth. While locals know about the stunning wilderness and welcoming communities, not many travelers are privy to this information. To help spread the word about the inspiration and rejuvenation that awaits travelers, six organizations (Kermodei Tourism, Nisga’a Lisims Government, District of Stewart, District of New Hazelton, Village of Hazelton and Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine), have formed a consortium to promote #VisitNorthwestBC. Working together, the group accomplished several tactics to celebrate their region and entice visitation, including the development of a research-based marketing plan, website development and brand elements. What they still needed was content to use in their promotions. To help with this, Northern Development contributed $20,000 to the $40,000 content creation project through the Marketing Initiatives funding program.

“With Northern Development’s support we were able to hire a professional agency to capture multi-season footage and create a film and several shorter vignettes that are representative of the participating communities,” said Deklan Corstanje, economic development officer with Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine. “The grant we received meant that the money contributed by the partners could also be used to increase awareness and visitation to northwest B.C. by launching a digital marketing campaign that features the engaging content we created.”

The feature film showcases the area’s beautiful and raw wilderness through footage of the ocean, rivers, mountains and glaciers and people participating in outdoor activities like fly fishing, hockey on a frozen lake, kayaking in sunny weather, wildlife viewing and talking around a fire. The video is strategically placed at the top of visitnorthwestbc.ca’s homepage and has been well-received on social media. In just one week after it launched, the campaign received more than 179,000 impressions and more than 15,000 people have seen the videos.

To date, Northern Development has committed more than $1.9 million for 164 projects totaling $7.9 million through the Marketing Initiatives grant program. More than half of this has been for projects that support growth in the tourism sector. $679,480 has been committed to marketing efforts that focus on economic development and the remainder has gone towards promotional projects in agriculture, forestry and transportation.

The Marketing Initiatives program provides funding to projects that support new projects that promote, or position, an area to take advantage of opportunities that support economic diversification and vitality. The initiatives can focus on attracting businesses, investments, residents or visitors through a variety of methods. Up to $20,000 or 50 per cent of a project’s budget may be received as a grant from the Trust.

Watch all nine videos on Visit Northwest BC’s YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/VisitNorthwestBC Nisga’a Museum, Nass Valley

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TRUST TEAM UPDATE Two staff changes to better serve the businesses in the region and third-party programs www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca/

www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca/

Felicia Magee

Renata King

Jo-Anna Johnston

Director of Business Development Northern Development

former Director of Business Development Northern Development

Partner Programs Manager Northern Development

In July, Northern Development welcomed Felicia Magee to the position of director of business development. Magee is already a familiar face as she joined the Trust in 2018 as business development coordinator. In her new position, Magee will be strategically leading Northern Development’s business programs and supporting smalland medium-sized businesses that are engaged in manufacturing, innovative technologies, resource processing, transportation or distribution while also reacting to the needs of the region in a variety of ways. This was already done in early August to provide rebates to businesses in a wide range of industries that have been affected by permanent mill closures or curtailments.

Northern Development’s previous director of business development, Renata King, retired in June after seven years of supporting businesses through relevant programs in the Trust’s service region. Everyone at Northern Development congratulates King on her well-deserved retirement and is grateful for all the ways she supported capacity building and businesses in the Trust’s service region. King will continue to lead the Local Government and First Nations Internship programs until the end of 2019.

In August, the Trust welcomed Jo-Anna Johnston to the team as partner programs manager. In this newly created position, Johnston is responsible for the day-to-day management and operations of the Trust’s partner programs including Connecting BC, BC Hydro Peace Agricultural Compensation Fund and BC Hydro GO Fund.

Johnston joins the Trust with broad business and project development experience across many industries, including government, construction, telecommunications and not-for-profits.

Northern Development is pleased to have Felicia and Jo-Anna in their respective new positions. We welcome their extensive knowledge and experience and look forward to enabling them to use their skills to better support businesses in our service region and the third-party funds we administer.

- Joel McKay CEO, Northern Development 15

BOUND FOR BELLA COOLA VALLEY The Trust hosts board meeting and retreat in Bella Coola The Trust’s service area is quite vast, so much so that planes, boats and automobiles are often required in order for us to visit all the communities we serve.

Case in point was July 23 to 25, 2019 when Northern Development’s board of directors and executive staff were fortunate enough to visit the picturesque Bella Coola Valley and Nuxalk Nation.

From the stunning mountainous peaks that are situated on either side of the airport runway and cause you to catch your breath as the plane expertly touches down between them, to the grizzly bears that keep watch as you float down the Atnarko River, the valley offers a scenic adventure in pristine wilderness.

Northern Development is proud to have supported many projects in the Bella Coola Valley – including key developments at the Bella Coola Airport. In 2016, approximately $95,000 was committed to the Central Coast Regional District (CCRD) to remove over 52 acres of timber from the surrounding airport land. This project addressed clearance restrictions that were necessary to meet Transport Canada standards and thereby, increase the number of passengers served.

In 2018, the CCRD received $250,000 to renew the Centennial Pool in Hagensborg in order to operate the facility year-round. This project included the replacement of the pool, hot tub, filtration system, water heaters and pump system, to name a just a few of the upgrades.

Both of these projects were funded through the Economic Diversification Infrastructure program.

In addition, the Trust has happily provided funding for the Bella Coola Music Festival since 2016 through the Fabulous Festivals and Events Program. This festival features performances by award winning artists from across Canada with a diverse line up of roots, rock, world, blues, folk music and more.

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Photos: Northern Development

THE TRUST TOURS TUMBLER RIDGE Northern Development’s staff retreat in Tumbler Ridge August 29 to 30, 2019 the Trust’s staff team took to Tumbler Ridge for some touring and team building. These two days included travel to and from the northeastern destination, guided tours of the Dinosaur Discovery Gallery and Wolverine River where you can see dinosaur footprints embedded in rock and a group hike to Quality Falls.

Visiting the Dinosaur Discovery Gallery was a significant highlight for the group.

Staff were guided by Dr. Charles Helm, scientific advisor to the museum foundation, and Zena Conlin, general manager of Tumbler Ridge Museum Foundation. Both provided a wealth of information to the team about the paleontological finds that are abundant in the Tumbler Ridge area. They showed fossils, track imprints and a passion for their work. Walking beside dinosaur tracks near Wolverine River was an incredible experience.

Photos: Northern Development

To date, Northern Development has committed more than $400,000 to the Tumbler Ridge Museum Foundation and $148,788 to the Tumbler Ridge Global Geopark Society. This funding was delivered through the Economic Diversification Infrastructure fund to help strengthen Tumbler Ridge’s economy and provide long-term assets for the community.

17

STORY IDEAS? LET US KNOW Have an idea for content we should feature in an upcoming newsletter? Let us know!

Our region is vast and sometimes we aren’t aware of the unique stories people have about their community’s success. Big or small, we want to hear from you!

Whether it is a grant that enabled a non-profit to buy new tables and chairs or the construction of a new, universally accessible aquatic centre that’s welcoming to the entire community, let us know what our support of your community means to you.

Email: anna@northerndevelopment.bc.ca

NEWSLETTER TO SEE NEW BEGINNINGS The Trust will be changing its method for delivering newsletter updates The Trust’s newsletter has been shared across many mediums, including monthly print newsletters. November and December 2012 newsletters pictured.

Changes are coming for the way Northern Development delivers its quarterly updates. After much thought and planning, the Trust will be returning to monthly newsletters, a practice that ended in 2016.

“We’re looking forward to crafting and delivering relevant monthly newsletters that celebrate the region’s successes,” said Holly Plato, director of communications and marketing at Northern Development.

“Returning to our monthly newsletter format provides us with a platform to share important information to the region in a timely manner.”

The new format will feature engaging and topical content displayed directly on Northern Development’s website. Subscribers to Northern Development’s current, quarterly newsletter will continue to receive emails each time a new newsletter is published online.

Each month, the Trust will feature success stories, a funding program, new Love Northern BC and Supply Chain Connector members and a popular social media post from the prior month. They will continue to provide quarterly updates on funding approvals and dollars invested in the region.

Be one of the first people to see our new newsletter!

Sign up at northerndevelopment.bc.ca/about/contact-us/

Returning to our monthly newsletter format provides us with a platform to share important information to the region in a timely manner.

- Holly Plato, Director of communications and marketing Northern Development 19

NEXT FUNDING INTAKE CLOSES

- OCTOBER 31 2019

UPCOMING DATES OCTOBER 23, 2019 Northern Development Board Meeting

NOVEMBER 15, 2019 BC Hydro Peace Agricultural Compensation Fund Board Meeting

DECEMBER 12, 2019 BC Hydro GO Fund: Regional Decision-Making Committee Meeting

JANUARY 17, 2020 Northeast Regional Advisory Committee Meeting

JANUARY 21, 2020 Cariboo-Chilcotin/Lillooet Regional Advisory Committee Meeting

JANUARY 24, 2020 Northwest Regional Advisory Committee Meeting

JANUARY 27, 2020 Prince George Regional Advisory Committee Meeting

JANUARY 28, 2020 #TrueNorth Business Development Forum

JANUARY 28 - 30, 2020 BC Natural Resources Forum

FEBRUARY 7, 2020 Quarterly intake deadline

301-1268 Fifth Avenue Prince George, B.C. V2L 3L2 250-561-2525 | info@northerndevelopment.bc.ca www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca