In response to the unforeseen curtailment of operations at Neucel Mill, the Village of Port Alice created an Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Plan, titled Port of Potential: Port Alice’s Economic Development Strategy. The purpose of the strategy and implementation plan is to continue the process of economic diversification and resiliency by creating a strong economic base that can better leverage opportunities and community assets.
Funding for this project was provided as part of a Province of BC and ICET partnership to support short term economic response to the industrial curtailment.
This project included community and business surveys, a community open house, and consultations with Steering Committee members, Village staff, and other key stakeholders. The strategy resulted in six focus areas complete with short, medium, and long-term actions for each of the strategic focus areas. Actions to reduce the Village’s dependence on the local pulp mill, support the development of local employment, and support a more diverse tax base within the Village were also developed.
Port Alice’s Economic Development Strategy has provided the community with a road map toward economic diversification and will support the Village’s efforts to attract and retain the amenities that make Port Alice a desirable location to live and work, assisting in the attraction and retention of skilled workers.
Island Coastal Economic Trust approved funding for this project in 2016 through the Investment Readiness program.
We work in reciprocal relationships with coastal communities across the ancestral territories of the Kwak̓wala, Nuučaan̓uɫ, Éy7á7juuthem, Ligwilda'xw, Pəntl'áč, She shashishalhem, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Hul’q’umi’num’, diitiidʔaatx̣, SENĆOŦEN, Lekwungen, and T’Sou-ke speaking peoples.
