A collaborative forum is bringing communities from Lytton to Clinton together today to identify and advance their region's unique economic assets and competitive advantages.

The Lytton to Clinton Regional Economic Collaborative will engage local government and First Nations' leaders, business and economic development professionals, regional tourist organizations and provincial government agencies from four ministries with active projects in the area. This forum will allow them to work together to identify priority economic projects with a broad regional impact and develop an action plan to make them happen over the next 12 to 18 months.

Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan includes a commitment to work with communities and build their capacity so that every region of the province can make the most of its unique competitive advantages. The Lytton to Clinton project is one of five planned regional collaboratives to be offered as part of the Enhanced Community Economic Support Initiative, which also includes a series of economic development workshops for local leaders and an online suite of resources and tools that will be available soon to assist communities in attracting business and investment.

The collaboratives are modelled on three Regional Economic Investment Initiatives in Campbell River, the North Fraser region, and the McBride to Barriere corridor. After a series of community forums, the Province has been working with its partners in these regions to advance key job creation and investment attraction projects. For example, biomass inventory and airborne magnetic surveys of the Campbell River area were recently made available, offering investors detailed information about northern Vancouver Island's natural resources.

Quote:

Pat Bell, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour -

"We are committed to helping rural communities reach their full potential. That's why we're consulting and working with communities throughout British Columbia to identify needs and opportunities as they advance their economic development and investment attraction efforts."

Quick Facts:

Today's Regional Economic Collaborative will include:

• Business and economic development organizations such as the Northern Development Initiative Trust, which will present a summary of its regional consultations and planning priorities, Community Futures, New Pathways to Gold Society, and multiple Chambers of Commerce.

• Community representatives from Lytton, Lillooet, Spences Bridge, Ashcroft, Cache Creek and Clinton.

• First Nations, municipal and regional economic development professionals.

• Regional tourism organizations such as the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, and the Gold Country Communities Society.

• Provincial government agencies involved in economic development and related projects in the area from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training.

Learn More:

The Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training provides direct support to communities, businesses and regional economic development organizations through a network of regional managers deployed throughout the province. For more information or to connect with regional staff, visit the Rural BC website: http://www.ruralbc.gov.bc.ca/about/regional_offices.html

Get more details about the Regional Economic Investment Initiatives here: http://www.jtst.gov.bc.ca/economic_pilots/index.htm

And to find out more about BC Jobs Plan, visit: http://www.bcjobsplan.ca/

Media Contact:

Media Relations
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism, and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour
250 387-2799