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Regional District terminates CVEDS contract, opposing views were too entrenched
This story was updated March 2 to include a reaction from Area C Director Edwin Grieve. Comox Councillor Ken Grant and Comox Mayor Russ Arnott did not respond.
After almost a year of public discussions, in-camera meetings and mediated workshops that were often divisive, the Comox Valley Regional District will terminate its contract with the Comox Valley Economic Development Society on Aug. 26.
In an email to CVEDS Chair Deana Simkin sent Feb. 25, board Chair Jesse Ketler said the regional district was invoking Section 22 of the current service agreement signed just seven months ago on July 27. The section provides for early termination of the contract with six months notice.
A press release issued by the regional district this morning made the termination public knowledge.
The 33-year-old Economic Development Society will now almost certainly fold without a contract that provided local public funding in excess of $1.2 million annually in recent years in exchange for economic development and destination marketing services, and management of the Visitor’s Centre.
In this morning press release, Chief Administrative officer Russell Dyson said, “the CVRD with their municipal partners (City of Courtenay and Town of Comox) will continue reviewing the economic development service to provide a path forward on how economic development will be delivered within the region.”
One possible path that Comox Council has already discussed is for the town to hire its own economic development officer, as Cumberland did in 2016. Comox could still continue to participate in regional funding for destination marketing and Visitors Centre management.
Regional directors made the decision to terminate the contract at an in-camera session following the Feb. 9 full board meeting, which had become heated over the Economic Development Society’s 2021 work plan and budget.
The Comox Town Council has been at odds with the majority of regional district directors over how to manage the CVEDS contract and over its fundamentally opposing view about what constitutes economic development.
The board majority comprising directors from Courtenay and Electoral Areas A and B have pressed to make CVEDS more financially accountable and to modernize its view of what drives the local economy.
Comox Director Ken Grant made the Town Council’s position crystal clear at the Feb. 9 meeting.
“With all the angst around this, I don’t see any way how this relationship with CVEDS can continue,” he said. “So it’s time to cut our ties with CVEDS and stop pouring good money after bad.”
He said the society’s 2021 workplan included seven projects specifically requested by the board “that, in my opinion” have nothing to do with economic development. That’s taking us down a road our community really isn’t interested in.”
Those seven items included, among others, efforts to help create broader access to child care to enable women to return or enter the workforce and addressing the need for affordable housing to accommodate employees of local businesses.
Grant said the regional board has been “interjecting our decisions into their board … in an independent governance model you don’t get to tell them how to do their business,” he said. “That’s been the problem from day one.”
NOBODY WAS HAPPY
Comox Town Council wasn’t happy with the board’s new vision for economic development. The board majority wasn’t happy with how CVEDS operated, especially its lack of transparency and what it considered an outdated approach.
It appears both sides had become tired of the conflict.
Some observers believe Comox developed its own economic development strategy last year when the differences of opinion looked irreconcilable and they didn’t have the votes to prevail.
Town Chief Administration Officer Jordan Wahl recently spoke about hiring its own economic development officer as Cumberland did after withdrawing from the regional service five years
The town hired Lara Greasley, former CVEDS marketing manager, last year and now there is speculation they might hire CVEDS executive director John Watson.
That would leave Courtenay and the electoral areas to form their own economic development plan.
But there might still be room for a regional-wide destination marketing service and management of the Visitor’s Centre, both of which are currently under contract with Tourism Vancouver Island.
REACTION TO THE TERMINATION
Area A Director Daniel Arbour said the ongoing service review will allow the municipalities and rural areas to discuss how to support economic development in each respective community. He said it’s clear there are a variety of needs, some which may be best addressed in each jurisdiction, and some through regional collaboration.
“For Area A, CVEDS has worked primarily on the promotion of the shellfish sector for years. Without CVEDS, as chair of the Baynes Sound Ecosystem Forum, and AVICC local government representative on shellfish issues, I look forward to continue to grow the relationship with the businesses, BC Shellfish Association, and K’omoks First Nation on the promotion of sustainability initiatives in and around Baynes Sound,” he told Decafnation.
“Ultimately, in the years ahead, the most important economic consideration in Area A will be to properly manage growth in and around Union Bay, and to make thoughtful decisions around infrastructure requirements and integrated community planning,” he said.
Area B Director Arzeena Hamir said she has been advocating for more support for the farming sector ever since she was elected in 2018.
“Supporting farmers to increase their incomes per acre and create a vibrant food economy has always been at the forefront of my asks of our Economic Development Service. I hope to continue pushing for that,” she told Decafnation.
“I do also support more childcare places and I do see the direct connection between the vitality of the workforce and the ability of that workforce to return to work without having to worry about who is taking care of their kids,” she said.
Hamir added that she is looking forward to a transformed Economic Development Service.
“It’s been a long haul. We did try to work with CVEDS under the new contract but I felt we weren’t getting the deliverables we agreed to and CVEDS continued to make decisions (like the contract to Tourism Vancouver Island) without even informing the CVRD in advance,” she said.
Area C Director Edwin Grieve thanked the “incredible list” of volunteers who stepped up and donated so much of their time and expertise to serve on the CVEDS board. He noted past presidents Richard Hardy, Ian Whitehead, Justin Rigsby, Deana Simpkin. He also gave recognition to John Watson and Geoff, Lara, Arron and others from the staff that worked magic and doubled every public dollar.
“In this, as in so many Comox Valley endeavours, it was the volunteers, societies and not-for-profits that made this such a great place to live,” he told Decafnation.
WHAT’S NEXT
It was the Comox Council that unanimously voted to request a formal review of the economic development service. That review with a hired consultant began on Jan. 17 but has so far resulted in only one in-camera meeting, which primarily focused on the process and procedures for the review.
The next meeting of the review committee is scheduled for mid-March but does not appear on the regional district’s website because they have closed the meetings to the public.
The review committee comprises representatives from Courtenay, Comox, the three electoral areas and the regional board chair.
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It’s about time with the so called Economic Development Society, what a joke. Reminds me of the Federal Business Development Bank…..had to change it’s name because of it’s dismal record and broke people rather than aided them. This Development joke never helped any business I know of and probably was more to their detriment rather than growth. i was in business in Cumberland and at least Leslie saw the problem and bailed while the town was able before it cost Cumberland any more wasted dollars. Glad to see it go and now consider putting it back to where we had local visitor information centres and employee people to represent ALL businesses, big and small. At least the museum should be a consideration as with Cumberland. People close to the community. Big thanks for Ken Grant seeing through the politics and ending the fiasco. I think Trilogy was the only one to gain with the fully serviced ancillary lots that were negotiated in the formation of the “Drum” bldg. ….you may have passed it on the highway….just look for the empty parking lot. Just my view
If CVEDS is such a disaster, and it is; why has Comox already hired and is planning on hiring the two people who were directing the entity?
A boondoggle if there ever was one.
Totally agree. This ” organization” has created so much animosity in the area and underperformed consistently. I had heard that Comox had hired the marketing manager but not the general manager….yet. Really makes you scratch your head! Surely, there are many highly skilled economic development people who would love to come here and do a great job for us! Why recycle CVEDS people??
What is a better pile of CRAP than a REGIONALDistric here they telling us they are NOT responsible for those Community futures but can’t tell us who is. Those Boards of Directors are NOT elected by the members of the Corporation like they MUST be NOT appointed by any Government No one want to tell us how they get there M.David Mitchell the Manager say he form the Board and WED agreed with him like if he was making cement and the Public all misinform expect that to work for the Gretter Good good LUCK. We have 4 elected people on the c.f. Board that is a volunteer board under the Watch of local Politicians since when you re smart enough to watch yourself ????You want to be in charge and don’t accept any responsibility and lies to the elected people and the public that vote you in try to run the Economic Development under a volunteer banner is just plain Stupidity. When you start lying to yourself to by pass responsibility we are all in trouble including YOU. Thank you very MUCH George for doing such a good job for your COMMUNITY i wish I could do the same here we have no one that have your ability to inform the mass properly or face the SHYSTERS. IF you don’t understand what i am saying ask a question I will try to explain it better this is the best I can do been a OLD FART.
The main thing that will drive the economy is tourism. The whole Comox Valley needs to enhance services that encourage tourism. I know there are a lot of people who want our valley to remain quiet but if we are going to provide affordable housing, child care etc. we need the money to do it. The businesses, even before covid, were struggling. Tourism would help this. A bike network, away from roadways would benefit the locals and encourage tourists to come here. perhaps along the railway tracks or weaving through subdivisions and across he estuary, a bike walking trail from Goose Spit to Courtenay. Families don’t like to bike along roadways.I know there are so many against bike tails I think this is the only community in the world who have people who dislike bike trails. Build blinds for bird viewing. Birding is huge especially I the U.S. Vision and what Robert Kennedy said, “Some men see things as they are, and say why. I dream of things that never were and say why not. ” Please don’t hire anyone. Ask the people.
These are great ideas and I agree with them all – especially the “birding” idea and the bike trails experience. Birding is huge, with birders that spend a lot of money to spot, view, discuss and enjoy what we tend to take for granted here. Huge potential! Especially if an economic development strategy finds “the sweet spots” where tourists drawn here for one activity also get an incredible food, wine, spirits, and “island foodie” experience that they share with all their friends. I’d also suggest an “incubator mall” to help nurture start-up businesses in their early stages of development. New entrepreneurs need time to learn and grow without loosing their savings and motivation.
Great news, thanks for the excellent reporting George. CVEDS has been underperforming/overspending in plain sight for years. Finally, the chickens come home to roost for them. Long overdue, just too bad we have to put up with them for another 6 months. My hat is off to the CVRD for this decision to get rid of them once and for all.
Another reason for amalgamation. Put all these disparate services under one governing body and get rid of the overlaps in services, offices, personnel, etc. etc. Do it before the province forces it on us.
Amalgamation has a very bad history with more failures and higher costs than successes. There is no way that Cumberland will ever join a larger municipality and I don’t see why people in Union Bay and in Merville would want to have a council where their reps get outvoted on issues by the Comox or Courtenay reps. Maybe Comox and Courtenay could merge but that really does presume that there are no cultural differences between the two towns that would lead to a divided council.