亚洲天堂 Lake councillors Michael Riis-Christianson and John Illes say they felt energized after a rural development conference held earlier this summer in Kelowna.

They are now hoping to apply some of the empowering lessons they learned during the conference to 亚洲天堂 Lake鈥檚 diversification project, which has been underway since the start of the year.

鈥淔or me, this conference reinforced the belief that the keys to our future prosperity can be found here at home,鈥� said Riis-Christianson.

During the conference, Riis-Christianson said he learned that instead of asking, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 wrong and how do we fix it?鈥� municipalities should ask, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 worked and how do we get more of it?鈥�

The 鈥榢eeping it rural 2017鈥� conference gave attendees access to small-town economic development specialists from across North America and Australia. Peter Kenyon of Australia, who has facilitated economic renewal in more than 1000 communities around the world, opened the conference and provided the keynote address.

Kenyon is a strong proponent of 鈥榓sset based community economic development鈥� (ABCD), an approach to economic renewal based on community-driven initiatives.

鈥淲here traditional community development has taken a 鈥榯op-down, outside-in鈥� approach to address community needs, ABCD focuses on community strengths, capacities, assets and opportunities,鈥� explained Riis-Christianson. 鈥淎t the heart of this philosophy are community pride and the importance and power of collaboration, networking and relationships.鈥�

鈥淚 feel that the ABCD approach to community/economic development holds the key to our success,鈥� he added.

Following Riis-Christianson鈥檚 recommendation, the Village of 亚洲天堂 Lake sought consultants that use ABCD principals for its economic diversification project.

In addition, Riis-Christianson stressed that small communities need to be constantly adapting.

鈥溠侵尢焯� Lake is an incredible community, and currently a prosperous one; however, communities that don鈥檛 adapt to change likely won鈥檛 be successful in the long-term,鈥� he said.

鈥淜enyon firmly believes that the keys to transformational change can always be found within citizens,鈥� he added. 鈥淓very single person has capabilities, abilities, gifts and ideas, and living the good life depends on whether those capacities can be used, abilities expressed, gifts given and ideals shared.鈥�

The committee that will drive the new ideas forward - made up of local business owners, community members, First Nations representatives and village council members - still hasn鈥檛 been chosen. The 11 committee members are expected to be chosen and hold their first meeting by September 2017.

Earlier this year the village secured over $115,000 from grants and its own funds to develop this project.