Six community members have been selected to join a new committee that will seek to find ways to diversify the local economy, moving beyond its reliance on the forest products industry.
The chosen community members include Jason Llewellyn, Clayton Wainwright, Stephen Burkholder, Lindsay Beedle, Rachelle Van Zanten and Chantal Tom.
According to councillor Riis-Christianson, who鈥檚 also a part of the committee along with 亚洲天堂 Lake Mayor Chris Beach, appointing members to the committee was a difficult task.
鈥淲e could only choose six at this point; there were so many good candidates,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was an enviable position to be in, but it made the selection process somewhat more time-consuming than I think any of us anticipated.鈥�
Although the committee is now complete, Riis-Christianson said there will be opportunities for other community members to get involved.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping everyone in the community will choose to be involved to some degree, because that鈥檚 the only way this initiative will succeed,鈥� he said.
鈥淣o one individual, organization, or committee is going to solve the challenges facing our community, create a more diversified local economy or make the Lakes District a better place in which to live,鈥� he continued. 鈥淭here is no magic bullet here; tasks of this magnitude require action on the part of the entire community.鈥�
Riis-Christianson added that the individuals appointed will 鈥渂ring a lot to the table.鈥�
鈥淲e have planners, small business owners, artists, community activists, agriculturists, educators, and others with valuable knowledge and experience in a variety of fields,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e progressive thinkers; they鈥檙e people who care passionately about the future of our community and have shown by their actions that they care enough to act.鈥�
鈥淚 also believe they are people with the ability to inspire others, and that鈥檚 important.鈥�
The committee will use an approach called Asset Based Community Development (ABCD).
鈥淎BCD isn鈥檛 about gathering a group of experts or leaders to consider issues in a vacuum and then decide what the community needs to do to be successful, prosperous, healthy and sustainable,鈥� explained Riis-Christianson. 鈥楾hat approach doesn鈥檛 work.鈥�
鈥淎BCD is about getting citizens to identify the issues important to them, and then inspiring people to act on those issues. To be successful, we need to mobilize our community 鈥� or at least all the people in it who care enough to act.鈥�
The first meeting of the new committee has not been scheduled. The village currently has a request for proposals (RFP) that seeks a qualified practitioner to facilitate their exercise in ABCD.
鈥淗ow we proceed will depend in part on the results of that RFP,鈥� said Riis-Christianson.
Earlier this year the Village of 亚洲天堂 Lake secured over $115,000 from grants and its own funds to develop this project.
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