Sector Development & Community Capacity Building
City Land Development Strategy
The City owns approximately 700 acres of properties, a number of which that have not been developed or have the potential to be redeveloped. In the last several years, the City has also acquired new industrial and agricultural properties for the purposes of attracting new investment in the community. In light of this, Mayor and Council directed staff to develop a strategy to address the redevelopment or disposition of the surplus property inventory that benefits the socio economic well-being of the community.
Early in 2020, senior development staff (Properties, Development and Communications; Planning Services; Infrastructure; Finance) discussed what a strategy should entail and took the time to go through the City’s inventory of properties to eliminate properties that shouldn’t be considered for analysis (e.g., parks, trails, city facilities, etc.).
With the approval of Council in April 2020, the City applied to the Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICET) for matching funds to support the development of a strategy. The application was successful and ICET committed to providing $20,000 to cover fifty percent of the $40,000 project cost.
In August 2020 professional planning consultants Urban Systems was selected as the firm to work with the city on the formulation of the strategy.
The completed strategy was adopted by Council in August 2020. It provides analysis and recommendations for the redevelopment of 25 City owned properties.
City of Powell River Land Management Strategy (2021)
Land Management Strategy Overview Maps
Inventory of all City Owned Properties
Business Emergency and Continuity Toolkit
The Business Emergency Preparedness and Continuity Toolkit is a resource for businesses and organizations to develop and implement procedures to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from large-scale emergencies. Knowing what actions need to be taken to re-open your business in a timely manner after a disaster or emergency is crucial your business, and the overall safety and economy.
You can also download just the Business Emergency Preparedness Plan
The City of Powell River organized the Business Emergency Preparedness and Continuity Toolkit with support from the qathet Regional District and Community Futures Powell River.
The City has also created an Emergency Prepared Business decal that is available for you to affix to your door, declaring to the public that your business is prepared for an emergency, and are also available to offer community support when called upon. Knowing your business might have spare blankets, water bottles, food, heat, or any capacity of resources will allow our community to stand strong against these potential and unpredictable disasters. Please email ayoung@powellriver.ca for support.
qathet Regional District coordinates emergency planning, preparedness, training, response, and recovery for all areas within the Regional District, including the City of Powell River and Tla’amin Nation.
Farm Economy Plan
In 2017, the City secured funding from BC Rural Dividend Program to produce a Farm Economy Plan. The project was conducted in partnership with the Powell River Farmers and Agriculture Institute, Vancouver Island University, School District 47 and the Tla’amin Nation. The goals of the project were to:
Identify opportunities and challenges in Powell River’s farm sector and define actions to reduce risk and improve viability of farming as an economic activity.
Powell River Farm Sector: Opportunities and ChallengesIdentify Indigenous business development and job creation opportunities within the agricultural sector.
Enhance local food security by proposing actions to strengthen economic prospects for local farmers.
Interactive Online Map and Business Directory of Local Farms
Interactive Online Map of Local Commercial Kitchens for value-added processing
Work on the Powell River Farm Economy Plan was completed in March 2018. The final report includes a series of recommendations for local stakeholder agencies in the following areas:
Farm Management and Production Planning
New Business Development (e.g. Agro-Toursim, Traditional Foods, Cold Chain, etc.)
Infrastructure Improvements (e.g. Universal Cold Storage, Value Added Manufacturing, etc.)
Online map of currently operating local commercial kitchens for rentEducation Programming (e.g. Horticulture Technician 1 &2, Agriculture Training Centre)
Agricultural Training Facility Proposal Estimate
Overview of Horticultural Training
Outline of Horticultural TrainingFarm Land Conservancy and Access to Farm Lands
Directory & Map of Local Food Producers
An outcome of the farm economy plan is the region's first comprehensive mapped directory of local food producers compiled into an online interactive map. Users can search for farms, filter the the map for particular products, get directions, hours, and contact info for producers, and more. All 4 local farmers' markets with schedules, hours, and locations, are also included. Local food producers also have access to an Online Map of Local Commercial Kitchens for rent to assist in processing and value-added goods.
Contact Us
Properties, Development and Communications
info@powellriver.ca
604-485-6291
Quick Links
Powell River 2021 Census Profile
qathet Regional District 2021 Census Profile
Powell River Economic Development Strategy
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