Second Growth: Community Economic Development in Rural British Columbia

Broad political and economic changes are dramatically reshaping rural and small-town communities in British Columbia and across Canada. Increasingly, much of the responsibility for community-based prosperity and survival is falling to communities themselves. This book is drawn from a three-year participatory research project with four communities in British Columbia: two municipalities (Salmon Arm and 100 Mile House/South Cariboo) and two Aboriginal communities (the Upper St'at'imc represented by the Lillooet Tribal Council, and the Nuxalk of Bella Coola). The first part examines historical and contemporary forces of restructuring, linking the way in which rural communities have developed with the legacy of resource development and Aboriginal marginalization. The second part presents the theoretical and practical dynamics of the community economic development process and outlines various strategies that communities can initiate to diversify their local economies. As rural and small-town communities struggle to confront complex forces of change, sound theoretical frameworks and tested best practices are important tools in facilitating the prospects for second growth.Kelly Vodden is the author of 'Second Growth: Community Economic Development in Rural British Columbia', published 2005 under ISBN 9780774810586 and ISBN 0774810580.