April 25-27: The 2023 RIEP Forum

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The first Rural Islands Economic Partnership (RIEP) Forum was held on Pender Island during 2019. They were forced to hold virtual events after COVID hit, but the 2023 RIEP Forum is an in-person event that will be held on Gabriola Island, April 25-27.

“The event is a flagship event for the 18 plus rural islands of BC. The reach is from Bowen Island to Malcolm Island to Salt Spring to Gabriola, to Cortes, and Quadra. Our motto is, no one island can be resilient alone, and together we're stronger and better,” explained Francine Carlin, Chair and Interim Executive DIrector of the Rural Islands Economic Partnership.

Kate Madigan was one of the half dozen Cortes Island residents that attended the 2019 RIEP forum and will be returning with 3 others from the CCEDA (Cortes Community Economic Development Association) this year.

KM: “Here on Cortes, we meet a lot of our community needs through nonprofits, and those are the people on the ground. We don't have municipal government support. We have the SRD, but it's fairly limited. I just really love listening to other people from the other islands who have the same Issues that we do.”

Cortes Island Regional Director Mark Vonesch was invited, but it's unlikely he'll be able to attend.

KM: “It’s too bad Mark couldn't join us, Noba (Anderson) did go in 2019, but we can get him involved in some of the online events.

FC: “I said to him, let's have a Cortes area delegation meet with you, and talk about what's really needed from a Regional District perspective.”

“We realize people are traveling from all across BC to come to this event. Many are arriving on Monday night, some are coming Tuesday morning to register, have lunch, and then the actual formal program with the welcome from the First Nation comes in at 1:00 PM. We have an opening around the model of ‘Donut Economics,’ which is recognizing that we need to have ecological and social justice in order to achieve our ability to live on the island, on the planet in a regenerative and sustainable way. We have Ben Geselbracht, the Nanaimo City Counselor who brought donut economics into Nanaimo.”

Carlin said Nanaimo was the first city in Canada to use Donut Economics as a lens for their decision making around climate adaptation and economic investments.

The first evening will conclude with a Sarah Osborne concert.

FC: “Wednesday is a very heavy day. We call it the un-conference Conference because it's not your typical ‘talking heads.’ It is plenaries, that are all interactive panels which engages the audiences with q and a.”

“We are really proud to have Vancity as the presenting sponsor and led by Michelle Laviolette, Director of Indigenous banking. Vancity was very excited about RIEP because RIEP represents the intersectionality of climate adaptation, reconciliation, and economic capacity building from a regenerative lens.”

“We have panels that are being sponsored by them around housing lessons learned across the islands, working with indigenous businesses through the lens of reconciliation and the economics of climate change We also have interactive panels on arts vitality, travel as a force for good , circular economy success , government services related to Island Coastal Economic Trust and the BC Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation."

“It's a very full packed schedule, and one that is also networking and connecting with Islanders across BC. In terms of just the general ambience of the program, it's basically a grassroots event. There's hardly any corporate or any government presenters. It's all the people who are on the ground doing the work.”